Saif With Weird Blade for Comments

Jim McDougall · 1st November 2012, 05:40 PM

This blade does appear to be of the general configuration of a form which was produced by British firms, Wilkinson in particular, and it seems certain Solingen makers, in the early 20th into 1930s for export to Ethiopia. It seems many of these blades ended up in Yemen, probably through Aden and were hilted in San'a. Many of these were in a domed pommel broadsword type form, while this is of course the sabre type hilt favored in Arabia.
The plated blade is indeed interesting but seems to be a popular feature in Arabian swords in more modern times as I have seen swords attributed to Hadhramaut with clearly old blades redone in this manner.

The Amharic inscription is likely a patriotic testament to the memory of this early Abyssinian ruler who died in 1816, possibly may have key meaning to a faction or tribal group during the turbulent times in these regions in these years up to WWII. It was once suggested to me that many of these blades ended up in Yemen via transport of the rhino hilts on shotels into Arabia, the blades then hilted otherwise while the horn used for khanjhars.

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1st November 2012, 05:40 PM	#7
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,196	This blade does appear to be of the general configuration of a form which was produced by British firms, Wilkinson in particular, and it seems certain Solingen makers, in the early 20th into 1930s for export to Ethiopia. It seems many of these blades ended up in Yemen, probably through Aden and were hilted in San'a. Many of these were in a domed pommel broadsword type form, while this is of course the sabre type hilt favored in Arabia. The plated blade is indeed interesting but seems to be a popular feature in Arabian swords in more modern times as I have seen swords attributed to Hadhramaut with clearly old blades redone in this manner. The Amharic inscription is likely a patriotic testament to the memory of this early Abyssinian ruler who died in 1816, possibly may have key meaning to a faction or tribal group during the turbulent times in these regions in these years up to WWII. It was once suggested to me that many of these blades ended up in Yemen via transport of the rhino hilts on shotels into Arabia, the blades then hilted otherwise while the horn used for khanjhars.