Zanzibar/Yemen Saif with an Ethiopian Blade

TVV · 12th March 2009, 07:55 AM

Kino, Jim and Ron, thank you all for your comments, very interesting.

Jim, the connection to bedouin swords is something I would have never though of. There certainly is a strong similarity if one just looks at the hilt, without the grossguard. I am not sure if the metal is silver. It looks more like nickel to me, or maybe even aluminium.

Ron, I think you are correct about the blade. When I looked at it something seemed a little off in the proportions, especially at the tip, but I could not quite figure out what. I thought it might be a locally forged blade, but the engraving seems way to uniform for that. But a heat bent blade - that must be it!
Thank you also for the mark comment. I assume M. Kevorkoff was an Armenian merchant, who imported blades into Ethiopia. Was he operating under some sort of contract with the Emperor, supplying the Royal troops?

Regards,
Teodor

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12th March 2009, 07:55 AM	#5
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,668	Kino, Jim and Ron, thank you all for your comments, very interesting. Jim, the connection to bedouin swords is something I would have never though of. There certainly is a strong similarity if one just looks at the hilt, without the grossguard. I am not sure if the metal is silver. It looks more like nickel to me, or maybe even aluminium. Ron, I think you are correct about the blade. When I looked at it something seemed a little off in the proportions, especially at the tip, but I could not quite figure out what. I thought it might be a locally forged blade, but the engraving seems way to uniform for that. But a heat bent blade - that must be it! Thank you also for the mark comment. I assume M. Kevorkoff was an Armenian merchant, who imported blades into Ethiopia. Was he operating under some sort of contract with the Emperor, supplying the Royal troops? Regards, Teodor