Another What Have We Here

ariel · 15th May 2005, 03:01 PM

At a first glance it does look like a typical karabela. However, the more I look, the more I agree with RSWORD. I have three S.Arabian swords, including a Zanzibar "nimcha" and all of them have the same "bolster" constructed as a wrap-around iron sheet. The langets also look Aarabian: flattened and circularly incised at the tips. Very much like my real nimcha (as per Elgood).
I do not think the hilt was reworked from a Moroccan/Zanzibar nimcha: their configuration includes a semicircular space under the pommel (for the pinkie) and would severely compromised the contour of the reworked handle.
I think it is the original contour, and the sword is an Arabian one.
Not Turkish and definitely not Balkan, Hungarian, Polish or otherwise Slavic.
We should call it a Saif for want of a better word.
As for Karabela, let's remember that one of the potential origins of the word is Iraqi city of Karbala, although it (IMHO) just as fallacious as "cara e bella" and "Karb'Allah". Most likely, it is derived from the name of a Turkish town Karabel, near Izmir.

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15th May 2005, 03:01 PM	#9
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	At a first glance it does look like a typical karabela. However, the more I look, the more I agree with RSWORD. I have three S.Arabian swords, including a Zanzibar "nimcha" and all of them have the same "bolster" constructed as a wrap-around iron sheet. The langets also look Aarabian: flattened and circularly incised at the tips. Very much like my real nimcha (as per Elgood). I do not think the hilt was reworked from a Moroccan/Zanzibar nimcha: their configuration includes a semicircular space under the pommel (for the pinkie) and would severely compromised the contour of the reworked handle. I think it is the original contour, and the sword is an Arabian one. Not Turkish and definitely not Balkan, Hungarian, Polish or otherwise Slavic. We should call it a Saif for want of a better word. As for Karabela, let's remember that one of the potential origins of the word is Iraqi city of Karbala, although it (IMHO) just as fallacious as "cara e bella" and "Karb'Allah". Most likely, it is derived from the name of a Turkish town Karabel, near Izmir.