Kattara for comments

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by A.alnakkas

""Salaams A.alnakkas. Please try to understand that hypothesis and research are two different things. Whilst you may possibly think a sword should obey this or that rule and without full research you can simply conclude; may not be a valuable lesson since you may perhaps be relying on gut feeling and not upon the facts. On research we appreciate but we don't situate. ""

Wa Alaikum elsalam.

I am open to your idea. Its just that you havent yet provided good evidence for it. Your assumptions for why the straight saif is dance only has been answered, and I will counter your replies.

""Whilst there may be a few odd weapons (normally extremely short blades virtually knife length mentioned by you ) that do not employ quillons the Omani dancing sword, though it looks like a long sparring sword doesn't have them because it's not a fighting weapon. (see current thread)""

Are you saying that the Shashka, the afghan shashka, the barong, the sinai shashka, the dhas, the khyber knives AND the yataghans are "extremely short blades vertually knife length"?

Have you even handled one?

Again, there are plenty of swords with no quillons and those swords are battle tested. Your assumption IS WRONG.

""There arent any Omani Sayfs with points or stiff blades. There are some hybrids but they are mainly tourist swords done in Muscat since 1970. Omani dancing swords "SAYF" do not have this configuration. Omani people dont go for the hybrid varieties because you cant dance with a dead blade. Its that simple.""

Not really. This is rather assumptive. Why are you suggesting that solid(er) blades are touristy made in the 70's? Whats the evidence? Majority of Kattaras with solid blades tend to have fine mounts and silver wire stitched hilts, this is against the tourist trade which generally goes for the least costy products. I'd say an Omani trader would have a better chance selling a flexible, made yesterday for Razha type of swords to tourists since its less costy.

""This is not initially understood but I assume you mean Sayf not Kattara since as you will recall~ Sayf are the straight whilst Kattara are the curved ~ so that my answer must be Yes, all Omani Sayfs are flexible bladed and round tipped. They are all dancing swords. They are not weapons and never were""

Yep, I mean the straight saif, but out of habit I just call it kattara. I actually agree with your research regarding terminology and totally appreciate it. When you said so, I researched alittle bit online and found out that websites with random information about the Shihies (or their websites) would call the curved one Kattarah (كتارة) and straight ones; saif. So I am with you on this one.

But not with you on the purpose of the straight saif.

""Where you are perhaps getting confused is upon the appearance of Hybridised weapons that have been switched and available in Muscat since about 1970 and have fooled tourists and the unsuspecting passer by for nearly half a century.""

Not really.

""The Bedawi weapon is an excellent subject in which to invest time and effort in meaningful and respectable research. I can certainly assist in this, however, since you are much closer to the source in such blades perhaps you would like to lead with an opening new thread on the subject. There are Bedouin in Oman namely Rashidi, Bayt Kathiir, Wahayybi and Harsiisi(Jarsiis) and maybe one or two others...and it would be an interesting subject. ""

Again, the badawi offers a similar view to the straight saif. But true, defintely deserves more research ;-)

Salaams A.alnakkas ~ I think you need to read the available data at this thread and others to finally be convinced as I and the rest of the population in Oman are, (including the Museums and the National Herritage Association) viz;..

1. That the Omani dancing sword; (The very flexible long hilted, spatula tipped, straight Sayf of circa 1744 introduction) is in fact not a weapon and never was. It is for pageant and dancing only.

2. That interloper swords infiltrated by traders into Oman since 1970 have been rehilted in Muscat and sold on the tourist market particularly straight Yemeni and Saudia blades of the sort we are discussing.

3. That these swords are not bought by Omani people as dancing swords but by visitors who think they are a dancing sword when in fact they are not. They dont buzz. They are heavier and have a point. They were originally weapons. An Omani person would much rather buy a broomstick than one of these !!

4. That the Omani Straight is a Sayf and the curved is a Kattara (though I note that despite the 250 plus posts on this Forum you needed to go online to discover this on the Shehe website, though, I have to say well done on confirming that ! so why dont you kindly post that website on this thread as confirmation?)

Actually I was just thinking that this time last year I was in Kabul where I must have handled about 1,000 different weapons of the type Kard, Pulwar and others where I noted the lethality of the blades on swords mainly designed to go straight into the attack as opposed to parry. The majority were short by comparison more like a butchers knife. Naturally there are weapons that are designed to slash and chop but I'm afraid the Omani long dancer is not one of these.

There is even a strange sword that wraps around the body which is totally flexible and used like a whip(I owned one). Whilst that too is a weapon employing flexibility; the Omani dancing Sword is NOT. It is for dancing and pageants only.

HAVE i HANDLED WEAPONS ? I trained with a master of weapons of the Chinese tAI cHI (fighting style) school and in spear particularly. I trained in the Japanese style and used a live Omani Kattara blade to compare (not reccommended) I am a black belt first dan in knockdown Kyokushinkai and trained with one of Oss!! "Sossai Maso Yama" Oss!! "young lions" the well respected master from Beirut, Sensei Rashiid Sabbagh... for 10 years. I am trained on every modern bayonett and firearm invented~I am a marksman class shot(Rifle) since the late 20th C. Weapons were my profession for decades ! I own 50 swords and have owned hundreds more. Therefor since you call into question have I handled them?...the answer is Yes.

The subject of the Bedawi weapon is intriguing and I wonder where it started life and how it transmitted ~ Its not an Omani weapon though may be evidenced in these fringe Bedu groups perhaps from Murra to Rashid and on to Bait Kathiir and Harsis.. I urge you to throw your energy into that and as a specialist in Omani artefacts, arms and armour and as a camel owner (See Wilfred Thesiger as it was my team that did the Liwa re-enactment)) Im also a horse owner(Arabian and part Arabian) and junior Falcon associate. I have to go now as my Salukki arab hunting dog is at the vets !

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.