Recently made Omani Kattara / Saif

[Iain]

Originally Posted by katana

As a footnote, is there any evidence of blades made in Oman being sold in Africa ? The thinking is ....could some Omani blades be used, rehilted as Tabouka ?

Kind Regards David

I'll jump in here for a sec. To my knowledge there is really no reason to think this is the case. This basic pattern was in plentiful supply it would seem from European sources and from local manufacture. The resemblance in blade profiles I think is simply due to local copying of similar European patterns.

It is possible that there was importation from the Red Sea area, but I have never run across a reference to it in the period accounts from the Sahel region - just references to local manufacture and European imports.

[katana]

Originally Posted by Iain

I'll jump in here for a sec. To my knowledge there is really no reason to think this is the case. This basic pattern was in plentiful supply it would seem from European sources and from local manufacture. The resemblance in blade profiles I think is simply due to local copying of similar European patterns.

It is possible that there was importation from the Red Sea area, but I have never run across a reference to it in the period accounts from the Sahel region - just references to local manufacture and European imports.

Hi Iain,
thanks for the input, I was thinking of a 'supply' in modern times, say the last 2 or 3 decades .... it was just a thought, as the blade on this Saif seems an anomaly ie not usual for a dance blade.

All the best
David

[Iain]

Originally Posted by katana

Hi Iain,
thanks for the input, I was thinking of a 'supply' in modern times, say the last 2 or 3 decades .... it was just a thought, as the blade on this Saif seems an anomaly ie not usual for a dance blade.

All the best
David

Aha I see what you mean now. In that case, I'd say even more unlikely as there is quite a nice cottage industry still turning out takouba blades. I don't think there's a market to justify the expense of importing them in modern times.