Berber Cavalry Saber ??

[M ELEY]

I am convinced that the blade on the sword being discussed is from the same Spanish (I'm assuming) maker that forged the blade for my Brazilian espada cutlass. Mine was a weapon discussed in past threads and the grip on it is remarkably similar to these Berber sabers (used to have a clipped point Berber, so I've seen the similarity up close). As all have already pointed out, Spanish blades undoubtedly made their way into the Trade routes, especially with coastal areas such as Morocco. I suspect that the design of the hilt was originally African in origin (Saifs, nimchas, etc) and their patterns were copied in Spanish colonial regions-

[Rick]

Possibly we should be looking more at the hilt/handle construction and form for origin clues .

My example appears to be layers of leather topped off with horn scales, and the decoration seems to have been burnt in .

They certainly resemble nothing else I have ever seen in 16 some years of collecting .

Then again, that's not saying much .

[archer]

Do the sabers with Spanish motto's, etc, also have the tapered tang? The Berber photos are a stretch, but, if you look at the shadows cast by the hilts, the silhouettes take on to my eye the proper shape.
M Eley, Do the scabbards follow this odd blade protected by wood insert and a layer of leather on the outside and only leather on the inside? More importantly were both tangs tapered? Do the M1796 British Sabers have tapered tangs? Thanks Steve

I added a few photos that may help on origins?

[M ELEY]

Every example of Brazilian espada/cutlass I have seen lack a scabbard. It could be that none survived or that they were never intended to have a scabbard (if a true naval cutlass, they shouldn't). Getting back to the scabbard on yours, my Berber saber had a similar raised 'toe'. The hilts on these are all very similar, of horn slats pinned together. Not to confuse matters, but espada ancha also have similar hilt constructions (horn or bone slats with a tang sandwiched in the middle with pins/rivets holding them in place. The tang on my Berber was tapered, but I can't see the tang on my Brazilian piece as the horn hilt fully covers it. I've heard the theories of m1796 blades being used, but not sure what their tang was shaped like. Certainly, the tangs might have been altered/flattened to allow for the horn slats. After all, many of the Berber sabers had their points purposely clipped to form a 'crescent moon' shape. I assume you might have already looked up the thread 'On the origins of the so-called Berber sabre'? Some very interesting info there...