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Originally Posted by kahnjar1
I read with interest Ibrahiim's latest conclusion that the Omani Kattara is in fact not a Kattara at all, but in fact is a Sayf. His opinion is that the term Kattara is used to describe a curved blade sword and not one with a straight blade, flys in the face of any books I have seen on this subject.
Elgood, Tirri and Cameron Stone among others, all describe these STRAIGHT bladed Omani swords as KATTARA.
In fact Ibrahiim himself in his preamble regarding Omani swords which appears on his website, describes them as Kattara.
While a lot of useful information on these swords has been written on other threads currently live on this Forum, I personally feel that things are now getting rather confusing to those who are trying to learn by reading what has been written.
If there is some CONCLUSIVE PROOF of the correct name, then let it be published here.
Regards Stuart
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Salaams,
Proof is from Muscat National Museum, The Bait al Zubair Museum Muscat, The Historical Association Of Oman, Richardson and Dorr Omani Craft Herritage Documentation Project, Abu Dhabi Cultural Heritage Centre and last but not least
This forums TVV Thread kattara for Comment # 155 and following months of in depth research into the subject where even I was at loggaheads with the authorised documents when in fact it is the earlier books that are wrong for what it is worth... though it isn't actually worth much... as we all know the naming, altering and swinging names from one area to another are at best a puzzle and at worst a nightmare...I mean for example ~ Try to define what is a Tulvar??...or a Katar Dagger? Those great book makers you mention never actually entered Oman in or during the critical last few hundred years. Even in the 1950s it was dangerous to travel here... Thesiger was under threat of death after WW2 on his patrol through the sands and in the Nizwa area in about 1948 he was hunted..Perhaps they copied each others terminology. It wouldnt be the first time.
At any rate~ in our case we seem to have adjusted the picture quite well no?
Thank you for spotting that I haven't corrected my webpage yet ... that can wait a day or two... Forum First !
I mean what could be simpler than Straight is Sayf and Curved is Kattara ?
Ibrahiim