A great looking blade with the interesting expanded tip, which in effect is of the yelman tipped sabres of Turkic ancestry and this one looks very similar to the example in "Arms & Armour of Arabia" (Elgood, p.10, fig. 2.1). The one illustrated has the 'karabela' style hilt, and the blade is described as 17th-18th century.
The example shown by Rick illustrates that these expanded tip blades were well known in the maritime sphere of the Arabs from SE Asia to North Africa, with hilts reflecting local taste.
These blades were often remounted many times in thier working lives, and it is hard to say what style hilt might have been on this blade in earlier times. The hilt on this is clearly Ottoman of course and latter 19th century...it is interesting to see the upward swept quillons. The old blade has the partial dentated semi circle used by native smiths recalling trade blade marks of the 'sickle marks' of Styria and the Caucusus.
As far as the term 'nimcha'....it has of course become loosely applied to the Moroccan multiquilloned hilt swords of the 17th-20th century, apparantly somewhat incorrectly . Elgood notes that the term actually means nim =half and sha is also diminutive, suggesting it refers to a smaller type sword (many of the blades such as seen with this example are actually relatively small).
The Moroccan swords are typically mounted with all manner of full length trade blades, with many actually straight backsword types, so the term becomes confusing literally, however now commonly used by collectors.
From what I have understood, much like the 'kaskara' in Sudanese regions (a term unknown in the Sudan), these swords are termed locally as sa'if, the Arabic term for sword, and as Lee once so eloquently noted, were 'not otherwise specified'.
This 'nimcha' with what appears later Ottoman hilt may well have been remounted in third quarter 19th century with Ottoman reconquests in al Hasa and the Yemen
Intriguing blade with lots of character, and no doubt history to go with it.
All best regards,
Jim
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