Nimcha: real or not?

ariel · 28th May 2006, 08:37 PM

It just ended and brought a tidy sum.
The owner advertised it as 18th century and, in response to my questions, reiterated the antiquity of the sword.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=6631713652
I was looking for a good Nimcha for a long time, but this one left me with nagging doubts.
1. The intactness: not a scratch, a lost stone, a crack in the handle
2. The decoration: the ornaments on the handle are very artistic; perhaps, too artistic. They reminded me of a multitude of bazaar Koummyas with camel bone or just plastic handles.
3.The construction also seems a bit flimsy, especially the baldric rings: they are nicely attached to the scabbard but I cannot imagine they can hold for a long time.
4.The size: yes, I know Nimcha by definition is something small. But all Moroccan Nimchas I have seen were cavalry swords, not naval cutlasses. This one is ~27", and would not be suitable for a horse ( even more, camel!)rider
The blade is of strange configuration; I asked for better pics but did not get them.
Where did my paranoia overcome me?

28th May 2006, 08:37 PM	#1
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Nimcha: real or not? It just ended and brought a tidy sum. The owner advertised it as 18th century and, in response to my questions, reiterated the antiquity of the sword. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=6631713652 I was looking for a good Nimcha for a long time, but this one left me with nagging doubts. 1. The intactness: not a scratch, a lost stone, a crack in the handle 2. The decoration: the ornaments on the handle are very artistic; perhaps, too artistic. They reminded me of a multitude of bazaar Koummyas with camel bone or just plastic handles. 3.The construction also seems a bit flimsy, especially the baldric rings: they are nicely attached to the scabbard but I cannot imagine they can hold for a long time. 4.The size: yes, I know Nimcha by definition is something small. But all Moroccan Nimchas I have seen were cavalry swords, not naval cutlasses. This one is ~27", and would not be suitable for a horse ( even more, camel!)rider The blade is of strange configuration; I asked for better pics but did not get them. Where did my paranoia overcome me?