Omani Shamshir

[francantolin]

Congratulations !
Marvellous collection !!
Glad if you share some pictures of the others...
( nimcha or old straight model )

[A.alnakkas]

Excellent photography, Theo. It went to a good home. Also would love to see more of your Omani collection!

[TVV]

I am glad you like my little grouping. I will post a thread on the nimchas where I will go over them in more detail. The kattara and the straight saifs I have posted on this forum before, sometimes with unintended consequences resulting in very long threads with some controversy.

Back on the subject of Omani shamshirs, here is a side by side comparison with a typical Persian hilt to show some of the differences:
- Some minor crossguard differences;
- The twisted wire wrap with the characteristic knot;
- The Persian pommel cap is cylindrical, short and generally not decorated, while the Omani pommel cap is conical, slightly longer and often decorated - the 6-petal flower motif is found on all kinds of Omani sword fittings.

Regards,
Teo

[werecow]

Lovely collection. I have one of the straight bladed nimcha / saif, and it's one of my favorite swords to hold. I'd also love to find myself one of those "battle swords" some day.

Are the knot on the grip and this type of blade specific to Oman? I've seen at least one of those before but it was listed as Russian and it had a more typical Persian looking shamshir blade IIRC.

[TVV]

Originally Posted by werecow

Are the knot on the grip and this type of blade specific to Oman? I've seen at least one of those before but it was listed as Russian and it had a more typical Persian looking shamshir blade IIRC.

The knot in my experience is characteristic of Oman and the Omani sphere of influence, spanning along the Eastern African coastline down to the Comoros. However, every example has to be evaluated based on the entirety of its dress, also taking in consideration the pommel cap and the scabbard fittings.