Saif for comment

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

Hi Ibrahim,
It was indeed a great exchange of ideas, and especially talking about his esteemed grandfather who had apparantly lived in Morocco a good number of years. The 'nimchas' in Buttins catalog (1933) were all from either North Africa or Arab provenance asI recall. Actually the late Anthony North recalled the details of the suggestions of North Italian beginnings of these Arab swords in a 1975 article, noting that Buttin had pointed out the resemblances of the kastane and nimchas to the stortas of Italy of the late 15th century.

It seems that nimchas in North Africa often had full size blades rather than the shorter, cutlass type blades associated with onboard close quarters fighting. It seems these 'corsairs' often were involved more in raiding on shore than at sea.
I think that blades from Italy did enter the Red Sea trade, but these were not necessarily schiavona (which refers more to the hilt configuration) but full size arming sword blades. The presence of Italian trade had of course been in many regions of North Africa from early times, and the influence of Italian arms well placed among a number of weapon forms there.

All best regards,
Jim

References;
A http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ghlight=nimcha see # 26 by Kurt.

Salaams Jim ~ I thought a picture of Buttins page above on the subject would be useful. It appears that these were Arab styles.
On the subject of Schiavona, actually, I refer to blade form rather than hilt form and in particular double edged blades. It makes sense that blades leaked into the red sea region from this Italian style and would have been re hilted. It goes as rather a note in the marjin since I have no extended proof though I suspect the non flexible blades occasionally seen on some Omani rehilts and in some museums/souks in Yemen and Saudia may be related to these though for me, as yet, it remains penciled in for a further look later.

I find it very interesting about the stortas linkage..

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.