Arab Cutlasses of the Pirate Coast

[Jim McDougall]

These are great examples Lofty! and its amazing to see them restored.
I think the hardest thing in describing these variations in the spectrum of Arabian sa'if is the terms used for them. Though often not linguistically or geographically correct , these typically serve well semantically in specifying which form or example is being referred to.

The term 'nimcha' is of course seems the most broadly used for most of these from Moroccan (and Algerian), to Zanzibari, but then these 'pistol gripped' types which are basically the same as the others with sort of a canted pommel, seem to fall into what was regarded as from Hadramaut. Naturally these are actually Yemeni, but for some time I thought that was more correct.

Of course I recognize the silver banded, and distinctive silvered throat and chape, and realized some time ago that Yemeni was more properly used.

Good point on the probable influence of mariners likely impacting the use of shorter and somewhat heavier blades in regions where their ports of call would be a source for weaponry as well as trade goods.

By analogy, the Spanish colonial espada ancha, the shorter, heavy bladed hanger used largely in utility use for brushing trails etc. actually evolved from hangers and cutlasses from vessels arriving in ports in New Spain. The cutlasses used on ships, while obviously used in combat if necessary, also served mostly in mundane services on board and notably ashore , where they became 'machetes' in cutting through thick vegetation .