Blade identification needed on Moroccan nimcha sword.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Kubur

Hi,
Nimcha is exactly like Karud.
95% of the nimcha are not nimcha.

Nimcha is a short sword and this term was used for classification by collectors to define some Moroccan / Maghrebi swords.

The same problem was discussed on this forum with the Kaskara.
It's a collector name. In Sudan they call them sayf...

It's the reason why i was very annoyed with the karud discussion.
Because both Ariel and Eric were right.
Karud doesnt exist in local population.
But collectors use this term and its very practical.

In short, if you use karud, you can use nimcha or kaskara...
And Jean-Luc's sword is a real nimcha: Nimcha's look for collectors and Nimcha's name, short sword...

Right, technically not 'nimcha' as I noted with the reference to the fact that most of these sabres in the Maghreb have full length single or double edged blades. The term 'nimcha' is used primarily by collectors, and much as in other Arab regions, the term sa'if suffices.
In Buttin (1933) these sabres are depicted in the plates identified only as Arab sa'if.

Like many other terms, writers have carried forth 'collectors' terms which are used to describe certain weapons in accord with the generally accepted terms shared semantically. As noted for example, the broadswords in the Sudan are not called 'kaskara' and the term is unknown to them. I spent nearly 10 years trying to find the origin of the term kaskara, and the many sources I reached honestly did not know. It was not until Iain came along some years ago, and found the source . Still, there the weapon is termed sa'if, in western literature, it is kaskara.

So in writing among our collectors circles, using whatever term is well known to refer to the weapon discussed is perfectly fine. Notations otherwise are considered perspective. Many become frustrated with 'the name game', but I think its often interesting.