Arab swords

Arab swords

Arab swords were commonly used by Eastern peoples, among whom we can find Arabs, Persians, Turks, Hindus, etc. They were highly effective swords, in addition to having a very attractive design and decoration from an aesthetic point of view.

Types of Arab swords:

The most widespread term to refer to Arab swords is Scimitar. In reality, it is not a specific type of Arab sword, but rather how swords are generally known in the Muslim world, although it is true that they had some common characteristics.

Common characteristics of Arab swords or scimitars

· Curved blade, so we can say with certainty that a scimitar is a saber.

· A single edge.

· Handle to protect the hand, made of metal.

· Light weight.

· Great cutting capacity, which in turn allowed great combat speed. When attacking while on horseback, the blade did not embed itself in the opponent and cut following the trajectory given by the rider's blow.

The name scimitar itself comes from the Italian derivation “scimitarra” from the Persian shamsir. This term is used by the Western world to refer to any Muslim sword.

But within the term scimitar we must distinguish the following types of Arab swords:

· Shamsir: of Persian origin, it has a stylized blade, which curves regularly from its first third.

· Kiliç: of Ottoman origin, also known as a curved sword. It is characterized by having straight handles and a curved handle towards the blade. This blade has a counter-edge in its last third, which is slightly wider than the blade itself.

· Saif: of Arab origin, which is distinguished by having a double edge, with the tip of the blade curved.

· Nimcha: of Maghreb origin. It is characterized by having its garnish with several bars and a wooden handle, with a hook-shaped knob. These swords closely resemble the talwar or the saif.

· Talwar or tulwar: of Indian origin. Its particularity is undoubtedly its peculiar handle. This handle has a flattened fist, short straight spigots, finished in semicircular work, with a handguard ring, which comes out of the spigot on the side where the blade falls. The handle ends in a flattened and finished circular knob, decorated with natural motifs.

Other types of Arab swords

In addition to the scimitar, among the Arab swords we can find:

The Kabila, which is a mix between a scimitar and a genet. From the scimitar, the Kabila inherited the long, curved blade. Of the genet, the kabila has the handle part, which is one-handed, the guard is quite narrow and flat, while the pommel is usually flat or round.

The Jineta or genet, also known as the Nasrid sword, is a sword that comes from the Spanish-Arab world. The word “jineta” comes from “zenete”, which were the men of the Berber tribe of the Benimerín. They were the first to make this type of sword.

The first Arab swords of the genet type were manufactured in the 13th century in Granada, and were used by Muslims, although later, from the 15th century, they were also used by Christians. The genet is characterized by being light, having a straight double-edged blade and a complex tripartite handle.

The hilt of the genet stands out for its particular decoration, which was so complex that it made the cost of a sword of this type really very high, almost within the exclusive reach of a few people with a very high social status. The guard of a genet had a very curved edge, which hugs the start of the blade. The sides of the handle were decorated with openwork or animal heads. The fist was not simple either and had three parts.

There were two types of genets:

· Those from war: which had hardly any decoration.

· The luxury ones: which were full of different ornaments and engravings.

In this category you can find different types of Arab swords, made with the best materials and with special attention to the most characteristic features collected in history about them. With our Arabian swords you can be sure that your recreation will be faithful to history and a truly fascinating experience.

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