Mark, I admire your spirit not accepting orthodoxy or apathy your research will pay off in time. Tim

Hello Tim!

Thank you for the compliment. I am of Russian/Cossack decent, my grandfather says thats why I am stubborn and determined! :D I will continue to place this to a place and post here as I do.

Mark...

INMHO to Aurangzeb
 

In admiration to your persuasiveness in this quest for truth here is my humble opinion for what is worth:
It clearly stands out as a crude copy of a Jambyia. That being given and the similarity with the craftsmanship of the solid brass grip "Telek" the Touareg version of the "arm dagger" and the African blades, I would say its belongs to the Touareg or at least to an Islamic black tribe of the Sub-Sahara.
I looked also at the Tirri's book but I would always be careful when considering him for the final verdict. If to consider his book take a look rather at page 54 (# 30) and 56 (# 32A) on the Touareg section instead of the so called Palestinian dagger.

Also the option of a simple "souvenir market" with no blue blood is a solid posibility :( .

Hello Radu!

You have a point about Tuareg or sub-Saharen africa. I am almost definatly sure it is not tourest, the blade is nice, thick, and sharp and relativly well reforged from a file and seems as a using piece. The grip is the crudest part of it.

Mark...

P.S.-Just bought a nice kindjal off Therion-Arms and will post this less "mysterious" dagger soon.

Chould it be from the Comoros Islands? The reason for my continuous posting is mainly to use this thread to keep trck of ideas and theoys on this Knife due to my short term memory loss problem. Also is this idea possible or just a crazy idea.

Mark...

Will someone tell me if my idea is possible or just crazy? :)

Sudan???? I found a very similer dagger on a website but I do not know if I can post a link to a item that is for sale.

Mark...

Palestinian dagger
 

Gentlemen

Sorry to come in so late, but I am afraid it is indeed a Palestinian dagger coming from the Northern parts of Israel / Palestine or south Syria. It may be mix of several daggers common to the area.

Generally the blades in daggers from the region covering Palestine, Israel, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon are divided into two main categories:

The Shyibria type with the re-curving blade (few examples shown above) which is common to the southern parts of Israel, to Jordan and to the Sinai peninsula

The Khanjar type, with the single curved blade, common to the northern parts of this region: North of Israel, South of Syria and Lebanon.

In both categories the handle will be of the standard “I” shaped, but made of whatever possible material found: wood, horn, bone, brass or any other metal, and the pommel in a variety of shapes: round, half round, triangular, slightly square and whatever the local maker had in mind when he produced the dagger.

A week ago, I have noticed in a small Israeli forum on Ethnographic weapons ( Unfortunately in Hebrew) a thread on this dagger:

http://www.oriental-arms.com/photos/extra/19/000219.jpg


http://www.oriental-arms.com/photos/extra/18/000218.jpg

It was collected in the 1973 war between Israel and Syria in a small village (Jubata el Hasheb, now in the international boundaries of Syria). The blade is in a shameful condition, the scabbard is a later scabbard of a Magdali Khanjar (this village is only 7 miles north of Magdal Shams, were the Magdali daggers were made), but the brass handle has a sticking similarity to the one posted above.

Hope this resolves the mystery

(Thanks to Mr. I. Meyuchas, who collected this dagger and was kind enough to allow me to post it here)

Hello Artzi!

better late than never! :D Thank you so much for resolving this mystery. I can't thank you enough.

Mark...

Almost forgot is this a khanjar of jambiya, or are they the same thing?

Mark...