KOUMMIYA MILITARY OR TOURIST?
 

HELLO!!!
MY QUESTION IS this koummiya is military and good koummiya or tourist item....it is very beautiful .... and it look old but i dont known.....

for you ?????

I don't know much about these but this one seems also to be promising. Could you please also measure the thickness of the blade?

BTW, I don't think these ever were military weapons but more for civilian use. An early EDC (every day carry) blade... ;)

Regards,
Kai

hi
 

thanks Kai!!!

it is of 3 mm ...... yes for me is not military dagger.....but for you is possible known period?

reagards
lorenzo

Exactly 3mm for maximum thickness? That's a bit on the thin side; also it doesn't look as old as the other piece (especially I don't see any patina of the wood on your pics) - possibly vintage? My best guess would be that this was more for status wear rather than actual use but I hope Ernst and others will comment!

Regards,
Kai

Hello,
I often wondered at the variety of koummiya with slender handles...how thick and strong would the tang be and how would the knife stand up to use?
Emanuel

yes 3 mm maximum.....blade is not very sharp....it is silver and brass ....very hight quality of koummiya....but i dont understand much of it

The tricky thing about Moroccan koummiya/jambiyas is that Moroccan merchants have been selling them to tourists for a VERY long time. While they may not have used the same terminology, I don't doubt that there were merchant stalls selling souvenirs to Viking warriors on their way to serve as guards on the Byzantine court at Constantinople.

The rule of thumb I try and use is, can I imagine using a particular example to defend myself in a street brawl? It doesn't matter how pretty it is, if it has a cheap blade and flimsy construction, it's a tourist piece and not the 'real thing'. Of the ones I see listed for sale on ebay, I'd say at least 95% are souvenir pieces.

Fenris

Hi guys,

This is in my humble koumya opinion clearly a tourist piece. I am still looking for a piccie I thought I had. It showed a Fez bazaar shop with tens and tens of these hanging on the wall of the shop for sale.