Can anyone tell me about this dagger (khanjar)?

R_p_doyle · 29th July 2010, 05:54 PM

Hello,

I'm brand new to this forum and have learned a great deal from the postings on here. This is a great place.

I recently acquired this antique dagger (khanjar?) on the island of Zanzibar off the coast of Tanzania, and I was wondering if anyone here recognizes or knows anything about these.

I'd love to find out more about it... how old it may be, where it originally came from, and what it might be worth. The owner believed it to be of Omani origin as there are many Omani families that have lived on Zanzibar for centuries.

This is what I know about it:
From Zanzibar, probably Omani origin. Silver dagger with silver sheath and cloth and leather belt. The silver is of a relatively high quality judging by the color.

Blade is probably made of steel. The whole knife including the belt weighs approximately 600 grams or 1.32 pounds, which is heavy compared to other knives I saw of a similar size. The belt is probably not as old as the knife and was most likely replaced as it was passed down through the family that owned it. The owner believed the knife to be at least 100 years old.

There is an etching of a face and an Arabic inscription on the blade. My guess from looking at other knives in this forum is that it is a family name and Islamic date... but I can't read Arabic. There are also two hexagrams on the blade. (I wondered if this meant the blade was made by a Jewish armorer? Or perhaps the family that owned it was Jewish? I know hexagrams have been used historically in Islam as well, so I'm not sure.) The dagger in the sheath is approximately 12" from top of handle to apex of curve on the sheath.

Any information or insight anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards

29th July 2010, 05:54 PM	#1
R_p_doyle Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2	Can anyone tell me about this dagger (khanjar)? Hello, I'm brand new to this forum and have learned a great deal from the postings on here. This is a great place. I recently acquired this antique dagger (khanjar?) on the island of Zanzibar off the coast of Tanzania, and I was wondering if anyone here recognizes or knows anything about these. I'd love to find out more about it... how old it may be, where it originally came from, and what it might be worth. The owner believed it to be of Omani origin as there are many Omani families that have lived on Zanzibar for centuries. This is what I know about it: From Zanzibar, probably Omani origin. Silver dagger with silver sheath and cloth and leather belt. The silver is of a relatively high quality judging by the color. Blade is probably made of steel. The whole knife including the belt weighs approximately 600 grams or 1.32 pounds, which is heavy compared to other knives I saw of a similar size. The belt is probably not as old as the knife and was most likely replaced as it was passed down through the family that owned it. The owner believed the knife to be at least 100 years old. There is an etching of a face and an Arabic inscription on the blade. My guess from looking at other knives in this forum is that it is a family name and Islamic date... but I can't read Arabic. There are also two hexagrams on the blade. (I wondered if this meant the blade was made by a Jewish armorer? Or perhaps the family that owned it was Jewish? I know hexagrams have been used historically in Islam as well, so I'm not sure.) The dagger in the sheath is approximately 12" from top of handle to apex of curve on the sheath. Any information or insight anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards Attached Images