Ivory (walrus?) Omani Khanjar

[A.alnakkas]

Ivory hilted khanjars are rare but not due to the rarity of the material but because of function. Ivory is heavy which makes it uncomfortable and (eventually) not that beautiful to wear. The heaviness of the hilt would make the khanjar lower forward once worn around the waist.

Ivory is readily available at swordmakers shops, its not cheap but not comparible to rhino.

[archer]

Lotfy, I like your answers they explain a lot. It's kind of the glass half empty. I guess at rarity by the numbers I've seen and your perspective based on functionality and numbers in use. I was going to ask about balance, but found the some angles of hilt to blade of other khajars to be canted too. This hilt was tipped more to the left, not exactly sure why, it hides some of the pin work? The hilt is definitely canted back further and closer to the body to correct that pull down and away from the body.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by archer

Lotfy, I like your answers they explain a lot. It's kind of the glass half empty. I guess at rarity by the numbers I've seen and your perspective based on functionality and numbers in use. I was going to ask about balance, but found the some angles of hilt to blade of other khajars to be canted too. This hilt was tipped more to the left, not exactly sure why, it hides some of the pin work? The hilt is definitely canted back further and closer to the body to correct that pull down and away from the body.

Salaams archer ~ I think its canted back because it's a rehilt. Nothing wrong in that ... Its part of the story in Omani Khanjars and Yemeni Jambias ... I think of it as an "upgrade." Perfectly normal. I think that's why the plate is missing i.e. It never made it in the rehilt. I suspect that the Ivory hilt was simply a little too thick which has caused it to not quite fit the cuff and thus it appears to stretch and split the silver casing and has had to be glued in place very slightly crooked. Retaining the silver backing would have made it worse thus it was not included in the upgrade. This gives a slightly canted hilt but I think it adds character no?

Elephant tusk hilts are not that rare in Oman. For example in a group of say 30 dignitaries there will be about half a dozen with these hilts..

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.