Silver Pinned Khanjar

[archer]

What can be said for this relic. It's tightly silver pinned missing a lot of silver but, I'm not quite sure how much decorative metal is gone. The tight pinning encouraged Me to think it was a horn hilt, so far it doesn't show light thru at any point. I"m not sure if it'sall patina or if there is some sort of applied finish. What is it called and estimate of age. If it is worthwhile I'd like to replace missing decorative parts. Looking forward to your thoughts,
Steve

[DaveS]

Looks like a rhino horn handle, with badly tarnished silver overlay. Maybe dates from the 30s to 40s............Dave.

[spiral]

A Jambiya with a possibly rhino horn hilt & a solid steel blade. A metal strip is missing round the bottom of the hilt.

I am sure someone can tell you the name of the area is comes from.

Possibly Oman or Muscat?

Spiral

[A.alnakkas]

A nice old piece. The hilt is wood even though the fiberous structure seems like rhino but on closer inspection it seems more like wood than rhino. You have it in hand though.

There could be a metal area and sometimes there isnt (deliberately removed during a not so professional hilt restoration. This could be the case.)

[archer]

Spot on Lotfy, it has the appearance of horn especially with all the close pinning, but it just doesn't allow any light thru. What kind of wood is this?
It has a couple of contrasts in texture and color I see from time to time at the pommel and near the blade. I was hoping it would be horn,but that's life.
Steve

[A.alnakkas]

its a lovely piece regardless whether it is wood or horn. The wood appears of excellent quality and I remember an Omani friend mentioned a type of local wood that had excellent endurance... I dont remember its name but will ask him and perhaps even show him these pictures.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams all... This hilt does not absorb light but is quite close pinned..There are no splits...I think it is a horn derivative ... usually bovine...With little else to go by I see this as an Omani 4 ringer probably Baatinah. Tee shaped hilt with pins echoing a silver plate shape... The crown at the toe still in place. In Oman wooden hilts are used and the better wood is hard... and smells scented ...and is called Sandalwood. See http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...8&page=4&pp=30 #106

The other possibility is from something Oceanic...

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[spiral]

After further perusal I have to agree with A.alnakkas.

It is timber, the fibres that are shown on the end grain are open grained on the side... that is timber structure, Not horn of any kind & not anything Oceanic either.


Spiral

[archer]

I was Looking at Michael Blalok's Saidi sheath and seeing a lot of thread work.
Mine doesn't have the holes for the center rings could extra rings be held by just wire? Could it have been made without the center rings? It seems, it is missing the metal decoration at the throat of the sheath and the bottom of the hilt. One shot shows, blade fully seated in the sheath. The hilt material may well be wood of some kind. I guess the hot pin method will tell. About, how old is this dagger? Thanks, Steve

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams All, Khanjar Scabbard core construction is wood. It is perhaps not a Royal Khanjar because it carries the wrong sort of dagger(assuming it is original)... however, It could be a seven ringer Muscat Khanjar... It may be remembered that they also have 7 rings like the Royal Khanjar and it was technically only the hilt that Sheherezad designed after an Indian style of decoration to please her husband, the Sultan..The Muscat Khanjar has a formal tee shaped dagger. I appear to be seeing some sort of horn but if its wood then... its wood.

See http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=14878 #143 for the Muscat style and the wood core at #5 of the same thread...

The other dagger with a lot of leather below the belt is of the Interior of Oman and is also the UAE style, though, also seen with chevron rings.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by archer

I was Looking at Michael Blalok's Saidi sheath and seeing a lot of thread work.
Mine doesn't have the holes for the center rings could extra rings be held by just wire? Could it have been made without the center rings? It seems, it is missing the metal decoration at the throat of the sheath and the bottom of the hilt. One shot shows, blade fully seated in the sheath. The hilt material may well be wood of some kind. I guess the hot pin method will tell. About, how old is this dagger? Thanks, Steve

Salaams archer~ Well this one is causing a stir ... I'm going out on a limb here and suggesting a couple of things in addition to what has gone before... This is a "zerri" applied scabbard.. corded ... strung if you like... not silvered. I puzzle over the hilt material and still consider horn of some kind. It could be bovine. Does it have some sort of laquer covering which is masking the light test?
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[archer]

Salaams Ibrahiim, I feel confounded too. Why would an upgraded, I assume, pinned hilt appear with a rather drab plain threaded sheath? I did the pin test( burning wood odor) and subsequent cleaning came about as I started to clean the silver. So is this Sandalwood? Right now the smell test is out (minty odor). I used your toothpaste method to clean the uneven pin surfaces, even that is slow going removing the silver tarnish. Thank you all for your interest and help. Steve

[A.alnakkas]

Why is there an assumption that tight placed pins are only found on horn items? there are different examples with wood hilts.

the technique is old and done on various types, the recent pins are further apart but it seems that the older generation had a way of pinning things without cracking them too much :-)

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by A.alnakkas

Why is there an assumption that tight placed pins are only found on horn items? there are different examples with wood hilts.

the technique is old and done on various types, the recent pins are further apart but it seems that the older generation had a way of pinning things without cracking them too much :-)

Salaams A.alnakkas~Possibly because Rhino hilts are usually very closely pinned. It is an indicator, though, I see no assumption on this thread of this... except loosely in trying to ID the material...I am looking at the hardwoods available in Oman and it may be Garrat...It's not Atom nor Meez.(these last three being used for camel sticks normally...It's probably not the expensive Sandalwood...I look to a cheaper wooden provenance..Ghaff or Sider? The latest pictures certainly appear to be wood...as the item is cleaned up. Actually the pins have quite big heads so in fact they are not so close together.

Salaams archer... Quite a puzzle... I see so few of these I had to look very hard at the construction... This was a working dagger on the waist of a less wealthy individual but non the less it is a very nice example and as I say none exist today ...even in museums... This is a rare example ... nice!

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[spiral]

Its far too open grained to be sandlewood.

Historically Oman has imported good quality timber from India & I would guess Africa as well, so may not necessarily be local. {After all none of the rhino horn or ivory is/was either.}

Spiral

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by spiral

Its far too open grained to be sandlewood.

Historically Oman has imported good quality timber from India & I would guess Africa as well, so may not necessarily be local. {After all none of the rhino horn or ivory is/was either.}

Spiral

Salaams Spiral...Ya I dont disagree with any of that so I'm looking at local timber but as you say maybe its from outside ... Anyway it's wood.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[A.alnakkas]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Salaams A.alnakkas~Possibly because Rhino hilts are usually very closely pinned. It is an indicator, though, I see no assumption on this thread of this... except loosely in trying to ID the material...I am looking at the hardwoods available in Oman and it may be Garrat...It's not Atom nor Meez.(these last three being used for camel sticks normally...It's probably not the expensive Sandalwood...I look to a cheaper wooden provenance..Ghaff or Sider? The latest pictures certainly appear to be wood...as the item is cleaned up. Actually the pins have quite big heads so in fact they are not so close together.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Here is where I thought there are assumptions:

This hilt does not absorb light but is quite close pinned..There are no splits...I think it is a horn derivative ... usually bovine...

It seems assumptive but I could be overreading into your comment. Anyways, I have one with a wooden hilt and tight pinning. Will post pictures of it later on.

[archer]

Hi, I feel you all have brought forth some very good reasoning. I found this today http://www.oriental-arms.com/item.php?id=5017 said to be Mid to Late 19thC Omani. Please note the sheath is basically the same.
I was starting to think I'd seen the same deceitful wood in some Moroccan Koummya's. The pins have indeed been flatted a bit. So, is the age range about right? Thank you all again your incite is appreciated. Steve
Correction 19th C.

[A.alnakkas]

The one from Artzi's website is likely a hybrid. Not necessarily put together but the hilt is Yemeni while the scabbard is Omani. The blade is the nicest part of that item.. the hilt is good rhino.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams the dagger is certainly not Omani as stated and I am looking at the scabbard with the possibility of Salalah as the mark... I have the entire thing under review and hopefully I can get the correct angle on this style...The hilt looks identical in material...Have you any idea where it was obtained?

[archer]

This dagger weighs 6oz.s, with the sheath it is 12 oz.s. Blade length 7.25",
overall it is 11.5 inches. My limited experience says this is very light. Looking forward to more information. My gut guess, says the blade and sheath could be 1920s-30s The hilt though much cleaner now is likely more recent. The lack of any metal reinforcement at the throat probably accounts for the wear and tear seen. The other dagger looks Yemeni to me too. I will ask the seller how mine was acquired. Steve