a shibriya knife maybe?

[motan]

Joined this one late, so I don't have much to add. Syrian?-yes, Majdali?-yes, made in Majdal Shams?-probably, old?-probably around 1920-30.
Unfortunately, the condition does not necessarily mean age.

I disagree with Ariel though. The oldest types were made in Majdal Shams (most probably), but other styles and and production centers are earlier than 1967. During the great Syrian (Druze) revolt, many militant Druze found shelter in Majdal Shams and purged the Christian families from the village. Some of these were dagger makers and they moved to other parts of Syria.

[ariel]

Originally Posted by motan

Joined this one late, so I don't have much to add. Syrian?-yes, Majdali?-yes, made in Majdal Shams?-probably, old?-probably around 1920-30.
Unfortunately, the condition does not necessarily mean age.

I disagree with Ariel though. The oldest types were made in Majdal Shams (most probably), but other styles and and production centers are earlier than 1967. During the great Syrian (Druze) revolt, many militant Druze found shelter in Majdal Shams and purged the Christian families from the village. Some of these were dagger makers and they moved to other parts of Syria.

Thank you very much for a good historical clarification. You are unquestionably correct: some masters just migrated elsewhere and kept manufacturing same/similar products.

Still, we can safely accept that the old ( be it 1926 or 1967) daggers of that style were largely, if not exclusively, made in Madjal Shams. Somewhat similar situation happened in the Caucasus: really old Daghestani or Circassian weapons were made locally in Daghestan or Circassia. However, after the end of Shamil Wars the Circassian were largely expelled to the Ottoman Empire and continued making their weapons in Turkey or other parts of the Empire, while Daghestanis in large numbers joined workshops in Vladikavkaz, Tiflis or somewhere else. I was talking about presevation of the "Pattern" rather than "Location".

Wars are great stimuli for the migration of weapons: they were the earliest engines of globalization.