A curious north african knife

fennec · 7th July 2025, 01:24 AM

Hi mates, and particularly Detlef, how are you my friend ? Sorry for those silent times, life was... eventful

Well, yep, genuine bousaadi knife, "khodmi" (knife) from Bousaada (algeria). This one is the classic one, not the bigger ones displayed by detlef (that I call now "mouss sahraoui", or "khodmi sahraoui", also from bousaada craftsmanship, but that we find everywhere in south algeria, even in touaregs areas since the 18century, in my last searches).
So yours, is not the longers ones, that are also called "couteau à lame triangulaire" by Eric CLAUDE due to their shape. Yours has the typical shape of a bousaadi, but look to have lost its wiring...
I cant see as well, but in this case, it is only attached with just one metal pin, so without the wire, the tang can moove, and so the blade too. However, you have here a nice and old model, reputed in algeria for their cutting qualities for centuries.

Please dont ask me about those marks, as Ive said in another post, just let me finish my book about algerian weapons first

(it took me more thant 10pages to just try to search a meaning about some marks that are today mostly losts... but to make very quick and simple, what YOU have here, is PROBABLY the local interpretation/copy, between a lot, of some europeans marks you can find on some german or italian swords of the 15/16century, as a proof of quality of those knives... like "see, this knife is stamp like an italian sword"... So yeah, this one is probably from those ones, but you also have a lot of local marks, from a crafsman or family of crafstman, tribe, or refering to local believes and symbols).

Interested Party · 12th July 2025, 02:48 PM

Are the edges of this type of khodmi cold hammered (work hardened)?

fennec · 15th July 2025, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Interested Party

Are the edges of this type of khodmi cold hammered (work hardened)?

They usually/traditionnally are yes, but not all of them (may be 80% I guess). I think that some craftsman dont want to damage some hardest steel (as files for ex) with such a risky method (that was iniitally used with soft/low carbon steel in algeria, herited from agricultural tools as a scythe). Cold hammering can cause cracks on those kind of steels if badly made.

(notice the triangular file used to make the upper one, the one without cold hammered cutting edge.

Sajen · 15th July 2025, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fennec

Hi mates, and particularly Detlef, how are you my friend ? Sorry for those silent times, life was... eventful

Hope you are fine my friend!? Nice to read again from you!

7th July 2025, 01:24 AM	#1
fennec Member Join Date: Feb 2023 Location: France Posts: 15	Hi mates, and particularly Detlef, how are you my friend ? Sorry for those silent times, life was... eventful Well, yep, genuine bousaadi knife, "khodmi" (knife) from Bousaada (algeria). This one is the classic one, not the bigger ones displayed by detlef (that I call now "mouss sahraoui", or "khodmi sahraoui", also from bousaada craftsmanship, but that we find everywhere in south algeria, even in touaregs areas since the 18century, in my last searches). So yours, is not the longers ones, that are also called "couteau à lame triangulaire" by Eric CLAUDE due to their shape. Yours has the typical shape of a bousaadi, but look to have lost its wiring... I cant see as well, but in this case, it is only attached with just one metal pin, so without the wire, the tang can moove, and so the blade too. However, you have here a nice and old model, reputed in algeria for their cutting qualities for centuries. Please dont ask me about those marks, as Ive said in another post, just let me finish my book about algerian weapons first (it took me more thant 10pages to just try to search a meaning about some marks that are today mostly losts... but to make very quick and simple, what YOU have here, is PROBABLY the local interpretation/copy, between a lot, of some europeans marks you can find on some german or italian swords of the 15/16century, as a proof of quality of those knives... like "see, this knife is stamp like an italian sword"... So yeah, this one is probably from those ones, but you also have a lot of local marks, from a crafsman or family of crafstman, tribe, or refering to local believes and symbols).

12th July 2025, 02:48 PM	#2
Interested Party Member Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Eastern Sierra Posts: 505	Are the edges of this type of khodmi cold hammered (work hardened)?