The Yemen Jambiya.

[SullyAtooly]

Hello all. For all Yemeni Jambiya lovers. I am living in Yemen and am the proud owner of multiple very unique Yemeni Sayfani Jambiyah’s. If you would like to share collections or have questions while I am here in living abroad in Yemen. Also for Yemeni Jambiyah fans I have knowledge and availability to different styles and hilt materials.

[Battara]

Perhaps you could post some here for discussion.

[Ian]

Hello Sully Atooly.

Welcome to the Ethnographic Forum. Yemeni jambiya have been a subject of discussion here in the past, and there is already a large thread on this subject. I hope you can add to our understanding of these interesting knives.

Please make sure that you read the rules and requirements for this Forum. In particular, as with all of the discussion forums, this one does not permit discussion of items for sale. The offering of items for sale needs to appear in the Swap Forum. However, posts to Swap are limited to full members of the site. New members, such as yourself, must pass through a probationary period of posting and understand the purpose of the forums. The discussion forums are, as the name implies, for discussion of the weapons—their characteristics, history, significance and use among the indigenous culture, etc. Our main purpose is to discuss the weapons and to create an archive that is useful for those who collect them or otherwise want to know more about them.

As a way of introducing yourself to the members here, I echo battara's suggestion that you post some of your jambiya for discussion. You will find a sticky thread at the top of the forum contents page that outlines the nature and quality of pictures that we suggest accompany your descriptions.

Please do NOT indicate which, if any, of the knives you post for discussion are for sale. Such a post would be edited/deleted immediately and your ability to post anything here could be suspended for several months or permanently terminated.

Kind regards,

Ian
Vikingsword staff

[SullyAtooly]

Ian, thank you for taking the time to explain how this forum and community works and I respectfully apologize for my ignorance. I will do best to align my interactions with respect and adhering to community rules. My excitement for the best of me and since I am living in Yemen I thought with my access to knowledge and resources I can be of help to anyone in regards to jambiyah identification with the Old Souk of Sanaa full of experts at my disposal. Thank you for your patience
-Sully

[SullyAtooly]

Ian should I continue on this post or post on already older threads?

[Ian]

Hi SullyAtooly,

Please continue on this one now that you have started. We can always combine them later if that seems like a good idea.

Regards,
Ian

[SullyAtooly]

Alright so the first Jambiya I own is what is traditionally referred as Sayfani Al-Assadi. From my knowledge while living here in Sanaa, and visiting the Old Souqs, and from what I have told here by elders, is that 1 I should never wear it in public because of the attention this Jambiyah brings along with possible dangers. So I am very cautious. This Jambiya style is of one of the most sought after and prized styles.

Over a very long period of time, the greenish color of an Al-Assadi handle is a rarer and even more prestigious coloration that occurs naturally as the ivory ages.

This Jambiya also is dressed with the prestigious style of gold disks referred to “Dahab Himyari.”The blade is hand-forged with a round midrib consistent with pre 20th century Jambiyahs.

It may possibly have been made with Wootz or Damascus steel. But I would need more input on that from anyone on the form with the knowledge.

Based on years of research in Yemen itself and using AI. I am finding this jambiya may be from the late 18th century to Mid 19th. Which is consistent with the information that was presented to us when my father obtained this piece in the mid 90s. He was told at that time, this Jambiya dates back over 200 years.

Would love any input from the forum and thank you for your time

[Ian]

Thanks Sully. A nice looking jambiya. It is in amazing condition for its reported age. Middle eastern weapons are not my area of primary interest, so I'm afraid I can't give you an informed response. However, based on the pictures of the blade that you have posted, I think the blade is unlikely to be wootz.

Could you show us a picture of the full length of the knife next to the sheath?

Regards, Ian.

[DaveA]

Hello,

Welcome Sully! Very interesting to see your jambiya, an older example. I very much like to hear the stories told to you by the elders.

For comparison, here is my ‘aseeb (assib) janbiya with a “saifani" horn hilt from Yemen c. mid-20th C. The color of the hilt is lighter than yours although both have the beautiful translucent green/yellow tint.

The coins on the hilt are brass imitations of silver Venetian ducats. Originals (pre-1948) are prized for their conference of special status upon the owner.

Dave A.

[Ian]

Thanks Dave. DO you have an age estimate for your example.

Sully, Dave has pointed to the "coins" of brass on the hilt. Perhaps it is just the light and careful polishing, but yours have a "golden" glow and I wonder whether you have had the metal tested for its gold content. Also, the metal decorations on the back of your hilt look as though they may be silver. Even if its low-grade gold or silver, I think that points to a prestigious piece. I suspect the pins are also silver on the front of the hilt, as well as the band on the throat of the scabbard.

With regard to the scabbard, this seems a plain (yet apparently traditional) dress for a prestigious piece. Do you know what type of leather was used?

Regards, Ian

[DaveA]

Ian,

On my hilt pins are steel and the strip at the base of the hilt is silver. I do not have a firm data-driven estimate of the date, only what the seller has told me. The saifani hilt gets darker with time, but regular handling is also required. Yemeni men often rest their hands on the hilt of the jambiya so that confounds the dating.

Attached is a photo of fake Venetian ducats in the British Museum. There is quite a bit of history related to their use as decoration on edged weapons. Steve Gracie discusses them in his book about Yemeni Jambiya, page 193.

Dave