OLD SYRIAN JAMBIYA

Aurangzeb · 21st August 2005, 06:09 AM

Hello All!

Today I just got the Syrian jambiya in and is more butiful than the pictures on the auction show! The blade is well forged and still sharp despite the heavy pitting and signs of heavy use the blade shoes. The handle turned out to be horn with bone spacers with brass end caps. To me the blade seems a bit older than the hilt chould it possibly be a older blade that has been rehilted or maybe the hilt has survived better than the blade. The auction says it may have been a ground down european sword but on close looking it apperars the blade is now what it has always been. It has a very authentic feel and I checked the blade for the sighns of beenig deiped in acid but the age seems to be authentic. I guess it's age at early to mid 19th. century. Maybe some one on here can confirm it's age or give me a bacround on this type of dagger?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWN%3AIT&rd=1

Mark...

Battara · 21st August 2005, 11:37 AM

The way it looks to me is that the blade is older then the hilt. The hilt was made almost a century later and made for the blade. The blade looks authentic, but in bad shape, like it had been in an acid bath or buried for a long time in acidic soil. I sold my Syrian-Lebanese jambiya with a very similar style blade (in great condition). The holes in the blade may have had inlay of either colored bone or low quality gems like onyx.

Aurangzeb · 21st August 2005, 10:10 PM

Hello Battara!

To me the hilt eems in much better condition despite the signs of wear and age cracks on the horn and bone. Perhaps the person who made the hilt found the blade in the sand or something but the steel seems to be of good quality. The acid soil is a good theroy considering it is a desert.

Mark...

derek · 23rd August 2005, 10:20 PM

I think that blade may have just seen some hard times. Artzi may be able to comment, but usually that style knife is from a specific (and somewhat recent) period of Syrian history. It looks like the typical Golan Heights knives made during the French occupation. They still make copies today, but this one is real.

Aurangzeb · 24th August 2005, 12:04 AM

Hello Derek!

Interesting, cosidering how beat up the blade is this whould not surise me so does this mean the hily is it's origenal? If it is just a well used blade then what is it's approx. age? I find it interesting that it came from the Golan Hegits because I am curently readin a book about the Six Days War!

Mark...

Aurangzeb · 25th August 2005, 11:55 PM

Hello All!

Since this dagger is missing it's sheath I plan to make a new one out of brass. But I only have one example of a sheath for this type of dagger so I please ask that anyone with a sheath to this type of dagger post pictures on this thread so that I have something to work off of.

Mark...

Tim Simmons · 26th August 2005, 12:07 AM

Hello Mark,
I prefere the word scabbard

A sheath is something rather different

Or am I just a little sensitive.

Tim

Aurangzeb · 26th August 2005, 02:59 AM

Hello Tim!

Scabbard sound much better than sheath, sometimes I get my terms mixed up!

And no your not being sensitive, we all have our preferences like I prefer to call Iran ;"Persia" instead.

Mark...

21st August 2005, 06:09 AM	#1
Aurangzeb Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 306	OLD SYRIAN JAMBIYA Hello All! Today I just got the Syrian jambiya in and is more butiful than the pictures on the auction show! The blade is well forged and still sharp despite the heavy pitting and signs of heavy use the blade shoes. The handle turned out to be horn with bone spacers with brass end caps. To me the blade seems a bit older than the hilt chould it possibly be a older blade that has been rehilted or maybe the hilt has survived better than the blade. The auction says it may have been a ground down european sword but on close looking it apperars the blade is now what it has always been. It has a very authentic feel and I checked the blade for the sighns of beenig deiped in acid but the age seems to be authentic. I guess it's age at early to mid 19th. century. Maybe some one on here can confirm it's age or give me a bacround on this type of dagger? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWN%3AIT&rd=1 Mark...

21st August 2005, 11:37 AM	#2
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,219	The way it looks to me is that the blade is older then the hilt. The hilt was made almost a century later and made for the blade. The blade looks authentic, but in bad shape, like it had been in an acid bath or buried for a long time in acidic soil. I sold my Syrian-Lebanese jambiya with a very similar style blade (in great condition). The holes in the blade may have had inlay of either colored bone or low quality gems like onyx.

21st August 2005, 10:10 PM	#3
Aurangzeb Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 306	Hello Battara! To me the hilt eems in much better condition despite the signs of wear and age cracks on the horn and bone. Perhaps the person who made the hilt found the blade in the sand or something but the steel seems to be of good quality. The acid soil is a good theroy considering it is a desert. Mark...

23rd August 2005, 10:20 PM	#4
derek Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 215	I think that blade may have just seen some hard times. Artzi may be able to comment, but usually that style knife is from a specific (and somewhat recent) period of Syrian history. It looks like the typical Golan Heights knives made during the French occupation. They still make copies today, but this one is real.

24th August 2005, 12:04 AM	#5
Aurangzeb Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 306	Hello Derek! Interesting, cosidering how beat up the blade is this whould not surise me so does this mean the hily is it's origenal? If it is just a well used blade then what is it's approx. age? I find it interesting that it came from the Golan Hegits because I am curently readin a book about the Six Days War! Mark...

25th August 2005, 11:55 PM	#6
Aurangzeb Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 306	Hello All! Since this dagger is missing it's sheath I plan to make a new one out of brass. But I only have one example of a sheath for this type of dagger so I please ask that anyone with a sheath to this type of dagger post pictures on this thread so that I have something to work off of. Mark...

26th August 2005, 12:07 AM	#7
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,806	Hello Mark, I prefere the word scabbard A sheath is something rather different Or am I just a little sensitive. Tim

26th August 2005, 02:59 AM	#8
Aurangzeb Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 306	Hello Tim! Scabbard sound much better than sheath, sometimes I get my terms mixed up! And no your not being sensitive, we all have our preferences like I prefer to call Iran ;"Persia" instead. Mark...