Historical Khanjar

[haagen]

This Khanjar is owned by family for recent years. I think the blade is very unique. I believe the Khanjar could be from 70s. So if any expert could tell me more about it would be a pleasure.

[Kurt]

Originally Posted by haagen

This Khanjar is owned by family for recent years. I think the blade is very unique. I believe the Khanjar could be from 70s. So if any expert could tell me more about it would be a pleasure.

Hi haagen ,

Without photos it is impossible to judge.

Kurt

[Kubur]

1870s. I hope...

[haagen]

There are the pictures. So any details about the Khanjar would be great. Thx

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Thank You Haagen for a very interesting and peculiar project Khanjar which was probably made on the Baatinah Coast of Oman as you say in perhaps the 1970s. It is in the Baatinah style See The Omani Khanjar in this Forum. That thread carries more excellent references as well.

What is extraordinary about this weapon is the blade which says in Arabic brka .. Barka is a place on the Baatinah whose fort can be seen at Forts and Cannon of Oman again on Forum Library... In fact in India which was very much in touch as a destination with the Baatinah by sea the name Barka is that of a famous Hindu Princess apparently. While it would be quite romantic to have this related to a Hindu named Princess I would doubt that since Oman is Muslim but I just wanted to show we had looked at the possibility.

What makes the blade interesting is this cartouche with the name in it and the fact that this is not a normal steel Omani blade but is Wootz..(watered steel) not often seen on Omani weapons. It could be Indian. The remainder of the weapon is standard and with what looks like a cow horn hilt. I wonder if you may know where it was obtained? There may be the possibility it was collected as a tourist weapon whilst your people were visiting the region.

Thus so far as I can deduce; An Omani Khanjar in standard profile and silver stitched adornment of the 4 ringer Baatinah (from Barka near Muscat) form on a Cowhorn Hilt with an extraordinary blade in Wootz with an unfamiliar and unusual cartouche which because it says Barka may be a tourist item.

[ariel]

Looks pattern welded to me.

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by ariel

Looks pattern welded to me.

Yes classic 70ties Omani khanjar mounted or re-mounted with a fake wootz Indian blade and a fake inscription on it, is it Barka or Baraka?

[Battara]

I'm afraid I'm with Ariel on this. It doesn't look like fake etched pattern weld to me nor does the wear and the inscription look fake to me either. The blade and inscription might be later though.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Kubur

Yes classic 70ties Omani khanjar mounted or re-mounted with a fake wootz Indian blade and a fake inscription on it, is it Barka or Baraka?

I am really unclear on the notion of 'fake' wootz. Could this be a genuinely older blade made in India or by an Indian artisan in Arabia....perhaps remounted as often the case with heirloom weapons?
It seems that it has been stated that Barka is indeed a place in Oman which the apparent contraction brka may refer to. The fact that the style is in accord with that of these regions makes the association compelling.


Good memories on the thread here on the forts and cannon of Oman. ..a fascinating topic with interesting context for this khanjhar.

[Battara]

When I hear fake wootz I think of the method of etching the blade with a wax resist so that you get a pattern that is etched into the blade that looks like wootz.

[mariusgmioc]

The blade is almost certainly Indian, and and of fairly recent production (last 50 years).

However, is neither wootz, nor "fake" wootz, but plain pattern welded.

We can talk about "fake wootz" when a pattern resembling wootz is etched or engraved on a plain blade to make it resemble wootz.

.... my two cents...

PS: Many Omani khanjars were fitted with Indian blades, and almost all the khanjars made in the last 20 years have them.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Battara

When I hear fake wootz I think of the method of etching the blade with a wax resist so that you get a pattern that is etched into the blade that looks like wootz.

I am really bad at the metallurgical aspects on blades, and understand the wax resist. Is it the same as 'mechanical' ? a term I have seen used in references describing various types of steel in blades.
Also it seems 'watered steel' is sort of a catch all? and often the term 'Damascus' seems used a lot.

Thanks for the information guys.

[ariel]

Wax resist is a technique “painting” a Damascus pattern on plain steel.

The blade is covered with a layer of wax and then a comb-like instrument removes lines of the wax coverage creating a “damascus-like” pattern. After that the blade is subjected to acid and only wax-free lines are affected.
When the acid is neutralized, the wax is removed.

Thus, it is not wootz and not pattern welded. It is an imitation, no more.

[mahratt]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

The blade is almost certainly Indian, and and of fairly recent production (last 50 years).

However, is neither wootz, nor "fake" wootz, but plain pattern welded.

We can talk about "fake wootz" when a pattern resembling wootz is etched or engraved on a plain blade to make it resemble wootz.

.... my two cents...

PS: Many Omani khanjars were fitted with Indian blades, and almost all the khanjars made in the last 20 years have them.

Marius is undoubtedly right. This is - pattern welded, which is also called Damascus. This is not an "artificial pattern" obtained by etching ordinary steel.

I apologize for saying well-known truths now:

Damascus steel, with a large pattern, as here on the blade of this Omani Khanjar, is obtained by repeatedly forging a workpiece, when the blacksmith twists the metal so that many layers are obtained (that is, the Damascus pattern is obtained mechanically)

Wootz - "Bulat" (wootz steel) with a small pattern is steel from the crucible (that is, the drawing of wootz was originally incorporated in the smelted billet).

Summary: on the blade of this Khandjar we see Damascus steel

[ariel]

Jim,
Please see ##6,7 and 11.
The blade of this khanjar is made of a real pattern-welded steel ( also called “mechanical Damascus”).
Wootz is a crucible steel.
Wax resist is a technique aimed at imitating the above patterns, with the beauty being only skin deep:-)

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Kubur

Yes classic 70ties Omani khanjar mounted or re-mounted with a fake wootz Indian blade and a fake inscription on it, is it Barka or Baraka?

It is BARKA. It isn't a classic Omani Khanjar but is typical form for classic Baatinah style. The pattern looks only effective on the surface and not present on the cartouche . Anyway no one would put a real wootz blade on a cowhorn hilt. These were early days in Tourism in Muscat and the adjoining regions and in my view the shop has long gone. Marking blades with the placename must have stopped as it certainly isn't something I have seen before. There are still blades coming from a number of places including Roosi blades (Russian) and some are wootz or patterned but patterned blades aren't what Omani Khanjars are about although I have seen a few.

[Jim McDougall]

Mahratt and Ariel, thank you both so much for these excellent explanations and descriptions on wootz and mechanical Damascus!

Ibrahiim, thank you as always for the historical and geographical character on this. There is so much dimension to these amazing daggers, which to the untrained eye probably all appear the same or similar.

Much appreciated having these elements well explained.

[mahratt]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

Mahratt and Ariel, thank you both so much for these excellent explanations and descriptions on wootz and mechanical Damascus!

Ibrahiim, thank you as always for the historical and geographical character on this. There is so much dimension to these amazing daggers, which to the untrained eye probably all appear the same or similar.

Much appreciated having these elements well explained.

Dear Jim

I think that You knew everything perfectly well without our comments
But thank you for the nice words.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by mahratt

Dear Jim

I think that You knew everything perfectly well without our comments
But thank you for the nice words.

Nice of you to say, but for some reason scientific stuff just doesnt stick in my comprehension.....its a right brain, left brain thing "

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

As I was saying there have been a few wootz looking blades although now I note more appearing. I can only say that although I think these are better quality being sharper and better made with a finer edge that in the past it was not the usual tradition possibly because of price to go for this style...though I am certain they exist. The last picture shows the standard steel blade seen on most Omani Khanjars..I think the pictures speak for themselves which is just as well since metalurgical process is not my forte.

[shayde78]

On the original blade, while I totally believe this to be mechanical Damascus, why is the pattern not visible within the cartouche? Is it merely the etch was polished away in this area, or could the pattern welds be that superficial?

[Battara]

shayde78, this is a good question. In order to place the thin ribbons of gold on the metal, the surface of the metal has to be grooved and "scratched" in order to hold the gold. Then the gold is hammered into the grooves. This is the essence of koftgari which you see on the blade. These grooves obscure the surface of the damascus, but the damascus is through out the length and depth of the blade.

[RobertGuy]

Originally Posted by Battara

shayde78, this is a good question. In order to place the thin ribbons of gold on the metal, the surface of the metal has to be grooved and "scratched" in order to hold the gold. Then the gold is hammered into the grooves. This is the essence of koftgari which you see on the blade. These grooves obscure the surface of the damascus, but the damascus is through out the length and depth of the blade.

I would also point out that there appears to be a photographic watermark positioned on the cartouche. This could also obscure the pattern welds in this area.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Looks to me like the picture was set up in the UAE where that company dubizzle auctions stuff...cars etc and it is a reflection of their shop sign on all the pictures..

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]