This style of 'X-hilted' dagger is typical of the Beja Hadendoa or Beni-Amir peoples of Eritrea and the Sudan that live along the southwestern shores of the Red Sea. The dark brown wooden hilt has shallow parallel arcs carved from the wider end of the hilt through the waist of the grip. Defects in the wood are noted on the flats near the end of the hilt, likely resulting from curving grain at the time the hilt was carved. The end of the tang extends from the hilt a short ways and a cubic aluminum tang 'nut' and washer are present. The straight double edge blade is relatively flat on its central face on each side though there are very shallow grooves and central geometric engravings of short diagonal lines. Bevels extend from the flat central face to the two edges and point. The surface of the blade is fairly uniformly discolored and there is minor pitting. Overall length of the dagger with hilt is 9¾ inches (24.5 cm) and the blade alone is 5¼ inches (13.5 cm) in length. The overall weight is 3.6 ounces (103 grams).