Are there any photos of people wearing/carrying bou saadi/khodmi daggers?
 

I've done some looking on the forum and through random googling and have come up dry on both attempts. Any of you fellows know of any?

I've never seen one either. I suspect as they are utility/eating knives, they are kept in with the other cooking/eating utensils in a pack rather than carried for instant access as a weapon. Or possibly carried in back where they don't show.

That makes sense, but the presence of a suspension system (leather cord on some, and a singular metal ring on others) on many khodmi sheaths is what led me to question the lack of photographic evidence and artistic representations of how these knives could have been worn. Here's a picture of a khodmi in it's sheath that I have recently purchased showing both the metal ring on the sheath, along with a short length of leather cord.

Two of my 4 khodmi have both the suspension ring and the leather strip which I suspect was threaded through the hole in handle as a keeper strap (just speculation).
Rich

There is a French Orientalist Painting by Etienne Dinet, "The Hunter", 1902, which shows a khodmi within the belt sash of an Algerian Man. I would assume that this is how they were worn either tucked into the belt or hanging from the suspension ring.

Rich, I believe you are correct in that the leather strip is threaded through the handle hole to keep a hard grip when using, as these are everyday knives that come in many different sizes and are still used today in Algeria.

-Geoff

Interesting khodmi from Bou Saadi, Algeria, sadly I forgot about the auction (now closed) & my ore-made bid wasn't enough to win it. The thong on the scabbard thins towards the end, and quite possibly would fit the handle hole.