Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

ariel · 1st April 2005, 01:51 AM

I don't know about your A question.
As to the B one, you are correct: a very, very typical Palestinian jambiya (shabariyya). They continue making them for the tourist market to this day.
This brings us back to A: I do not think anybody can establish it's accurate age with certainty. It would depend mostly on it's condition: older ones (say, before 195O) and will show some wear, the newer ones (bazaar pieces) will be quite pristine. Please remember: these are pretty rough and quite primitive weapons, with a lot of grinding marks, bad soldering, bends, kinks, uneven surfaces, holes etc. These can be confused with signs of aging, so be careful.
All in all, a very nice piece. If you start collecting at 13, you may get a real museum by 30.... I wish I could have started as early.....
All the best!

1st April 2005, 01:51 AM	#9
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	I don't know about your A question. As to the B one, you are correct: a very, very typical Palestinian jambiya (shabariyya). They continue making them for the tourist market to this day. This brings us back to A: I do not think anybody can establish it's accurate age with certainty. It would depend mostly on it's condition: older ones (say, before 195O) and will show some wear, the newer ones (bazaar pieces) will be quite pristine. Please remember: these are pretty rough and quite primitive weapons, with a lot of grinding marks, bad soldering, bends, kinks, uneven surfaces, holes etc. These can be confused with signs of aging, so be careful. All in all, a very nice piece. If you start collecting at 13, you may get a real museum by 30.... I wish I could have started as early..... All the best!