Ethnic Khanjars

Dom · 30th December 2008, 11:50 PM

Hi Gentlemen

what I'm offering you in display is not very old, but ethnic knives

previously, I wrote
« passing by Damas (Syria) I found some (!!) ... knives »
here, two couples of ethnic khanjars

- 2 are from Jordan – Bedouins khanjars, till yet carried by Arab Legion for intance

- 2 are from Syria, more precisely from Damas (they are specific)

they are not very old today

but will be antiquities in a couple of years .. LOL

I found them attractive, because are a testimony of countries, and period
per luck, on each set, one of them has a date engraving,
very easy to estimate they age

1963 for the Jordan knive
1923 for the Damacesne knive

comments and appreciations are welcomed

à +

Dom

ps: ... still ... one

Dom · 31st December 2008, 12:37 AM

knives from Damas area

à +

Dom

ariel · 31st December 2008, 01:39 AM

Yup, shibriyas and Majjal Shams daggers.
Questions:
1. Majjal Shams is a Druze village. Is this type of handle specific for the locality?
2. Funny how they write dates: Islamic numbers with Gregorian calendar.

kahnjar1 · 31st December 2008, 03:38 AM

For comparison a Shibriyya identified as coming from Palestine, and also another Khanjar identified as also coming from Majjal Shams, but with a nice neillo scabbard and a straight tapered blade. Both of these have featured on this Forum previously.
Regards Stuart

ALEX · 1st January 2009, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariel

...
1. Majjal Shams is a Druze village. Is this type of handle specific for the locality?

Ariel, you're correct - Majdel Shams (Bridge to the Sun) is Druze, and these handles are specific to this area. They are also made right in Damascus central market, for tourists, but the quality obviously is not the same as before. The handles were made from buffalo horn with camel bone and/or MOP incerts, but some new copies are made of plastic, and it's very hard to tell without the "needle test".
Here are two more examples:

ariel · 1st January 2009, 05:49 PM

Always thought that Majjal Shams means Tower of Sun

ALEX · 1st January 2009, 07:50 PM

And as always, you're right, Ariel. It is tower, of course:-) Thanks for reminding me I am getting rusty with my Arabic:-)

ariel · 1st January 2009, 08:46 PM

My Arabic is nonexistent except for some swear words:-), but it's just another Semitic language: in Hebrew, it's Migdal Shemesh. That's how I know.

BTW, any thought on the dating ( use of numbers)?
And, interestingly, the first shibriyya has an engraving of an eagle with down-turned wings: eery reminiscence of the Egyptian flag.

Michael Blalock · 2nd January 2009, 12:33 AM

I think that is a dove flying. I have seen it on many Shabriyas.

ALEX · 2nd January 2009, 12:35 AM

Good point, Michael. Looks like dove.
Ariel, I can only speculate that if directed toward tourists it'd make sense to use gregorian dating. Moreover, hijra dating is not that common in modern days, I'd say not many would stamp a modern item with hijra year nowadays. Anyone agrees?
As for the eagle with downturned wings (stylized eagle) - it's also a Syrian National emblem symbolizing Syrian arms.

ariel · 2nd January 2009, 01:42 AM

Yup, dove is likely. It seems to be oriented along the blade's axis, I thought it was vertical. Symbol of peace on a dagger... Ironic.
As to the Eagle of Saladdin, on the Egyptian coat of arms it looks to the left, on the Syrian to the right. Only during the short-lived UAR the Egyptian one prevailed.

30th December 2008, 11:50 PM	#1
Dom Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Paris (FR*) Cairo (EG) Posts: 1,142	Ethnic Khanjars Hi Gentlemen what I'm offering you in display is not very old, but ethnic knives previously, I wrote « passing by Damas (Syria) I found some (!!) ... knives » here, two couples of ethnic khanjars - 2 are from Jordan – Bedouins khanjars, till yet carried by Arab Legion for intance - 2 are from Syria, more precisely from Damas (they are specific) they are not very old today but will be antiquities in a couple of years .. LOL I found them attractive, because are a testimony of countries, and period per luck, on each set, one of them has a date engraving, very easy to estimate they age 1963 for the Jordan knive 1923 for the Damacesne knive comments and appreciations are welcomed à + Dom ps: ... still ... one Attached Images Last edited by Dom; 31st December 2008 at 12:35 AM.

31st December 2008, 12:37 AM	#2
Dom Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Paris (FR*) Cairo (EG) Posts: 1,142	knives from Damas area à + Dom Attached Images Last edited by Dom; 31st December 2008 at 01:01 AM.

31st December 2008, 03:38 AM	#4
kahnjar1 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND Posts: 2,739	For comparison a Shibriyya identified as coming from Palestine, and also another Khanjar identified as also coming from Majjal Shams, but with a nice neillo scabbard and a straight tapered blade. Both of these have featured on this Forum previously. Regards Stuart Attached Images

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31st December 2008, 01:39 AM	#3
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Yup, shibriyas and Majjal Shams daggers. Questions: 1. Majjal Shams is a Druze village. Is this type of handle specific for the locality? 2. Funny how they write dates: Islamic numbers with Gregorian calendar.

1st January 2009, 05:49 PM	#6
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Always thought that Majjal Shams means Tower of Sun

1st January 2009, 07:50 PM	#7
ALEX Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 936	And as always, you're right, Ariel. It is tower, of course:-) Thanks for reminding me I am getting rusty with my Arabic:-)

1st January 2009, 08:46 PM	#8
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	My Arabic is nonexistent except for some swear words:-), but it's just another Semitic language: in Hebrew, it's Migdal Shemesh. That's how I know. BTW, any thought on the dating ( use of numbers)? And, interestingly, the first shibriyya has an engraving of an eagle with down-turned wings: eery reminiscence of the Egyptian flag.

2nd January 2009, 12:33 AM	#9
Michael Blalock Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: dc Posts: 271	I think that is a dove flying. I have seen it on many Shabriyas.

2nd January 2009, 12:35 AM	#10
ALEX Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 936	Good point, Michael. Looks like dove. Ariel, I can only speculate that if directed toward tourists it'd make sense to use gregorian dating. Moreover, hijra dating is not that common in modern days, I'd say not many would stamp a modern item with hijra year nowadays. Anyone agrees? As for the eagle with downturned wings (stylized eagle) - it's also a Syrian National emblem symbolizing Syrian arms.

2nd January 2009, 01:42 AM	#11
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Yup, dove is likely. It seems to be oriented along the blade's axis, I thought it was vertical. Symbol of peace on a dagger... Ironic. As to the Eagle of Saladdin, on the Egyptian coat of arms it looks to the left, on the Syrian to the right. Only during the short-lived UAR the Egyptian one prevailed.