Zanzibar or Omani Jambiya?

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by mrcjgscott

Greetings Ibrahiim,

Many thanks indeed for your comments.

Very interesting that you confirm the hilt as being made of Rhino horn, I was worried my pictures did not give enough details.

Was this a dagger which anybody could have purchased, or is it something a little more special?

Do you think this is an early 20th example, as I have guessed?

With kind regards,

Chirs

Salaams mrcjgscott Also have a look at http://khanjar.om/Types.html

That site is excellent but I have spoken to locals from that region and they indicate from Sinaw whereas the site pulls more toward Sur...If it is a Sur Khanjar it would be smaller ...that is about the only difference...It is called Suri or more than likely Saifaani(if the handle is Rhino*) and possibly someone could refer to it as specifically Sanaw or they could also quite rightly call it a Sharqiyya...Rather depending which way the wind is blowing...and they would all be right.

(*In fact the dagger handle on the item shown by Stu has more the design form of Saifaani name going by the two 5 petal silver floral pins.) The two discs on the project item look like brass and not original...I suggest they are replacements and the two discs should be like Stus example.

On age it is always very tricky...since khanjars are always being upgraded and parts exchanged...so it looks 25 years old but not older than 1950...not younger than 1980...be happy with between 1960 and 70...I would say about 1970...There is no science in this.... it is only approximate...
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.