Yemeni/Omani Jambiya differences

[kahnjar1]

....and some similar but NOT Omani.
The first one comes from Eastern Saudi Arabia along the Omani border so bears some characteristics of the Omani type, but has distinctly Yemeni type decoration style. The rest are from South-Western Saudi near Yemen so have similarities of that style.

[Battara]

Don't know about being an expert, but thank you for the vote of confidence.
Others will know more than I.

The hilt looks silver but the scabbard may be white metal or brass. Take it to a jeweler who should have the chemicals to test the metal.

[celtan]

I have been studying this subject mostly thanks to current posts made by Battara and Kahnjar. But, I must also thank past contributors such a Michael Blalock, Lew and Steve. Whenever I search Jambias, most of the good hits take me back to our very own forum!


From what I have read, my jambiya is probably made of german silver. The pommel type is known as Meccan, representing the Black Stone, the blade is "watered"(whatever that means), and it may have been made in Yemen's Hadramout Wadi ,or in Saudi Asir. The Omani provenance is unlikely due to the absence of their characteristic scabbard's ring belt holder. The scabbard chape is small, unlike the thum characteristic of Jeda/Mecca.

I tried to clean the scabbard's greenish blue deposits with a toothbrush an detergent, to no avail. I'm worried that anything else may affect the leather. Suggestions?

BTW, what is the proper spelling: Jambiya, Jambiah, Jambiyah, Jambia? Kukri/Kuhkri/Kuhkuri, and Kahnjar, Kanjar/ Khanjar ..?

Best

Manuel

[Dom]

Originally Posted by celtan

what is the proper spelling: Jambiya, Jambiah, Jambiyah, Jambia? Kukri/Kuhkri/Kuhkuri, and Kahnjar, Kanjar/ Khanjar ..?

no fixed spelling as far as those words are writing with an other alphabet

just a convention according with countries, for instance
in France we 'll not used the same spelling than in UK i.e.
- Jeddah (city) for English
- Djeddah (city) for French

now to clarify for you
- Jambiya
- Khanjar ... "kh" equal a son of "krrr"

on the pic, you have
- a Jambiya from Hadramout Yemen
- a khanjar from Oman

à +

Dom

[celtan]

Thank you very much, Dom. Yet, now I'm more confused!

Pardon my blatant ignorance.

My scabbard is 135 degs. bent. It doesn't then follow either Omani, Saudi, Emirati or Yemeni customs!

You have four blades on your picture, two lying and two standing. The one standing on the left has a 90 deg angle on the scabbard, it is then a ...Saudi, Emirati, or Omani? The one standing on the right has a 180 deg angle with a very high thum, making it Yemenite? I understand this high thum is characteristic of the gusbi jambiyas from Yemen's Hadramout Wadi?

The horizontal one on the left is, a persian Kahnjar? The right, an ottoman kard perhaps?


So, all in all, what do you make of mine. Yemeni?

Best regards.

Manuel

[Dom]

Originally Posted by celtan

You have four blades on your picture, two lying and two standing. The one standing on the left has a 90 deg angle on the scabbard, it is then a ...Saudi, Emirati, or Omani?

Omani bought in Sharjah UAE some 30 years ago ...

Originally Posted by celtan

The one standing on the right has a 180 deg angle with a very high thum, making it Yemenite? I understand this high thum is characteristic of the gusbi jambiyas from Yemen's Hadramout Wadi?

yes, you 'r correct

Originally Posted by celtan

The horizontal one on the left is, a persian Kahnjar? The right, an ottoman kard perhaps?

the first one, not exactly,
- Syrian/Iraqi (Kurdish) dagger (Baghdadi) with johar blade http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8051
- Ottoman kard with johar blade http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...highlight=kard

Originally Posted by celtan

So, all in all, what do you make of mine. Yemeni?

yes, a "Zabidi" dagger from Hadramout, very nice

à +

Dom

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by celtan

I have been studying this subject mostly thanks to current posts made by Battara and Kahnjar. But, I must also thank past contributors such a Michael Blalock, Lew and Steve. Whenever I search Jambias, most of the good hits take me back to our very own forum!


From what I have read, my jambiya is probably made of german silver. The pommel type is known as Meccan, representing the Black Stone, the blade is "watered"(whatever that means), and it may have been made in Yemen's Hadramout Wadi ,or in Saudi Asir. The Omani provenance is unlikely due to the absence of their characteristic scabbard's ring belt holder. The scabbard chape is small, unlike the thum characteristic of Jeda/Mecca.

I tried to clean the scabbard's greenish blue deposits with a toothbrush an detergent, to no avail. I'm worried that anything else may affect the leather. Suggestions?

BTW, what is the proper spelling: Jambiya, Jambiah, Jambiyah, Jambia? Kukri/Kuhkri/Kuhkuri, and Kahnjar, Kanjar/ Khanjar ..?

Best

Manuel

Your Jambiya is not a Meccan style hilt, but is variously described as from Jizan or Hadhramaut areas. The catalogue from the King Faisal Exhibition describes this type as ZABIDI and from the Hadramaut (which is the Southern /Southeastern area of Yemen which borders to Oman). A pic of 2 Meccan style Jambiya is herewith. You will note that the tips of the hilt are NOT pointed.
Don't get too wrapped up in the various spellings as they all mean the same thing and probably "Jambiya" is much like the term "Wahabite" used by collectors to describe certain styles. The term "Khanjar" is used in Oman to describe their daggers, rather than "Jambiya".
Hopefully STEVE will come in on this post, as he has huge knowledge of (particulaly) Yemeni daggers.
Regards Stu

[celtan]

Hi Kahnjar,

Thanks for the extra info. I thought that the pommel's promontories depicted the Kaaba Mosque, and that made the style Meccan. Although the other example I saw had a different scabbard's tip.

Do you know anything about the Yemeni Hodeida style jambia from the Tihama plains..?

Best regards


BTW, any idea where I can get a correct chape for the broken scabbard 's tip on my persian kahnjar?

M

[kahnjar1]

Hi Manuel, Not quite sure what you define as "Tihama" but the attached is reputed to be from that area, and described by Elgood as such, though the script on the hilt suggests that it was made in Jeddah in 1958.
My direct email is sabiki@clear.net.nz so you might like to send me a pic of the item you are missing the piece of.
Stu

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

Hi Manuel, Not quite sure what you define as "Tihama" but the attached is reputed to be from that area, and described by Elgood as such, though the script on the hilt suggests that it was made in Jeddah in 1958.
My direct email is sabiki@clear.net.nz so you might like to send me a pic of the item you are missing the piece of.
Stu

Thats a Thuma. Easy to recognise as the scabbard follows the blade shape rather than being turned J shaped or almost U shaped. I wonder if thats the word being discussed as I never heard of Tihama but its a bit out of my area so who knows?? I was told that the Thuma is worn on the side rather than at the front whereas the others are worn at front.
I found an excellent note at www.lindahendrickson.com on Yemeni belt weavings ....and a bit about Yemeni daggers.. she writes;

Men in Yemen do not commonly wear jewelry, except for silver rings. The one exception is the decorative dagger called a jambia, which is a common item of dress for most highland Yemeni men. The jambia has great symbolic value establishing one's place in social hierarchies and tribal membership, though it is rarely used as a weapon. The j-shaped version of this dagger, asib, is worn by tribesmen, while judges, legal scholars and religious elites wear a more gently-curved version called a thuma or tuza (similar to the one in this picture). This version worn by elites often displays very intricate and exquisite silver craftsmanship on the sheath.

[A.alnakkas]

Originally Posted by celtan

BTW, what is the proper spelling: Jambiya, Jambiah, Jambiyah, Jambia? Kukri/Kuhkri/Kuhkuri, and Kahnjar, Kanjar/ Khanjar ..?

Best

Manuel

Hello all,

just want to add that the correct spelling for these type of daggers is Janbiya or Jannabiyah depending on region. Khanjar is also used though you'd probably understand the "kh" if you hear an arab say it.

i think the reason why collectors call Janbiya's ; Jambiya is probably due to tourists not hearing the pronunciation correctly. the origin of the word is jnb which means; side. there is no word jmb in arabic that i know of.

beautiful collection of pictures folks, i really like the gusbi that Dom has

A.Alnakkas

[Dom]

Originally Posted by A.alnakkas

i really like the gusbi that Dom has

choukrane, fod'dol
à +

Dom

[A.alnakkas]

Originally Posted by Dom

choukrane, fod'dol
à +

Dom

Ahlan wa sahlan

[Oriental-Arms]

I am not trying to answer these questions. All the postings above are doing good work. I just want to add that we will have the privilege to host Steve Gracie from Sydney in our next meeting in Timonim March 19. He will give us a presentation which hopefully will shed a new light on the names, origin and distribution of these fascinating daggers. Your are all more than welcome to join. We will announce the full program very soon.

[Dom]

Hi
on my background, synthetically I classify as follow the daggers with short and curving blade
- dagger with 90° angle scabbard as from Saudi or Emirati, or Omani
- dagger with 180° angle scabbard as from Yemenite

- dagger Saudi 7 rings on scabbard
- dagger Emirati and Omani 4 rings on scabbard
- dagger Yemenite, no rings

- all have the same type of blade (more or less)
double edge with a thick central rib

it's not a truth "formal"
according with the bearer's residence
if ... more or less near of borders,
the shape could be significantly different,

what's on above is valid as general rule
at my point of view

à +

Dom