The Syrian Jambiya/Khanjar

Atlantia · 21st June 2011, 07:14 PM

Hi Dom, Thank you for your help

Lovely examples btw.

So, following on from what Dom has already told us. These daggers traditionally have good quality thick blades of flattened diamond section. Double edged and steeply curving towards the tip.

While they at first glance have a garish tourist look, they are in fact serious things and generally more sturdy and rigid than most Arabian daggers.
They would easily punch through heavy clothing, even light armour!
Their construction is very similar to the knives of the Canary Islands, with disks of inlayed bone and horn slid onto a full length tang which are secured with a brass terminal often screwed into place by means of the tang being threaded toward the end.
As they age, the horn tends to loose its grip on the inlays and often small pieces are lost.

As variations, these do sometimes appear with 'other' influences apparent.
Ottoman for example, but I have even seen them with double edged blades that look like a Kindjal.

21st June 2011, 07:14 PM	#9
Atlantia Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Sharp end Posts: 2,928	Hi Dom, Thank you for your help Lovely examples btw. So, following on from what Dom has already told us. These daggers traditionally have good quality thick blades of flattened diamond section. Double edged and steeply curving towards the tip. While they at first glance have a garish tourist look, they are in fact serious things and generally more sturdy and rigid than most Arabian daggers. They would easily punch through heavy clothing, even light armour! Their construction is very similar to the knives of the Canary Islands, with disks of inlayed bone and horn slid onto a full length tang which are secured with a brass terminal often screwed into place by means of the tang being threaded toward the end. As they age, the horn tends to loose its grip on the inlays and often small pieces are lost. As variations, these do sometimes appear with 'other' influences apparent. Ottoman for example, but I have even seen them with double edged blades that look like a Kindjal.