Poor remains of a Jambiya

[Rick]

Rather , what is the bottom picture , a sheath fitting ?
Very nice looking stones .

[Rather]

Very impressing pictures, I was not aware that the Jambaya was that popular still in the modern times. Thank you for sharing them.
Well, I have to admit that I never had a chance to see the horn of a rhino that close and it was always still fixed to the rhino…
But to be serious, the structure of the hilt does not show annual rings and it could be rhino horn. The silver plate with the stones was definitely a part of the sheath fitting, is shows the semi tubular shape, there are small holes at the sides and the size fits perfectly to the dagger blade.
I am not going to clean it perfectly, as I like very much the old patina on the weapon. My other hobby is to collect old Ottoman coins, and a harshly cleaned coin is always worth much less than the same one with the beautiful colour of age. Nevertheless, this does not mean that one should not do essential preservation or sensitive restoration.
My experience with old blades is near to zero, for more modern weapons like bayonets I use only a special oil for guns to avoid rust (a German product called Ballistol) and it is very recommendable. Nevertheless, it only removes thin rust films, not the thick rust.
What would you recommend to do? What is best to remove the rust without damaging the blade? Is there a chemical way or is polishing powder a solution? Or leave it as it is?

[Marc]

Well, it's indeed an Arab Jambiya, from Yemen, as our Transilvanian Tiger has pointed out, and for the style of the hilt and what is left of the sheath, it may very well be a Gusbi, from the coastal area of Hadramaut, at the south, bordering the Arabian Sea. The hilt of those is normally similar to the "mainstream" Arab Jambiya, but the sheath has the peculiarity of curving very deeply upwards, featuring an elaborated chape that usually ends up at the same level or even higher than the hilt's pommel. The locket's decoration with red-coloured glass or stone ovals is also usual. A nice present, I must say .
I also think the hilt it's rhino horn, by the way.
Some examples, from the Oriental-Arms website (for which one never may be grateful enough to Artzi):

[Radu Transylvanicus]

(returned test)

[Radu Transylvanicus]

Hola, Don Marco de Espana, que buenas noticias y tambien bellas imagenes de armas, captados con gran agudeza y colorido. Una vez más, un ejemplo de la calidad de la siempre vigente Artzi.
How`s my Spanish ?

[VANDOO]

I WOULD PERSONALY LEAVE IT PRETTY MUCH AS IS. I WOULD CLEAN ANY ACTIVE RUST (BROWNISH, THE BLACK RUST IS GENERALLY STABELIZED) YOU CAN USE A NEEDLE OR DENTAL PICK FOR THIS. THERE IS ALSO A TYPE OF STEEL PAD THAT REMOVES LOOSE RUST WITHOUT TAKEING OFF THE PATINA.THE ONE I HAVE IS CALLED A FRONTIER METAL CLEANER, NORMALLY USED TO REMOVE RUST FROM GUNS WITHOUT REMOVING THE BLUEING, YOU CAN FIND THEM AT GUN SHOPS OR GUN SHOWS. REMOVE ANY DIRT AND COVER IT WITH RENASANCE WAX OR LIGHT OIL. THE SILVER APPEARS TO BE OF LOW GRADE AND WOULDN'T BENIFIT FROM CLEANING. PERHAPS SOMEONE COULD RECOMEND SOMEONE WHO COULD MAKE A SCABBARD USING THE PIECE YOU HAVE AND MEASUREMENTS OR A TRACED DRAWING OF THE KNIFE BLADE. A NICE DAGGER DOUBLY SO AS IT WAS A GIFT AND HAS ACTUALY BEEN USED. GOOD LUCK

[Rick]

I agree with Barry , old warriors like this one should be conserved , they came by their wounds honestly .
Restoration would rob the personality from this old fellow .

[Marc]

Originally Posted by Radu Transylvanicus

Hola, Don Marco de Espana, que buenas noticias y tambien bellas imagenes de armas, captados con gran agudeza y colorido. Una vez más, un ejemplo de la calidad de la siempre vigente Artzi.
How`s my Spanish ?

Well, leaving aside some messing with the genders, I would say it's pretty good. Much better than my inexistent Romanian, that's for sure...
Though it's still Marc, if you don't mind...

[Radu Transylvanicus]

But of course, Marc !

[Marc]

Originally Posted by Radu Transylvanicus

But of course, Marc !

You're a gentleman, Radu.