Big jambiya

ariel · 25th March 2007, 09:30 PM

This picture was in Elgood's book.
What puzzled me then and still puzzles me now it the orientation of all Jambiyas: the handles face left side of the body. If one looks at other pics in the same book, all of them show Jambiyas oriented to the left (as here), but they are all short like No.2 from the left. Unless the entire family and their servants were south-paws, this will make drawing the exceedingly long dagger very difficult.
Possibilities:
1. There must have been a reason for the leftward orientation ; was it special drawing technique? For example: with the right hand on the down side of the handle flip the jambiya to the right, then draw. This will be almost like a shashka or wakizashi cut: one movement for both the draw and the slash.
2. The negative was flipped.
Any ideas?

25th March 2007, 09:30 PM	#9
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	This picture was in Elgood's book. What puzzled me then and still puzzles me now it the orientation of all Jambiyas: the handles face left side of the body. If one looks at other pics in the same book, all of them show Jambiyas oriented to the left (as here), but they are all short like No.2 from the left. Unless the entire family and their servants were south-paws, this will make drawing the exceedingly long dagger very difficult. Possibilities: 1. There must have been a reason for the leftward orientation ; was it special drawing technique? For example: with the right hand on the down side of the handle flip the jambiya to the right, then draw. This will be almost like a shashka or wakizashi cut: one movement for both the draw and the slash. 2. The negative was flipped. Any ideas?