Lebanese / Syrian Dagger

Conogre · 27th May 2005, 02:36 AM

Sometimes all that can be done is to bump a thread a few times until one of the members that can translate the inscription pops in, Aurangzeb, with another choice being to do a search on translations and then e-mail the photo directly to one of the members that's been of assistance with that language in the past.
It can be frustrating when members are on vacation or otherwise occupied, but many to most are willing to assist when they can.
Mike

Aurangzeb · 27th May 2005, 02:52 AM

Hi Mike!

I understand what your saying,The one person I know off of the this forum who speaks arabic is away on buissness.(If it were not for badluck I whould have no luck at all!

)Thanks for the advice.

P.S.-more bad luck my one freind who went to the Demo.Republic of the Congo chould find no daggers,even if he did the country is under quarentine.

Aurangzeb · 28th May 2005, 05:53 PM

Hi all!

Whould this dagger be worn like a koummya? Any help whould be appreciated.

tom hyle · 29th May 2005, 02:02 PM

Freddy, I wonder if your dagger might be from Somaliland or Ethiopia. The metal "guard" and the overall shape of the handle, as well as the use and placement of the bone spacer, are similar to what's seen on billao. What is the nonsymetrical knob at the sheath tips? I see this swoopy curved pointy knob on sheath tips, and sometimes at the ends of quillons. What is known of its meaning or regionality?

Justin · 29th May 2005, 06:39 PM

I would personally advise against the acryllic spray idea,alot of that stuff just makes a mess and can be very difficult to remove.

Aurangzeb · 29th May 2005, 10:34 PM

Hi Justin!

Thanks for the advise about the acryllic spray.

tom hyle · 30th May 2005, 07:21 PM

Yeah, don't do it. It won't stick anyway to a previously oiled blade unless you degrease it, and I must say that in contrast to gloppy silver and gold paint, blades that have been lacquered (one does encounter it fairly frequently, with yellowed or red-faded old lacquer; it seems to have been popular with English and Euro-North Americans in the early and mid 20th) are usually fairly easy to clean off (but modern spray acryllic might well be more difficult), and it does seem to have a certain preservative power (so do the ugly metallic paints, but they can be SOOOO hard to get off!

). If the laquer seperates from the metal, as it sometimes does, then the pocket underneath becomes like a little moisture chamber, though. I think you're better to stick with waxes and oils; cosmoline seems real good for longterm storage (is that commercially available? Is it truly as same as drugstore petroleum jelly as it seems?).........I like a plated blade (though others don't), but that's not a realistic after-market protection for an assembled sword or anything......too long winded; oil and/or wax. Microcrystaline wax, like "Rennaissance Wax" or some fancy car waxes, is usually recommended, as the danger is not just from large packets of water that will bead up on ordinary wax, but from water vapor in the air, acting at a smaller level of reality. Alternately, good gun oils with Teflon or graphite that claim to leave behind a microscopic protective layer usually work fairly well, too, although they rub off easily and must be reapplied. I've heard of using bicycle lubricant, too, but know nothing specific there.

27th May 2005, 02:36 AM	#1
Conogre Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Clearwater, Florida Posts: 371	Sometimes all that can be done is to bump a thread a few times until one of the members that can translate the inscription pops in, Aurangzeb, with another choice being to do a search on translations and then e-mail the photo directly to one of the members that's been of assistance with that language in the past. It can be frustrating when members are on vacation or otherwise occupied, but many to most are willing to assist when they can. Mike

27th May 2005, 02:52 AM	#2
Aurangzeb Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 306	Hi Mike! I understand what your saying,The one person I know off of the this forum who speaks arabic is away on buissness.(If it were not for badluck I whould have no luck at all! )Thanks for the advice. P.S.-more bad luck my one freind who went to the Demo.Republic of the Congo chould find no daggers,even if he did the country is under quarentine.

28th May 2005, 05:53 PM	#3
Aurangzeb Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 306	Hi all! Whould this dagger be worn like a koummya? Any help whould be appreciated.

29th May 2005, 02:02 PM	#4
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	Freddy, I wonder if your dagger might be from Somaliland or Ethiopia. The metal "guard" and the overall shape of the handle, as well as the use and placement of the bone spacer, are similar to what's seen on billao. What is the nonsymetrical knob at the sheath tips? I see this swoopy curved pointy knob on sheath tips, and sometimes at the ends of quillons. What is known of its meaning or regionality?

29th May 2005, 06:39 PM	#5
Justin Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 180	I would personally advise against the acryllic spray idea,alot of that stuff just makes a mess and can be very difficult to remove.

29th May 2005, 10:34 PM	#6
Aurangzeb Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 306	Hi Justin! Thanks for the advise about the acryllic spray.

30th May 2005, 07:21 PM	#7
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	Yeah, don't do it. It won't stick anyway to a previously oiled blade unless you degrease it, and I must say that in contrast to gloppy silver and gold paint, blades that have been lacquered (one does encounter it fairly frequently, with yellowed or red-faded old lacquer; it seems to have been popular with English and Euro-North Americans in the early and mid 20th) are usually fairly easy to clean off (but modern spray acryllic might well be more difficult), and it does seem to have a certain preservative power (so do the ugly metallic paints, but they can be SOOOO hard to get off! ). If the laquer seperates from the metal, as it sometimes does, then the pocket underneath becomes like a little moisture chamber, though. I think you're better to stick with waxes and oils; cosmoline seems real good for longterm storage (is that commercially available? Is it truly as same as drugstore petroleum jelly as it seems?).........I like a plated blade (though others don't), but that's not a realistic after-market protection for an assembled sword or anything......too long winded; oil and/or wax. Microcrystaline wax, like "Rennaissance Wax" or some fancy car waxes, is usually recommended, as the danger is not just from large packets of water that will bead up on ordinary wax, but from water vapor in the air, acting at a smaller level of reality. Alternately, good gun oils with Teflon or graphite that claim to leave behind a microscopic protective layer usually work fairly well, too, although they rub off easily and must be reapplied. I've heard of using bicycle lubricant, too, but know nothing specific there.