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Old 16th August 2005, 07:25 PM   #1
Robert
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Default Kurdish? Dagger

Hi,
Latest purchase. I nead information as to its age, origin, if it is a tourist piece or not and a translation of what is carved into the blade. All help will be greatly appreciated. This is all the information I have at this point. Sorry about the picture quality.

Blade lenth is 11 inches.
Blade is 1/4 inch thick.
Total lenth is 19 inches.
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Old 16th August 2005, 11:01 PM   #2
ariel
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Looks like a modern bazaar version of N.African "Khodmi" with a Yataghan-ish pommel.
Look at this site:
http://www.couteaux-jfl.com/trad_afrique.htm
Nice information here.
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Old 17th August 2005, 04:35 AM   #3
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Ariel,
Could you please pinpoint exactly what you want me to look at on this site? I don't seem a to be able to find the information that you are referring to. Thanks.

Robert
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Old 18th August 2005, 04:33 PM   #4
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Hello Robert,
At the top of the list, the table simply indicates that Khodmi is an Algerian knife. Found throughout the Maghrib. The rest of the site
http://www.couteaux-jfl.com/plan.htm has more info but in French. Check out this thread
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1071

Manolo
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Old 18th August 2005, 05:42 PM   #5
Robert
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Arial and Manolo,
Thanks for the help. So I take it that this is a relatively new knife made as a tourist piece and for decorative purposes only. What does the writing on the blade mean if anything, or is it only for decoration too?

Robert
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Old 18th August 2005, 06:47 PM   #6
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Robert, this does indeed look like a tourist piece. It's too flashy. A genuine Khedama -Arabic word for knife, employed by Algerian Kabyles- would simply be made in wood, carved and wrapped in leather perhaps. The gold/brass stuff looks like imitation and useless. As for the engraving/writing, I don't know what it says, but I think it is too large and crude. Most blades I've seen feature smaller, more delicate work, if at all.

I think that as a rule, no matter what country you're in, old traditional edged weapons for sale are never flashy or covered in precious metals/stones. A simple functional scabbard and hilt would be the norm, with emphasys on the quality of the blade. The trully princely ones are already in museums and private collections.

Manolo
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Old 18th August 2005, 07:01 PM   #7
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It's too small for me to read, but 99% it's a verse from Koran.
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