Yemeni Wahabi Gile or Qolxad?

kronckew · 6th July 2018, 10:02 PM

Known there as a Qolxad (?) (wiki link)

metal work looks like tarnished silver or brass, double fullers. seen service & has appropriate dings. listed as 19c.

Vendors description:
Wahabite jambiya, mid-19th century, nomadic Banai Quran tribes,
used also by the Shar and Malik warriors of the desert dunes.
(The weapon is also referred to as a “Dharia” or sometimes a “Malsa”)
The knife is 50 cm (2 ft.), blade is about 36 cm long (14 in.)

Looks like one a step up from bluelander's one HERE

And a step down from the one he mentioned which is HERE

Have not seen the Yemeni attribution before, is this accurate? how can we tell whether it's Yemeni/Somali/Ethiopian?

I see Somalis wear them on their right side, drawing it must be interesting, reminiscent of a khukuri...

Thanks for any comments.

kronckew · 6th July 2018, 10:04 PM

more:

kahnjar1 · 7th July 2018, 05:14 AM

Nothing whatsoever to do with Wahabite. Vendors description is way off IMHO. This is an Ethiopian Gile.
Stu

Battara · 7th July 2018, 05:37 AM

I agree 100% with Kahnjar1. I had one once and it was nearly identical.

Ian · 7th July 2018, 05:53 AM

The gile is generally attributed to the Afar people from the horn of Africa. According to Wikipedia:

"The Afar principally reside in the Danakil Desert in the Afar Region of Ethiopia, as well as in Eritrea and Djibouti. They number 1,276,867 people in Ethiopia (or 1.73% of the total population), of whom 105,551 are urban inhabitants, according to the most recent census (2007 ). The Afar make up over a third of the population of Djibouti, and are one of the nine recognized ethnic divisions (kililoch) of Ethiopia."

It's unclear whether the Afar are also in Yemen. I have never heard of the gile being referred to as a Yemeni jambiya.

Ian.

kronckew · 7th July 2018, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian

...have never heard of the gile being referred to as a Yemeni jambiya.

Ian.

wiki is wrong then HERE ...as is frequently the case.

kahnjar1 · 7th July 2018, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronckew

wiki is wrong then HERE ...as is frequently the case.

Yes definitely wrong. The pic shown on the Wiki page is correctly of the Gile, but any reference to a Jambiya or the style coming from Yemen is wrong. Yemeni Jambiyas are completely different in shape and more resemble the Omani Khanjar. To my knowledge the Gile is not known anywhere as a Jambiya or a Dharia or anything to do with so called Wahabite daggers.
Stu

kronckew · 7th July 2018, 09:23 AM

Good, When I bid on it I was thinking the "expert's" description was wrong and it was an Afar Gile. Then I stumbled across the wiki entry. Anyhow, I like this one, the ones with the brass conehead hat, not so much. There was one with the cone in the same sale, described by the same "expert" as Somali. As far as I've been bothered to look, the wiki references they give do not support Yemen at all, the three or 4 places outside wiki seem to just plagiarise wiki

and are a bit circular. they ref. a french website where Yemen is not mentioned. So I consulted the more reliable members here

Thanks again

6th July 2018, 10:02 PM	#1
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,186	Yemeni Wahabi Gile or Qolxad? Known there as a Qolxad (?) (wiki link) metal work looks like tarnished silver or brass, double fullers. seen service & has appropriate dings. listed as 19c. Vendors description: Wahabite jambiya, mid-19th century, nomadic Banai Quran tribes, used also by the Shar and Malik warriors of the desert dunes. (The weapon is also referred to as a “Dharia” or sometimes a “Malsa”) The knife is 50 cm (2 ft.), blade is about 36 cm long (14 in.) Looks like one a step up from bluelander's one HERE And a step down from the one he mentioned which is HERE Have not seen the Yemeni attribution before, is this accurate? how can we tell whether it's Yemeni/Somali/Ethiopian? I see Somalis wear them on their right side, drawing it must be interesting, reminiscent of a khukuri... Thanks for any comments. Attached Images

6th July 2018, 10:04 PM	#2
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,186	more: Attached Images

7th July 2018, 05:53 AM	#5
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,207	The gile is generally attributed to the Afar people from the horn of Africa. According to Wikipedia: "The Afar principally reside in the Danakil Desert in the Afar Region of Ethiopia, as well as in Eritrea and Djibouti. They number 1,276,867 people in Ethiopia (or 1.73% of the total population), of whom 105,551 are urban inhabitants, according to the most recent census (2007 ). The Afar make up over a third of the population of Djibouti, and are one of the nine recognized ethnic divisions (kililoch) of Ethiopia." It's unclear whether the Afar are also in Yemen. I have never heard of the gile being referred to as a Yemeni jambiya. Ian.

7th July 2018, 05:14 AM	#3
kahnjar1 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND Posts: 2,741	Nothing whatsoever to do with Wahabite. Vendors description is way off IMHO. This is an Ethiopian Gile. Stu

7th July 2018, 05:37 AM	#4
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,226	I agree 100% with Kahnjar1. I had one once and it was nearly identical.

7th July 2018, 09:23 AM	#8
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,186	Good, When I bid on it I was thinking the "expert's" description was wrong and it was an Afar Gile. Then I stumbled across the wiki entry. Anyhow, I like this one, the ones with the brass conehead hat, not so much. There was one with the cone in the same sale, described by the same "expert" as Somali. As far as I've been bothered to look, the wiki references they give do not support Yemen at all, the three or 4 places outside wiki seem to just plagiarise wiki and are a bit circular. they ref. a french website where Yemen is not mentioned. So I consulted the more reliable members here Thanks again