Two strange knives...

ariel · 1st February 2008, 07:32 PM

Just ended
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=018
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=016
They look very nice and interestoing at the beginning..
Then, I caught myself thinking that the brittle bone looked far too intact, and that the general gestalt was not familiar at all: kind of melange of very different styles.
Folks, I think that both are modern fakes. If so, these are the best-executed ones I saw in a long time!

TVV · 1st February 2008, 07:38 PM

Agree that they are modern, but where from? To me, two options come to mind. The first one is China, in a weird imitation of Tibethan daggers. The second is Morocco, as I have seen similar bone inserts on souvenir koummayas.

RSWORD · 1st February 2008, 08:13 PM

I think they are probably made in Morocco and there are a couple of reasons I think this way. The first is the style of the suspension area where the baldric rings attach. This is quite similar to Moroccan jambiya in form. The second reason is that I have seen over the years very elaborate Nimcha with the handle and the entire scabbard made from camel bone. They are quite eye catching at first and of decent quality but not terribly old. They often have the additional corals and turquoise for added effect but are certainly made for the tourist market but perhaps a notch or two above the souk level jambiya one more often runs across. So, based on those two features my guess is made in Morocco within the last 20-50 years.

1st February 2008, 07:32 PM	#1
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Two strange knives... Just ended http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=018 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=016 They look very nice and interestoing at the beginning.. Then, I caught myself thinking that the brittle bone looked far too intact, and that the general gestalt was not familiar at all: kind of melange of very different styles. Folks, I think that both are modern fakes. If so, these are the best-executed ones I saw in a long time!

1st February 2008, 07:38 PM	#2
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,624	Agree that they are modern, but where from? To me, two options come to mind. The first one is China, in a weird imitation of Tibethan daggers. The second is Morocco, as I have seen similar bone inserts on souvenir koummayas.

1st February 2008, 08:13 PM	#3
RSWORD Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 1,084	I think they are probably made in Morocco and there are a couple of reasons I think this way. The first is the style of the suspension area where the baldric rings attach. This is quite similar to Moroccan jambiya in form. The second reason is that I have seen over the years very elaborate Nimcha with the handle and the entire scabbard made from camel bone. They are quite eye catching at first and of decent quality but not terribly old. They often have the additional corals and turquoise for added effect but are certainly made for the tourist market but perhaps a notch or two above the souk level jambiya one more often runs across. So, based on those two features my guess is made in Morocco within the last 20-50 years.