A classic Khanjar Majdali

[BANDOOK]

HERE IS MY DAGGER FROM MAJDAL SHAMS FAMOUS FOR ITS DAGGERS ON THE SLOPES OF MT.HERMON,WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE FROM EXPERT OF THESE TYPES MOTAN.
HAS A MARKING ON THE POMMEL
OVERALL LENGTH-235 MM
LENGTH OF BLADE-125 MM

[kahnjar1]

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=13979&highlight=syrian+dagger
Hi Rajesh,
You might like to look here, where these daggers were discussed at length. Also go to "search" Syrian Daggers and you will find other threads also.
Stu

[BANDOOK]

THANKS STU
HAVE GONE THROUGH THEM,CHEERS

[motan]

Hi Rajesh,
Indeed a classical Majdal Shams khanjar (or Magdal as some write it).
It is not the very best quality, but better than many others. Probably from around mid 20th c.
As for the exact origin, I can only say that many were also made in Damascus, and some in Lebanon too, but the division into Damascus - round hilt vs. Majdal - flattened, rectangle hilt, as suggested in the thread http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=13979&highlight=Syrian+dagger is incorrect. Both types, including yours (round hilt) were made in Majdal Shams.
I have a friend who is expert in Majdali daggers and have over 60 of them, but even he cannot tell exactly which dagger is from the village of Majdal Shams, unless it is written on the blade.

[BANDOOK]

Thanks Motan
I could only find this marking on it
Regards Rajesh

[BANDOOK]

Hi Motan
here is another Khanjar from my collection ,which I wanted more information about like Age/Tribes etc.
Sa'ar Nudel informed me its from northern Israel[Upper Galilee]/South Lebanon
more information would be appreciated
Kind Regards
Rajesh

[motan]

Hi Rajesh,
Sa'ar is an expert on local weapons and I cannot add much to what he already said. Yes, this dagger belongs to a family of small khanjars made somewhere in the wider area around the common border of Lebanon, Syria, Palestine/Israel . In Ottoman times there was no border there, so it would be no surprise if styles "leaked" from Damascus to Southern Lebanon and Northern Palestine.

I think that the origin of the general style is in Ottoman Damascus, in daggers like the one in the first figure. This style transformed through daggers like in the second figure, to several types made in Palestine and Southern Lebanon.
The holes in the blade are a common feature to this area and seen in several types, including the horse-head daggers that I showed here before (3rd figure). It is an imitation of a much older Ottoman tradition of perforated blades.

The basic, primitive decoration technique is Palestinian. The scabbard is decorated with pits made with a sharp instrument, while the hilt is decorated with a zig-zag pattern made by rocking a small chisel. The latter technique was applied decades later in Jordan as well. The very similar dagger in the last picture carries the Palestinian tell-tale sign I discussed previously (arrows in pictures).

I am trying to find out where such daggers were made in the Galilee by asking old people in towns known for their forges, but no success yet.

In short, your dagger is a known type of Northern Palestinian daggers and is probably first quarter of the 20th c. or few years later. I don't have one like that, so if you get tired of it...

[motan]

You asked about the pommel of your Majdali. I don't see any writing, just decoration.

[BANDOOK]

Thanks Motan for the information and now I know its from north Palestine,not many people know about these family of daggers,so am happy to get good information from experts like you and Sa'ar.The country you come from and its surrounding areas have really old and traditional customs and traditional weapons
Yes and I shall keep you in mind the day I think these are not of my interest any more
Kind Regards