The Shafra Conundrum
OK here we go............. I am probably going to raise some healthy discussion with what follows, and hope I do.
I am of the opinion that we are all calling different varieties of knife SHAFRA as it would appear that the various Arab Tribes called different knives by the same names depending on their particular geographic tribal location.
Hence the item shown by Artzi is a SHAFRA, and is a double edged dagger. The item shown in Egertons sketchs above is also called a SHAFRA, but appears to be single edged. The back knife found with Khanjar/Jambiya is also known as SHAFRA and is single edged, but with a straight blade, rather than "hooked". Also the back knives are smaller/shorter than the "dagger" variety, and are likely used as utility knives. ALL back knife scabbards I have seen attached to Khanjar scabbards are a folded piece of leather, laced along the curved bottom edge, suggesting a straight single edged blade.
The item which started this thread off, and has since been identified (probably) as a Khusa, also has a scabbard of the above type, but is far too big to ever have been a back knife. The whole measures 13'' and has a blade of 8". It is a VERY similar item to the Al Mahri Khanjar which has a handle of the same length, but a blade of 12". Both are single edged and the internal edge is the sharp one. I have one Khanjar with its back knife present, and this knife is 9 1/2" overall with a blade of 5 1/2".
Some pics herewith.
Regards Stuart
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