[A.alnakkas]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Salaams A.alnakkas No arguement just either discussion or debate.. Brought onto the Forums hot anvil to be hammered out .. The two concentric rings of pins both at the top and bottom of the back of this hilt were for securing the large disc buttons and the few pins at the narrow part in the centre are for securing the silver ferrule arrangement...all now of course removed as the maker switched this hilt to a new Khanjar... perhaps 60 years ago which I think is why the translucency is so good. This is a switched and turned hilt.

argument: a reason given in proof or rebuttal; amongst other possible uses, according to Merriam webster online dictionary

Ibrahim, I have no problem with the conclusion you have given, but rather with the reasons for the conclusion which so far do not exist. Perhaps you have seen this sort of pin style used to hold the silver filigree but isnt it generally held by a much larger pin?

Unless you have other examples of such pins used to hold the filigree then I cannot see any proof given by you. Though I must say I find the turned hilt point to have some merit, but its possible that the back side is decorated that way and when it was switched its left the way it is? That ofcourse, is just a guess as this is not the first Omani item with a decorated back side. Its simply the first many have seen with such decoration

At #1 you were asking about the age... has this now become irrelevant? Sixty years old is considerable for an Omani Khanjar and further if the original item was the same age then you have a Khanjar made from 120 years old artefacts..

I did but its better to avoid 'pinpoint' accuracy (pun intended) in dating items which do not have a date written on them. So its simple, I am not fussed with the 'precise' date and simply satisfied with early 20th century or whatever because stating whether its 80 years old or 60 years old without any reasons seems abit too much. Keep in mind that I would be really happy if this is 60 years old because thats pretty old for a khanjar, considering how many times the blade and hilt get refitted! :P

Though you deserve the benefit of the doubt, perhaps you said the age due to a particular style used 60 or 80 years ago? I know you have stated "they dont make them like these anymore" or something like that, but it was vague in the sense that it could be directed to the scabbard or the hilt, so could you clear that out? :-)

The decoration on the top of the pommel is incredible.. see "The Omani Khanjar" http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=14878 see #48 where I refer to this phenomenal design as being linked to the Rhino horn natural form..

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

I thought so aswell, but lets not give our guesses more than what they deserve. I think moving from a guess to assuming the guess as a fact is pointless and counterproductive.

Regards,

Lotfy