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Originally Posted by A.alnakkas
There are no leather strips. Its wool :-)
I very much respect your desire to be precise with the age, but there is no 100% answer really.
This is the only one I found in Artzi's site with similar pin decoration:
http://oriental-arms.com/photos.php?id=3186
Artzi suggests its 19th century though.
Agree, though you will find that Yemeni's have a larger preference of Rhino and categorize them within certain categories. Saifani being the most desired, so I have heard.
Nothing wrong with that mate.
I am interested if your workshop have done such work before, or are they basing this on gut instinct maybe? included is a picture of the pin that hold the filigree of my other Omani khanjar, its equally old and the pin is much larger which makes sense. I highly doubt such fine and thin silver pins can hold filigree on a hilt that is used in dances, combat etc for long. I guess we need more examples to know for sure 
Its an interesting hypothesis for sure, we have a wealth of information here and elsewhere and I am looking through sites for more examples to compare with because one example is not much to build on! |
Salaams ~ For library purposes the photo at the base of your post at #38 is not an Omani Khanjar but comes from Saudia Arabia in the region to the south whose main port is Jazzan and cities include Abha and Habaabi The latter giving its name to this dagger.
Habaabi. The construction though they look quite similar to Omani Khanjars is on closer inspection markedly different employing other techniques typical on Yemeni work (It was part of the Yemen circa pre 1923..) Use of mixed silver/copper and slight differences in the design such as a slightly larger crown and in one variant a much narrower body to the entire item. Designs favour two large buttons culminating at a point normally ending under the central decorative ferrule in mid hilt. The buttons unlike Omani buttons are fastened with a large peg or pin.
It is not chrystal clear what the exact linkage is between this region and Oman though obviously as a port Jazzan would have been engaged in heavy sea trade with Muscat and Zanzibar and I suggest the latter as a more likely consideration for the infusion of this design after its invention by one of the wives of Said bin Sultan in about 1840 (Sheherazade the Persian Princess) because of the Sultans engagement with that area essentially bringing it under Omani rule. Equally imperfect is the relationship between the Omani Royal Khanjar and this Habaabi weapon and to what extent it draws its style from the Omani type as it could also be influenced by the Muscat Khanjar which is also a 7 ringer.
It is because of its geographical location (and timings of the design of the Royal Omani Khanjar) that I favour the Royal link but research is as yet not forthcoming to pinpoint the question for now. Another question is why was it linked to Habaabi and not say Jazzan the sea port?
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.