[NovelsRus]

Welcome aboard, James.

Like you, I became instantly hooked on koummayas (or koummyas for the terminally lazy, like me) from the moment I saw photos of them here. Of course, they're often depicted on TV and in movies touching on North Africa, the Moors, Berbers, Morocco, etc.

You'll find the sheer variety dizzying, in every category you can think of. Sizes, shapes, handle materials, scabbards, hilts, blades, et al, all vary so wildly you'd think the makers were intentionally screwing with us. And the prices are all over the board. Most recently, to the higher end of the scale.

Like you, I bought some nice wall-hangers of the Toledo variety, which I only later learned were reproductions. They looked so cool in the eBay photos, I thought they had to be real . . . had to have been used in combat--maybe even [B]shed blood[/B] back in the day. But such was not the case.

But if you keep searching, going to flea markets, yard sales, online auctions, etc., and--especially--here on Ethnographic Arms, you'll find all the info you need to make semi-intelligent, reasoned purchases. And, you never know, once in a blue moon or so, you'll find a beauty on eBay or KnifeAuction that's legit, aged and worth a lot more than the owner realizes--because he, too, is new at the game. I've made several coups like that--camel-bone handled, real silver and rhino horn, etc., for about $20 or so. True story.

So hang in there, keep studying, keep shopping, but don't spend your hard-earned until you know what you're looking for and how much it should cost.

Best of luck!