4th June 2020, 07:59 PM | #1 |
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Old or new ''fake'' yemeni jambiya-khanjar ?
Hello,
I wanted to show you the dagger I just received, looks like a yemeni khanjar, total length 35cm I liked the leather scabbard. It was sold at a really low price so I bought it because it seemed not too recent and well made. I knew the hilt was not made of horn but it is not wood and not just plastic-resin Maybe made of bakelite or mixed stuff ? ( I read about that on the forum ) Do you think it's an old ''copy-imitation'' of a rhino hilted khanjar, or can it be really recent I tried to heat a little, it smells not like horn/hair not plastic but a little like soap-incense. Any comment ? Thank you -Kind regards |
4th June 2020, 08:00 PM | #2 |
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Sorry,
pictures are not in the right order... some more |
4th June 2020, 08:45 PM | #3 |
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Good genuine Yemeni Jambiya IMHO. Not a recent made tourist piece.
Stu |
4th June 2020, 09:55 PM | #4 |
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The hilt could be "Amberoid" .... https://www.britannica.com/science/amberoid-resin
I think you got a nice one. |
4th June 2020, 11:07 PM | #5 |
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Hi
It's a nice jambiya from Aden. It depends what you call old, if old is 1950ties, it's old. I think it is hornoid or bakelite. |
5th June 2020, 04:13 PM | #6 |
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"I tried to heat a little, it smells not like horn/hair not plastic
but a little like soap-incense." Which is why I am thinking something resinous, like Amberoid. |
5th June 2020, 04:15 PM | #7 |
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Hello,
Thank you all for your comments ! 50's just begins to be old for humans, for a jambiya not sure hopefully it's not too recent. Interesting the ''amberoid'' I didn't know it I wonder why they used to do this kind of hilt materials instead wood or marble-stone handle and why they mixed it with real silver filgree-mounts. - Was it to sell it high priced as a rare rhino hilted piece to the few ( I think !?! ) present strangers ( for British ? with the Aden Protectorate... ) - Or for local people who liked the similarity with horn hilt but hadn't enough money to buy one ? ( like skaļ-imitation leather instead of real one ) |
5th June 2020, 04:16 PM | #8 | |
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logical ! |
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5th June 2020, 06:26 PM | #9 | |
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I have some jambiya the blade is connected to the hilt with some frankincense... but its a bit sticky. |
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5th June 2020, 06:26 PM | #10 | |
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5th June 2020, 10:16 PM | #11 |
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Amberoid is not a cheap material, though nowhere near as expensive as natural Amber. It can also be bought as fairly large blocks, as used to be sold by a supplier used to deal with. The technology is also old, dating back to the late bronze age.
It was a favoured material for pipe stems in the West and in the Muslim world, regarded as self purifying in the Middle East and is used a lot for worry beads in place of genuine amber. No guarantee of course but it would be my guess. https://gem-a.com/gem-hub/gem-knowle...tructed-pieces |
5th June 2020, 10:37 PM | #12 |
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I'm unable to speculate regarging the hilt materiel, but the silver work is attractive.
The blade has an odd look, to me, making me wonder if it is solid, or a welded-together molded 2-piece construct, which I understand is sometimes done. (It's surprisingly shiny, making me think of some sort of plating). |
6th June 2020, 05:32 PM | #13 |
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Hello,
Thank you David for your comment, maybe it's amberoid as you suggest, maybe mixed, some parts have translucence and are brown with no light, other nothing at all ( cf pictures ), for the blade I put some pictures, really don't see/think it's made of two sheets but it is really thin compared to other jambiyas I have and has a really sharp edge Kind regards |
6th June 2020, 06:23 PM | #14 | |
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6th June 2020, 07:17 PM | #15 | |
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6th June 2020, 07:28 PM | #16 | |
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Hello, the blade is thin but it's made of only one piece of metal and there is a central ridge on both side |
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6th June 2020, 08:58 PM | #17 | |
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If you can, get the hardcover copy. A really great book, with a ton of info and great pictures and also very pleasant to read. Elgood's "The Arms and Armour of Arabia" also has a lot of good info in the chapter on daggers. |
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6th June 2020, 09:49 PM | #18 | |
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6th June 2020, 10:21 PM | #19 | |
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I agree with Teodor's comments....if you have an interest in Jambya then this is the book to have. Stu |
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7th June 2020, 12:36 PM | #20 |
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You might like this link... https://www.penn.museum/sites/expedi...f-the-jambiya/
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7th June 2020, 01:13 PM | #21 | |
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