A North African Yataghan

[Martin Lubojacky]

Years ago I bought this two yatagans (pls see picture enclosed) in Tunisian Djerba. Both of them have scabbard encased in a very thin brass sheat (I cleaned and repaired one of them also years ago, it is not too much nice ...). I am sure the brass cover of the sacabbards is of local Berber origin - you can see typical quarter foil motive (the Berbers have been living also in Libya and Tunisia - not only Morocco and Algeria; in Libya and Tunisia they differ Berbers living in the mountains and living on the sea coast ...). In the case of one of the yatagans you can see the remains of the metal handle (it may be silver ?), far-gone by the salty environs (I guess...).

Nevertheless as far as the thimble heel piece is concerned: They used to use the real thimble as a yatagan scabbard chape in Anatolia (especially T-shaped ordinary "village yatagans")