What were they smoking?

[Rick]

Originally Posted by Emanuel

It could also have been bought to mate the hilt with a new blade and fittings for the Yemeni/Saudi high-end jambiya markets. I've read of jambiyas fetching much more than this, when loaded with enough bling and with the right attributed provenance.

This is exactly what I am thinking due to the question asked of the Dealer .

Bet it went home for restoration and a new blade .