The Omani Khanjar

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by colin henshaw

Thanks Ibrahiim, I am looking forward to reading the results of your research.

The only references I have been able to find on the internet, are from the website www.omanisilver.com. It states that older khanjar blades were from Iran or Europe. The website also quotes from the book by Franz Stuhlmann "Handwerk und Industrie in Ost Africa", 1910 that khanjar blades were sourced from Solingen.

Regards,
Colin Henshaw

Omani Silver dot com has substantially revamped their Omani Khanjar situation (which they are quite entitled to do ) and have now got a vibrant collection with well backed up references and detail. They include in the domain of Omani Khanjars those regions traded into by Saiid the Great including Eastern Saudia and South West areas that were once in Yemen but are now in Saudia.

(I disagree that Khanjars with a flower tribe makers stamp on the reverse of the scabbard are Omani...The construction of the hilt is different and of course the flower tribe makers stamp means "made by a flower tribal artisan in Yemen/Saudia" no matter what part of the Khanjar is copied into their making of it) However I fully endorse the website and reccommend it to Forum...www.omanisilver.com

I have not seen(yet) any home made blades in this regard but will continue looking. I would expect to find work by the Master of Sulayf or one of the other famous artesans but there are only imports available in living memory.


Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.