African Arm Dagger...finally!

Emanuel · 28th January 2007, 06:50 PM

Hi Paolo!
I think you're post got buried under the others and I didn't see it. Your example does look a lot like mine...it has the same floral decorations, and I think partly the same writing. From looking at the examples in old threads, I take it is says "al -karthoum" and a date, which in your case will also be around 1900 I think. So 1900 Karthoum, Sudan.

Regards,
Emanuel

paolo · 28th January 2007, 07:13 PM

I've seen that there is another writing on the rear. I'll post it next days. Meanwhile thank You Manolo

Paolo

paolo · 29th January 2007, 01:20 PM

Here is the pic of the other writing on the blade.
Paolo

paolo · 29th January 2007, 01:25 PM

Sorry, here is the pic.
Paolo

FenrisWolf · 29th January 2007, 08:14 PM

Nice examples, all! I too love these blades; they are among my favorites of the African pieces, both for the aesthetics of the hilt itself, and because for some rason the blades seem to be, if you'll pardon the pun, a 'cut above' the average african piece from that region. I have two of them myself, though neither have an inscription. Nor would I mind having Lou's problem, a whole drawer full!

Tim Simmons · 29th January 2007, 08:20 PM

"cut above" you cannot have been interested in African arms for much time.

FenrisWolf · 29th January 2007, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

"cut above" you cannot have been interested in African arms for much time.

I should have been more specific, my mistake. I was thinking in terms of the often crude blades sees in Sudanese daggers, rough metal with file marks. Even the Tuareg pieces that often have elaborate layering and engraving on their hilts tend to have crude blades; functional, but not pretty. Compared to those, these disk-pommeled arm daggers are quite nice. I know that compared to some of the swords and daggers that come out of the Arabian pennensula they aren't all that spectacular (though I think they are vastly superior to the majority of Moroccan jambiyas you see proliferating on ebay, most of which are cheap tourist trash).

Emanuel · 12th May 2009, 02:59 AM

Warren's post on his Sudanese arm dagger got me looking back on my own daggers.

On one side it says "Al-Kartoum 1317/1900" (top pic).

The opposite side has "Umdurman", and then it has the Hijra date "1100", which would translate to 1688 or so. This doesn't make sense to me...help please.
Furthermore, there is the number 90 just on the other side of the fuller.

Emanuel

29th January 2007, 01:20 PM	#3
paolo Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 173	Other writing to translate. Here is the pic of the other writing on the blade. Paolo

29th January 2007, 01:25 PM	#4
paolo Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 173	Sorry, here is the pic. Paolo Attached Images

12th May 2009, 02:59 AM	#8
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Weird date Warren's post on his Sudanese arm dagger got me looking back on my own daggers. On one side it says "Al-Kartoum 1317/1900" (top pic). The opposite side has "Umdurman", and then it has the Hijra date "1100", which would translate to 1688 or so. This doesn't make sense to me...help please. Furthermore, there is the number 90 just on the other side of the fuller. Emanuel Attached Images

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28th January 2007, 06:50 PM	#1
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Hi Paolo! I think you're post got buried under the others and I didn't see it. Your example does look a lot like mine...it has the same floral decorations, and I think partly the same writing. From looking at the examples in old threads, I take it is says "al -karthoum" and a date, which in your case will also be around 1900 I think. So 1900 Karthoum, Sudan. Regards, Emanuel

28th January 2007, 07:13 PM	#2
paolo Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 173	I've seen that there is another writing on the rear. I'll post it next days. Meanwhile thank You Manolo Paolo

29th January 2007, 08:14 PM	#5
FenrisWolf Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 181	Nice examples, all! I too love these blades; they are among my favorites of the African pieces, both for the aesthetics of the hilt itself, and because for some rason the blades seem to be, if you'll pardon the pun, a 'cut above' the average african piece from that region. I have two of them myself, though neither have an inscription. Nor would I mind having Lou's problem, a whole drawer full!

29th January 2007, 08:20 PM	#6
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,843	"cut above" you cannot have been interested in African arms for much time.