Jambiya

[Aurangzeb]

Hi Derek!

I did rub the hilt like you told me and it smells woodsy or outdoorsy,loss of words smells odd.To me it seems to heavy and hard to be horn and does not show any of the fibers of horn.

Thanks for the help!

[tom hyle]

AFAIK there is no such substance as giraffe horn. No one has ever meaningfully (ie with evidence I can check and anylyze) anwered me against this, and I'd sure appreciate it if anyone who can, will. Reading about giraffes I find they have a bone surounded by skin; no keratenacious horn on their heads. What is the substance usually called giraffe horn? Don't know. Giraffe bone is very fine-grained and nice, but otherwise ordinary bone, and much like camel bone. Maybe the horn of a different, less penis shaped animal? Amber can, interestingly, and this has been known for centuries if not millenia, be disolved in hot oil and shaped; many large amber pieces have been made this way, and I think, that done properly and traditionally, with the "right" natural oil, temp. etc. it is not detectible, at least by "ordinary means" from nonreconstituted amber (reconstituted amber on the market now is in a plastic (epoxide?) matrix, and quite different, BTW); same colour, smell, etc. Amber has a sweet acidic smell you will never forget, often, if you've a sensitive nose, I guess, even when just sitting around. Also, it is said to have some kind of activity in regards to static electricity that is different from horn. I don't know; another subject that has never propelled me to experiment; rub it on you cat and see if it sticks to the wall just kidding, but truly, there is such a thing; knowing of it you could look it up. One gets comfortable weaing Death, and his traditional seats are usually quite effective, but one does not want to get too comfortable or unaware; real fighters often walk around with their hand resting on hilt, and say they have to use that hand, and they're feeling Spidey sense (almost always for real fighters in some degree; part of what makes you a real fighter instead of a real dead guy), the other one will often just drift over to "cover" the dagger situation; to protect it and be ready to use it (this may present some problems in AfrAsian Islam, with its customs around the left hand; I haven't hung out with a lot of Arabs and Berbers, and the Arabs I have known dressed like any other American; "no edge, no edge; you've got no knife, have you?"......

[Michael Blalock]

Is it possible this jambiya handle is agate and not amber? I have read that agate is used in Yemen these days. Amber is very light. When I lived in Yemen in the 60's the good Jambiyas were all Rhino horn but everyone described them as Giraffe horn. The cheap ones were buffalo horn. I never saw a pale handle like the amber handle back them. The really nice rhino handles were translucent but still had an earthy brown color.

[Conogre]

To address two issues, 1) Tom there very deffiniteiy IS a "giraffe horn" and it's very similar to rhinocerous horn in being composed of a compacted hair-like substance as opposed to most other forms of "horn" (I'm more familiar with it on live animals than as weapon hilts) and is reputed to be held in high esteem for the same reason, ie, it swells slightly when wet, making it almost adhere to the hand rather than becomming slippery and hard to hang on to.
As to the yellow color of this hilt, I suspect that it's plastic, having seen several dozen pieces only a couple of years ago that were all imported from Morocco in a single container by an antique dealer here in Florida that appeared nearly identical.......they were of both styles, the one similar to yours and the traditional elongated khoumiya style as well, all with nice, user blades.
Keep in mind that plastic does not necessarily have the same cheap connotation that we in the US commonly associate with it, particularly in regions where humidity, arridness and destructive insects are a factor.....just recently I aquired that Jambiya with the Saudi royal insignia on it with the belt inset with a white plastic immitation patent leather and it was anything but an inferior piece.
Mike

[spiral]

Conogre thats very interesting about the girafe horn as Ive always been someting of a sceptic about it, I presume its a hollow shell of horn that is over the boney skull protrubrences then?

Is it then realy large & thick enough to be carved to the shape of the jambiya handles?

I am still slighty skeptical but would love to have my doubts eliminated.

Can you source any detailed pix of of the sectioned giraffe horn? or something else to help convince me?

This is something I would love to learn more about.

Spiral

[Rick]

If I recall correctly Artzi had some examples used as shamshir scales .
Possibly in the afterglow of victory from winning that stunning kris he will share an example or two ....

[Aurangzeb]

Hi all!

The handle conducts static electricity.I found out in an odd manner,today while my cat was charged with static(don't ask me how?).I rubbed te handle across it's back and shocked myself with the handle after rubbing the cat with it!My cat,Catbert liked it!It is not p0latic I am sure,to heavy and has faults and a piny smell.

bye