Just ended on Ebay ---Jambiya

[A.alnakkas]

Salams,

Looks like a yemeni hilt on a somali billao blade.

Btw, what I ment with octagonal (or is it hexagonal? xD) shapes I ment the small silver chips on the scabbard and hilt, not the hilt shape.

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by A.alnakkas

Salams,

Looks like a yemeni hilt on a somali billao blade.

Btw, what I ment with octagonal (or is it hexagonal? xD) shapes I ment the small silver chips on the scabbard and hilt, not the hilt shape.

I agree that the item shown by Ibrahiim is a combination of two completely different knives. The hilt is of the type usually associated with JIZAN daggers and is not flat like the item first posted here. This "combination" in my opinion has nothing to do with the original post, and I do not see the purpose of drifting off to the Omani souks, when the original thread was to try and get comment on a particular jambiya.
I am still interested to find out more about THAT one which was my reason for posting this thread. My feeling is that there is some "tourist" trait about the hilt, although the scabbard looks genuine enough.
Lofty....I assume you are refering to the diamond shaped wafers which are quite common on Yemeni scabbards?
Regards Stu

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

I agree that the item shown by Ibrahiim is a combination of two completely different knives. The hilt is of the type usually associated with JIZAN daggers and is not flat like the item first posted here. This "combination" in my opinion has nothing to do with the original post, and I do not see the purpose of drifting off to the Omani souks, when the original thread was to try and get comment on a particular jambiya.
I am still interested to find out more about THAT one which was my reason for posting this thread. My feeling is that there is some "tourist" trait about the hilt, although the scabbard looks genuine enough.
Lofty....I assume you are refering to the diamond shaped wafers which are quite common on Yemeni scabbards?
Regards Stu

Salaams kahnjar1 ~ Yours does seem to be lower quality as you indicate "for the tourist market" and going by the appearance of low grade silver that may be the case, although, I do not recognise the hilt form except as I have compared in this thread by my previous post. Being the country next door to Yemen we are in a fine position to view work drifting from there and in particular at this difficult time.. I would have thought that practical on the ground research best achieved by getting into the various Omani Souks would have been beneficial to Forum and presumeably your understanding of the situation and going by the number of positive PM letters received I can vouch for that as true. Of course in so far as collectors are concerned souks are generally full of garbage with about 2 % collectible and the rest to be avoided. I think, however, that the flavour of the souk can be understood and most folks would like to have a look and for the collectors there is some stunning stuff... and for practical research along with museums there is no better place.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Salaams kahnjar1 ~ Yours does seem to be lower quality as you indicate "for the tourist market" and going by the appearance of low grade silver that may be the case, although, I do not recognise the hilt form except as I have compared in this thread by my previous post. Being the country next door to Yemen we are in a fine position to view work drifting from there and in particular at this difficult time.. I would have thought that practical on the ground research best achieved by getting into the various Omani Souks would have been beneficial to Forum and presumeably your understanding of the situation and going by the number of positive PM letters received I can vouch for that as true. Of course in so far as collectors are concerned souks are generally full of garbage with about 2 % collectible and the rest to be avoided. I think, however, that the flavour of the souk can be understood and most folks would like to have a look and for the collectors there is some stunning stuff... and for practical research along with museums there is no better place.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

I absolutely agree that the Omani Souks hold interest, BUT what I was saying was that THIS thread was to elicet information about the particular Jambiya in question. There is another thread which has the subject of Omani Souks and I find this very interesting myself.....
What I find very frustrating is when an item is put up for comment and identification, and the direction of the thread changes and becomes a discussion on something else entirely.
Regards

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams Khanjar 1~ Your dagger appears to have the scabbard of the Habaabi and an unknown hilt insofar as the pointed pommel arrangement. The decoration to the hilt is quite similar to Habaabi hilts with a collar and a decorative circular disc above and below. The Quba is typically fatter and comes off the curve before reaching 90 degrees it seems. Tantalising as in all Habaabis is the 7 ring design similar to the Royal Omani Khanjar rings and the Muscat variant. As the 3 regions i.e. Yemen, Oman and Saudia virtually join geographically the styles become closer together and more difficult to spot the differences. In Salalah for example they wear a simple dagger almost identical to the Yemeni variant and as seen in the Habaabi the 7 ringer is quite similar to Omans. This is natural in terms of geography and from the Human standpoint Jebali tribes straddle the border and wander largely freely to and fro. The situation with the Saudia Habaabi is much more convoluted I suspect and needs further research.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.