OLD SYRIAN JAMBIYA

Battara · 21st August 2005, 10:37 AM

The way it looks to me is that the blade is older then the hilt. The hilt was made almost a century later and made for the blade. The blade looks authentic, but in bad shape, like it had been in an acid bath or buried for a long time in acidic soil. I sold my Syrian-Lebanese jambiya with a very similar style blade (in great condition). The holes in the blade may have had inlay of either colored bone or low quality gems like onyx.

Aurangzeb · 21st August 2005, 09:10 PM

Hello Battara!

To me the hilt eems in much better condition despite the signs of wear and age cracks on the horn and bone. Perhaps the person who made the hilt found the blade in the sand or something but the steel seems to be of good quality. The acid soil is a good theroy considering it is a desert.

Mark...

derek · 23rd August 2005, 09:20 PM

I think that blade may have just seen some hard times. Artzi may be able to comment, but usually that style knife is from a specific (and somewhat recent) period of Syrian history. It looks like the typical Golan Heights knives made during the French occupation. They still make copies today, but this one is real.

Aurangzeb · 23rd August 2005, 11:04 PM

Hello Derek!

Interesting, cosidering how beat up the blade is this whould not surise me so does this mean the hily is it's origenal? If it is just a well used blade then what is it's approx. age? I find it interesting that it came from the Golan Hegits because I am curently readin a book about the Six Days War!

Mark...

Aurangzeb · 25th August 2005, 10:55 PM

Hello All!

Since this dagger is missing it's sheath I plan to make a new one out of brass. But I only have one example of a sheath for this type of dagger so I please ask that anyone with a sheath to this type of dagger post pictures on this thread so that I have something to work off of.

Mark...

21st August 2005, 10:37 AM	#1
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,280	The way it looks to me is that the blade is older then the hilt. The hilt was made almost a century later and made for the blade. The blade looks authentic, but in bad shape, like it had been in an acid bath or buried for a long time in acidic soil. I sold my Syrian-Lebanese jambiya with a very similar style blade (in great condition). The holes in the blade may have had inlay of either colored bone or low quality gems like onyx.

21st August 2005, 09:10 PM	#2
Aurangzeb Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 306	Hello Battara! To me the hilt eems in much better condition despite the signs of wear and age cracks on the horn and bone. Perhaps the person who made the hilt found the blade in the sand or something but the steel seems to be of good quality. The acid soil is a good theroy considering it is a desert. Mark...

23rd August 2005, 09:20 PM	#3
derek Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 215	I think that blade may have just seen some hard times. Artzi may be able to comment, but usually that style knife is from a specific (and somewhat recent) period of Syrian history. It looks like the typical Golan Heights knives made during the French occupation. They still make copies today, but this one is real.

23rd August 2005, 11:04 PM	#4
Aurangzeb Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 306	Hello Derek! Interesting, cosidering how beat up the blade is this whould not surise me so does this mean the hily is it's origenal? If it is just a well used blade then what is it's approx. age? I find it interesting that it came from the Golan Hegits because I am curently readin a book about the Six Days War! Mark...

25th August 2005, 10:55 PM	#5
Aurangzeb Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 306	Hello All! Since this dagger is missing it's sheath I plan to make a new one out of brass. But I only have one example of a sheath for this type of dagger so I please ask that anyone with a sheath to this type of dagger post pictures on this thread so that I have something to work off of. Mark...