Sabiki question

[harrywagner]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

You could well be right about recent manufacture of the one with the belt. They ARE made today, and come up on THAT auction site reasonably regularly. The earlier ones have THICK silver decoration to the hilt and the late ones have very thin decoration. The bottom one in your pics LOOKS like an early one judging by the patina, and "rounded" worn edges to the silverwork.
Here is an early one I have.
Stu

Hi Stu,
I think they are very similar. I would be surprised if they were not the same maker, same period. I am curious now about it's age. i thought that it was post WWII, given it's high polish. How old do you think it is? An item's age has never been a primary concern for me, and good thing too, since I really stink at it!

One of the things I really like about this knife is that the chape of the scabbard is a spent cartridge shell. I am new to this and have not handled enough Sabikis to know if this is the norm or not. Are they all (this maker, this period) like this? Thanks again! Very helpful.

Harry

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by harrywagner

Hi Stu,
I think they are very similar. I would be surprised if they were not the same maker, same period. I am curious now about it's age. i thought that it was post WWII, given it's high polish. How old do you think it is? An item's age has never been a primary concern for me, and good thing too, since I really stink at it!

One of the things I really like about this knife is that the chape of the scabbard is a spent cartridge shell. I am new to this and have not handled enough Sabikis to know if this is the norm or not. Are they all (this maker, this period) like this? Thanks again! Very helpful.

Harry

Hi Harry,
Well after seeing the rhomboidal blade shown by Lofty, which incidentally I used to own, I had another look at those I still have in my collection, and find 3 with blades of this type. As Lofty says it is very hard to get a clear photo of the profile. All 3 are old late 19th or early 20th c pieces.

Now to try and explain the difference between newish and old Rashaq hilts. The older hilts are decorated with thicker and better quality silver than the newer ones being offered, which have thinner silver. The "saw" edge decoration on the newer ones is quite sharp and well defined, and the strapping is thinner, but on the older ones the saw edge is usually worn and not as sharply defined.
Shineyness means nothing, just that the metal has been highly polished, and this should not be taken as a way to judge the age. Patina and wear are more reliable ways. As I said before the last one you show without the belt looks to me to be of better quality, (and therefore older) than the other one. The fact that both appear to be from the same maker means nothing in terms of age.
The use of cartridge cases to provide a finial to the scabbard seems to have been a common practice, as several of mine have this feature.
Stu

[harrywagner]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

Hi Harry,
Well after seeing the rhomboidal blade shown by Lofty, which incidentally I used to own, I had another look at those I still have in my collection, and find 3 with blades of this type. As Lofty says it is very hard to get a clear photo of the profile. All 3 are old late 19th or early 20th c pieces.

Now to try and explain the difference between newish and old Rashaq hilts. The older hilts are decorated with thicker and better quality silver than the newer ones being offered, which have thinner silver. The "saw" edge decoration on the newer ones is quite sharp and well defined, and the strapping is thinner, but on the older ones the saw edge is usually worn and not as sharply defined.
Shineyness means nothing, just that the metal has been highly polished, and this should not be taken as a way to judge the age. Patina and wear are more reliable ways. As I said before the last one you show without the belt looks to me to be of better quality, (and therefore older) than the other one. The fact that both appear to be from the same maker means nothing in terms of age.
The use of cartridge cases to provide a finial to the scabbard seems to have been a common practice, as several of mine have this feature.
Stu

Thanks Stu. I am glad I asked. Thanks also for the photos. Great looking knives. Very helpful.

[Miguel]

Very interesting thread, thanks for initiating it Harry

Thanks for correcting me Mr A anaikka it has made me do some research on this weapon which I understood, from certain reference books, was called a Wahhabi Jambiya but now I know differently. Apparently the fault lies with a Mr William Palgrave. My research has shown me that it is the weapon of Western Arabia being the traditional knife of North Yemen, the Hajiz and the Asir, also it is known in the Hajiz as a Sabak and the Asir as a Sabik, thank goodness for Mr Elgood. This is what I like about this forum I am learning all the time.
Miguel