The Habaabi Khanjar/Jambia; FromThe Asir.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 22nd January 2016, 06:21 PM

Salaams all. Please see http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...8&page=7&pp=30 where the appearance of a new website at http://khanjar.om/Parts.html introduces my reasoned link between Sur and the Red Sea regions ...
The Flower Tribe/ Asir / Habaabi style of Khanjar and the Omani Al Wusta type.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 24th January 2016, 03:24 PM

I repeat here a post I have placed at The Omani Khanjar...

Salaams All~ One burning question is...Regarding the Al Wusta khanjar and its almost identical like ness to the weapon in the Asir (The flower tribe khanjar...also known as Habaabi...of Abha ...which I note only differs in that the Asir style often carries a floral stamp and or a signature on the reverse. (Potentially an owners signature)

Was this weapon faithfully copied by artesans who may have migrated from Al Wusta /perhaps blood relatives...Silversmiths that simply moved to the Asir from Oman ...or is it simply the result of weapons being shipped from Al Wusta and stamped/signed in the Asir...i.e. traded in ?

Regards,
Ibrahim al Balooshi.

cpkaway2 · 25th February 2016, 02:52 AM

Hello fellow members,

I obtained this jambiya/khanjar in Vancouver more than 10 years ago. On my recent trip to Gulf States and Oman I hoped to learn more about it and confir that it was Omani. Also I hoped to obtain an older belt for it. Unfortunately my tablet computer ceased to work so I could not show photos of it to anyone. I did manage to find similar 7-ring knives in the Nizwa souq which the vendors identified as Al Saidi (Sa´idiyyah).

After reading this interesting thread it seems most likely that it is from the Asir region rather than Oman. Adding credence to this is the emblem on the back of the hilt. It is very similar to the Saudi coat of arms: crossed swords below a palm tree. The coat of arms was adopted in 1950, which would indicate the knife was not made before that date. I do not know, however, if the coat of arms was designed in 1950 or if it were a symbol in use before then and officially adopted only in 1950. Anyone know?

I would be interested in your thoughts about this jambiya/khanjar, including whether the hilt is bone or wood, and if the writing on the chape is decipherable.

Regards
Chris

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 25th February 2016, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpkaway2

Hello fellow members,

I obtained this jambiya/khanjar in Vancouver more than 10 years ago. On my recent trip to Gulf States and Oman I hoped to learn more about it and confir that it was Omani. Also I hoped to obtain an older belt for it. Unfortunately my tablet computer ceased to work so I could not show photos of it to anyone. I did manage to find similar 7-ring knives in the Nizwa souq which the vendors identified as Al Saidi (Sa´idiyyah).

After reading this interesting thread it seems most likely that it is from the Asir region rather than Oman. Adding credence to this is the emblem on the back of the hilt. It is very similar to the Saudi coat of arms: crossed swords below a palm tree. The coat of arms was adopted in 1950, which would indicate the knife was not made before that date. I do not know, however, if the coat of arms was designed in 1950 or if it were a symbol in use before then and officially adopted only in 1950. Anyone know?

I would be interested in your thoughts about this jambiya/khanjar, including whether the hilt is bone or wood, and if the writing on the chape is decipherable.

Regards
Chris

Salaams cpkaway2 ~ You are right. This is an Habaabi khanjar or Jambia from the Asir. It came into the region by sea from Oman(where it is called the al Wusta Khanjar) It appeared in about 1850 we suggest, at the time of Said the Great and looks similar to the Royal Khanjar called in Oman the Saaidiyyah...or the Muscat Khanjar. Yours carries on the reverse the Saudia emblem of crossed swords and palm tree.

The area was Yemen til about 1920 when it was absorbed into Saudia Arabia. Often the detail on the reverse is of the flower men tribal style consisting a bunch of flowers..This weapon is known in Oman as the Habaabi ...from Abha which you will find on the map in this post....(Abha aspirated sounds like Habaabi meaning of Abha.)

This is a peculiar adjunct to the regions daggers as it has been incorporated into the weaponry having come directly (by sea) from Oman (the seaport probably Sur) to the region fed by the major sea port of Jazzan and was a link port on the way to and from Zanzibar. The item was made after 1950 in the Abha region.

See below ; Saudia Arabian Emblem.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Rashka Vatnik · 25th February 2016, 03:10 PM

Interesting, thanks! I've been always thinking that this knid of daggers comes from Eastern Arabia, where Yemen borders with Oman, however it appears it comes from the West of peninsula!

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 25th February 2016, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rashka Vatnik

Interesting, thanks! I've been always thinking that this knid of daggers comes from Eastern Arabia, where Yemen borders with Oman, however it appears it comes from the West of peninsula!

Salaams Rashka Vatnik, Yes and no. #26 refers. The origin of species comes from Oman and is called the al Wusta but it somehow got transported in...on the sea route to Zanzibar where it took root in the mid 19th C....becoming a style adopted by the famous Flower Tribe of Asir... and it is made there . In Oman there is still the origin of species we call the Al Wusta khanjar ....and we even have a name for the exported item(THAT IS THE ITEM COPIED BY ABHA ARTESANS) ... Habaabi ..meaning of Abha the regional city in the Asir...see map. Imported by sea from Sur...to Jazzan...mid 19th C....and adopted there.

see also http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...=omani+khanjar

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

cpkaway2 · 26th February 2016, 04:55 AM

[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=3]Thank you Ibrahiim for confirming the origin of my khanjar.

Today I managed to find this thread with a photo of a khanjar almost the same as mine, including the Saudi coat of arms:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=360 (message #1 - from Conogre).

Is the hilt of my khanjar made of bone, wood, or ??. Is any of the writing on the chape is decipherable?

Thank you again
Chris

25th February 2016, 02:52 AM	#3
cpkaway2 Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 3	Khanjar/Jambiya from the Asir? Hello fellow members, I obtained this jambiya/khanjar in Vancouver more than 10 years ago. On my recent trip to Gulf States and Oman I hoped to learn more about it and confir that it was Omani. Also I hoped to obtain an older belt for it. Unfortunately my tablet computer ceased to work so I could not show photos of it to anyone. I did manage to find similar 7-ring knives in the Nizwa souq which the vendors identified as Al Saidi (Sa´idiyyah). After reading this interesting thread it seems most likely that it is from the Asir region rather than Oman. Adding credence to this is the emblem on the back of the hilt. It is very similar to the Saudi coat of arms: crossed swords below a palm tree. The coat of arms was adopted in 1950, which would indicate the knife was not made before that date. I do not know, however, if the coat of arms was designed in 1950 or if it were a symbol in use before then and officially adopted only in 1950. Anyone know? I would be interested in your thoughts about this jambiya/khanjar, including whether the hilt is bone or wood, and if the writing on the chape is decipherable. Regards Chris Attached Images

22nd January 2016, 06:21 PM	#1
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Al Wusta ....Habaabi. Transition. Sur to Jazan. Salaams all. Please see http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...8&page=7&pp=30 where the appearance of a new website at http://khanjar.om/Parts.html introduces my reasoned link between Sur and the Red Sea regions ... The Flower Tribe/ Asir / Habaabi style of Khanjar and the Omani Al Wusta type. Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

24th January 2016, 03:24 PM	#2
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	The Al Wusta/ Asir link. I repeat here a post I have placed at The Omani Khanjar... Salaams All~ One burning question is...Regarding the Al Wusta khanjar and its almost identical like ness to the weapon in the Asir (The flower tribe khanjar...also known as Habaabi...of Abha ...which I note only differs in that the Asir style often carries a floral stamp and or a signature on the reverse. (Potentially an owners signature) Was this weapon faithfully copied by artesans who may have migrated from Al Wusta /perhaps blood relatives...Silversmiths that simply moved to the Asir from Oman ...or is it simply the result of weapons being shipped from Al Wusta and stamped/signed in the Asir...i.e. traded in ? Regards, Ibrahim al Balooshi. Attached Images

25th February 2016, 03:10 PM	#5
Rashka Vatnik Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 4	Interesting, thanks! I've been always thinking that this knid of daggers comes from Eastern Arabia, where Yemen borders with Oman, however it appears it comes from the West of peninsula!

26th February 2016, 04:55 AM	#7
cpkaway2 Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 3	[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=3]Thank you Ibrahiim for confirming the origin of my khanjar. Today I managed to find this thread with a photo of a khanjar almost the same as mine, including the Saudi coat of arms: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=360 (message #1 - from Conogre). Is the hilt of my khanjar made of bone, wood, or ??. Is any of the writing on the chape is decipherable? Thank you again Chris