The Omani Khanjar

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 23rd January 2016, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by harrywagner

Hello Ibrahiim,
Thank you for this information. I did not know the pin arrangement style was called "eyes of the Bedouin", or about the Baatinah form.

We think alike with regards to the importance of a Khanjar's age. Quality and beauty are more important considerations. I really like this one. That the hilt is composite does not bother me. I had a difficult time believing it was man made.

Thanks again for the information!

Best regards,
Harry

Salaams harrywagner ....SEE post 5 on this thread for a Baatinah (Oman Coastal) workshop making a Baatinah Khanjar...(see also #96 and #106 and #108 ) This form is easy to recognise being stitched all over below the belt section ...no expanse of leather showing. Pattern either geometrical or as is often the case an eyes of the bedouin design... Hand stitched on leather with silver thread. In the hilt of your example silver pins are hammered in to give a design and add weight to the hilt. Sometimes these silver pin geometric and other forms look like bull horn or rams head or floral shapes.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 24th January 2016, 03:21 PM

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 ?

See The Habaabi Khanjar/Jambia; FromThe Asir.

Regards,
Ibrahim al Balooshi.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 28th February 2016, 12:09 PM

Salaams All...On reflection #3 and #76 whilst easily confused with Dhakilliyyah (interior) and UAE form are more than likely from the Sharkiyyah thus probably made in either Sur or Sinaw...Such is the difficulty in arriving at a birthplace on these weapons that I add UAE/ Sharqiyyah/Suri style knowing that leaves some wiggle room on these difficult to be certain daggers..

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

mrcjgscott · 4th March 2016, 11:42 PM

Hello Ibrahiim,

A wonderful and very useful thread, even for a layman like myself.

A further question if I may on my friend's khanjar we spoke about recently:

What are the standard blade length's encountered with Sur sailors jambiya?

Many thanks,

Chris

kahnjar1 · 5th March 2016, 02:50 AM

[QUOTE=mrcjgscott]Hello Ibrahiim,

A wonderful and very useful thread, even for a layman like myself.

A further question if I may on my friend's khanjar we spoke about recently:

What are the standard blade length's encountered with Sur sailors jambiya?

Many thanks,

Chris[/QUOTE
Hi Chris,
Two things....these are not "sailors" Khanjars as such. As with most regions of Oman there is a port, but the origin relates to the REGION and not the port.
Now to blade length. Mine has a 6" blade which in my experience is about the length found on most Omani Khanjars no matter where they originate. There are no doubt some which are shorter and some which are longer, but on average that appears to be the general length.
Stu

mrcjgscott · 5th March 2016, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

Hi Chris,
Two things....these are not "sailors" Khanjars as such. As with most regions of Oman there is a port, but the origin relates to the REGION and not the port.
Now to blade length. Mine has a 6" blade which in my experience is about the length found on most Omani Khanjars no matter where they originate. There are no doubt some which are shorter and some which are longer, but on average that appears to be the general length.
Stu

Hello Stu,

Many thanks indeed.

I understand it is a regional definition.

I have not handled too many Khanjar's, but I have seen blade lengths from 6 to 7.5, so just wondered of there was an overall, or regional standard.

I suppose it depends quite a bit on the owner's needs, and what the khanjar itself is to be used for.

Many thanks,

Chris

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 5th March 2016, 03:40 PM

Salaams All, The Sharqiyyah region is further subdivided into Sur the Port, Sinaw, Muthaibi and a few other villages with vibrant Souks...and the huge area of desert and dunes that make up most of the rest of the region. There are variations in the subdivision in terms of Khanjars... Firstly I remind you that the dagger or blade size slightly different in Oman from region to region with some of the bigger weapons being on the Baatinah or coastal strip roughly between Muscat and Mussandam. The one area where smaller blades occur is in Sur. This is because of the seafaring tendency for smaller Khanjars on board ships. A big full sized khanjar was probably too cumbersome for that task. Also dotted around the Sharqiyyah you see the floral pinned Rhino hilt called Saifani and of course other names fly off the wheel like Sinawi and Muthaibi. and Sharqiyyah... The smaller form from Sur for example is called Suri. The largest is actually from Nizwa and is called Nizwani though I have seen a collosal one off Khanjar worn in Bahla about 20 years ago when I was visiting a giant...This chap was 72 years old and 7 foot plus tall. Bahala is famous for giants and his Khanjar was about twice the normal size as were his hands..!! They don't make them like that anymore !! A custom made Khanjar for a local Giant.

Confusion slips in when considering the UAE Khanjar mainly because it adopted the interior dagger of that part of Oman now adjacent the UAE...so they almost share a style.. Dhaakiliyyah (the Omani interior) and UAE.

It is very easy to underestimate the influence of Sur. This was the trade Hub and powerhouse driving Oman in the Zanzibar days...and before. It was a magnet for trade between Oman and Africa; slavery, Rhino, Ivory, ...everything. It was a hotbed of trade with Zanzibar,The Red Sea, Yemen and Africa....as well as India and all stations north.

See map at http://www.maplandia.com/oman/a-sharqiya/
See a Suri at #2 on this thread...Note from http://khanjar.om/Parts.html That Suri style often contains a money container silver decorated (Bakhsha) ...see webpage.

24th January 2016, 03:21 PM	#2
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	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 ? See The Habaabi Khanjar/Jambia; FromThe Asir. Regards, Ibrahim al Balooshi. Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 24th January 2016 at 03:57 PM.

28th February 2016, 12:09 PM	#3
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Salaams All...On reflection #3 and #76 whilst easily confused with Dhakilliyyah (interior) and UAE form are more than likely from the Sharkiyyah thus probably made in either Sur or Sinaw...Such is the difficulty in arriving at a birthplace on these weapons that I add UAE/ Sharqiyyah/Suri style knowing that leaves some wiggle room on these difficult to be certain daggers.. Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi. Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 28th February 2016 at 02:56 PM.

4th March 2016, 11:42 PM	#4
mrcjgscott Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 189	Hello Ibrahiim, A wonderful and very useful thread, even for a layman like myself. A further question if I may on my friend's khanjar we spoke about recently: What are the standard blade length's encountered with Sur sailors jambiya? Many thanks, Chris

5th March 2016, 02:50 AM	#5
kahnjar1 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND Posts: 2,789	[QUOTE=mrcjgscott]Hello Ibrahiim, A wonderful and very useful thread, even for a layman like myself. A further question if I may on my friend's khanjar we spoke about recently: What are the standard blade length's encountered with Sur sailors jambiya? Many thanks, Chris[/QUOTE Hi Chris, Two things....these are not "sailors" Khanjars as such. As with most regions of Oman there is a port, but the origin relates to the REGION and not the port. Now to blade length. Mine has a 6" blade which in my experience is about the length found on most Omani Khanjars no matter where they originate. There are no doubt some which are shorter and some which are longer, but on average that appears to be the general length. Stu

5th March 2016, 03:40 PM	#7
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Salaams All, The Sharqiyyah region is further subdivided into Sur the Port, Sinaw, Muthaibi and a few other villages with vibrant Souks...and the huge area of desert and dunes that make up most of the rest of the region. There are variations in the subdivision in terms of Khanjars... Firstly I remind you that the dagger or blade size slightly different in Oman from region to region with some of the bigger weapons being on the Baatinah or coastal strip roughly between Muscat and Mussandam. The one area where smaller blades occur is in Sur. This is because of the seafaring tendency for smaller Khanjars on board ships. A big full sized khanjar was probably too cumbersome for that task. Also dotted around the Sharqiyyah you see the floral pinned Rhino hilt called Saifani and of course other names fly off the wheel like Sinawi and Muthaibi. and Sharqiyyah... The smaller form from Sur for example is called Suri. The largest is actually from Nizwa and is called Nizwani though I have seen a collosal one off Khanjar worn in Bahla about 20 years ago when I was visiting a giant...This chap was 72 years old and 7 foot plus tall. Bahala is famous for giants and his Khanjar was about twice the normal size as were his hands..!! They don't make them like that anymore !! A custom made Khanjar for a local Giant. Confusion slips in when considering the UAE Khanjar mainly because it adopted the interior dagger of that part of Oman now adjacent the UAE...so they almost share a style.. Dhaakiliyyah (the Omani interior) and UAE. It is very easy to underestimate the influence of Sur. This was the trade Hub and powerhouse driving Oman in the Zanzibar days...and before. It was a magnet for trade between Oman and Africa; slavery, Rhino, Ivory, ...everything. It was a hotbed of trade with Zanzibar,The Red Sea, Yemen and Africa....as well as India and all stations north. See map at http://www.maplandia.com/oman/a-sharqiya/ See a Suri at #2 on this thread...Note from http://khanjar.om/Parts.html That Suri style often contains a money container silver decorated (Bakhsha) ...see webpage. Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 6th March 2016 at 02:37 PM.