Help to identify this African(?) knife

shayde78 · 15th August 2017, 06:22 PM

Thank you Bob and Stu.

The elephant does look more Indian than African, but making that distinction presumes a level of artistic accuracy that may not be warranted.

I am wondering if the 6-pointed star could provide some clues. I know there is some debate as to why this image appears on blades across cultures. The consensus seems to be it was used as a proofing mark in Europe, and was subsequently copied elsewhere to make lesser blades seem of higher quality. However, it seems to me that any Arabic blade after the 1940s would be unlikely to have this image. Do you think that is a fair claim? Although, the inscription (if my translation is accurate) suggests peaceful coexistence, so that could undermine my own assertion.

One more thing, I am attaching an image of what appears to be a coin on the sheath. It is 5-sided, but it may have been cut into that shape. Does this coin help with identifying?

15th August 2017, 06:22 PM	#6
shayde78 Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 445	Thank you Bob and Stu. The elephant does look more Indian than African, but making that distinction presumes a level of artistic accuracy that may not be warranted. I am wondering if the 6-pointed star could provide some clues. I know there is some debate as to why this image appears on blades across cultures. The consensus seems to be it was used as a proofing mark in Europe, and was subsequently copied elsewhere to make lesser blades seem of higher quality. However, it seems to me that any Arabic blade after the 1940s would be unlikely to have this image. Do you think that is a fair claim? Although, the inscription (if my translation is accurate) suggests peaceful coexistence, so that could undermine my own assertion. One more thing, I am attaching an image of what appears to be a coin on the sheath. It is 5-sided, but it may have been cut into that shape. Does this coin help with identifying? Attached Images