Mysterious knife number 2

[Kubur]

Hi guys

Just wanted to share with you this lovely Tunisian dagger.
For the "name game" I would say Tunisian sbula ou sboula.
As it was said previously the link with Spanish blades is obvious.
I don't know if I'm crazy but the guard look a bit like the nimcha...

[francantolin]

Hello Kubur ( and all !)

I got this tunisian Bizerte genoui dagger,
I think it's exactly the same as your last pictures !!
Was it your own dagger ?
( it traveled a little ...)

Late 19th century ?
Was this kind of dagger a ceremonial model or more a tourist made item ?
Really well made, and interesting to see the mixed mediterranean influences especially the spanish-hole blade ( was it made for poison it ?
just a deco... )

Regards

[mariusgmioc]

The daggers in the original posting are North African.

Algerian to be more precise (however, an exact distinction between the place of manufacture is close to impossible since Algeria, Tunisia, parts of Morocco and Libya share pretty much the same cultural background, like say the Indo-Persian/Mughal space and time).

I would say touristy... (when I say "touristy," I don't necessarilly mean for foreign tourists but more for display, decorative purpose and not as a traditional weapon).

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by francantolin

Hello Kubur ( and all !)

I got this tunisian Bizerte genoui dagger,
I think it's exactly the same as your last pictures !!
Was it your own dagger ?
( it traveled a little ...)

Late 19th century ?
Was this kind of dagger a ceremonial model or more a tourist made item ?
Really well made, and interesting to see the mixed mediterranean influences especially the spanish-hole blade ( was it made for poison it ?
just a deco... )

Regards

Touristy!

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

Touristy!

Ah Marius, I prefer when you write about etching...

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by Kubur

Ah Marius, I prefer when you write about etching...

... yeah, then at least looks like I write about something I know...

[francantolin]

Hello and thank you for all the informations !!

does anybody know how do they for blackening the blade like that in the 19th century ?
by heating or oxydation ?
I don't think they used gun blue !

[kronckew]

Tannic acid turns rust a nice black and stabilises the rust.

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by francantolin

Hello and thank you for all the informations !!

does anybody know how do they for blackening the blade like that in the 19th century ?
by heating or oxydation ?
I don't think they used gun blue !

They did it like this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niello

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by francantolin

Hello Kubur ( and all !)

I got this tunisian Bizerte genoui dagger,
I think it's exactly the same as your last pictures !!
Was it your own dagger ?
( it traveled a little ...)

Late 19th century ?
Was this kind of dagger a ceremonial model or more a tourist made item ?
Really well made, and interesting to see the mixed mediterranean influences especially the spanish-hole blade ( was it made for poison it ?
just a deco... )

Regards

Ciao Francatolin,
Yes it looks pretty much the same

Yes it's Tunisian, may be not from Bizerte, maybe from Tunis.
Your dagger is mid 19th c. I will post tonight another one from early 19thc. (translation for Marath late 18th c.)
Neither ceremonial nor tourist, it's a proper functionnal and old dagger with very sharp and pointed blade.
Yes it has been influenced by Spanish Albacete knives.
For Marius, I will post later a late Tunisian dagger, around 1900.

Kubur