Large Jambiya for comment

Lew · 14th August 2009, 03:45 PM

Some of these jambiya have a small zipper compartment on the inside of the belt mine has a YKK zipper.
In January 1946 the company registered the now famous YKK trademark. A major technological change came in 1950, when the company purchased a chain machine from the U.S. that allowed the automation of the zipper making process. Previously, YKK zippers were made by hand, and hence had an superior quality compared to zippers of water.

So it seems that a lot of these Asir jambiya we see today are from 1940s-60 with some older ones popping up now and then that are pre 1918.

Lew

kahnjar1 · 15th August 2009, 05:00 AM

Thanks Artzi for coming in on this discussion. I have no doubt that you have done more study than the rest of us as this is your business. We can only be guided by publications, such as they are, about these weapons. I can see that flat blades would be easier (and cheaper) to forge than ribbed ones. From that point of view, my train of thought was that the EARLIER ones would be flat as the forger would perhaps not been exposed to the technology required to make the ribbed version. I guess we will never know for certain but I am finding this discussion extremely interesting. As I have said before on this Forum, we are all still, and always will be, learning.
Just to add a little more, here are some pics of the rest of my long Jambiyas. The one with the "Sudanese type" hilt has been rehilted at some stage but the whole item shows good age, so it is not a recent happening.
Regards Stuart

Lew · 15th August 2009, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

I can see that flat blades would be easier (and cheaper) to forge than ribbed ones. From that point of view, my train of thought was that the EARLIER ones would be flat as the forger would perhaps not been exposed to the technology required to make the ribbed version.
Regards Stuart

Stuart

Sorry but I think you have this backwards? The forged rib has was developed to help pop open chainmail links (armor piercing) which makes the technique quite old. The flat blade was easier to make and required less skill to produce and many newer smiths post 1900 just did not the skill to produce the forged rib. Maybe the technique was just lost as the older smiths died off and they and for some reason did not have an apprentice to pass it on to. After oil was discovered I'm pretty sure that the old art of blade forging started to die out because the sons of these old smiths could make more money in the different areas of the oil business and related areas.

Lew

kahnjar1 · 15th August 2009, 10:10 PM

Thanks Lew, and I see your reasoning. My thinking has been based on the apparent older look to flat bladed items I have come across.
Some of the (particularly) Yemeni items around even have the blade made in two halves and spot welded together. YUK!! Potential buyer beware!

Jeff Pringle · 16th August 2009, 02:05 PM

The forged-in ribs that Artzi is referring to should not be confused with the ground-in double fullers that are relatively common and very 20th century. The one jambiya of this type I’ve seen with a wootz blade was flat, neither ribbed nor fullered, and to confuse matters even more, was in a leather-covered scabbard with both authentic use-wear and bright plastic decorative trim. The Arabian peninsula is an unusual place, in that they had a very late surviving ethnographic weapons tradition and then a very rapid conversion to modern materials & decorative/tourist-grade blades - it makes for some interesting juxtapositions.

14th August 2009, 03:45 PM	#1
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Some of these jambiya have a small zipper compartment on the inside of the belt mine has a YKK zipper. In January 1946 the company registered the now famous YKK trademark. A major technological change came in 1950, when the company purchased a chain machine from the U.S. that allowed the automation of the zipper making process. Previously, YKK zippers were made by hand, and hence had an superior quality compared to zippers of water. So it seems that a lot of these Asir jambiya we see today are from 1940s-60 with some older ones popping up now and then that are pre 1918. Lew Attached Images

15th August 2009, 05:00 AM	#2
kahnjar1 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND Posts: 2,786	Thanks Artzi for coming in on this discussion. I have no doubt that you have done more study than the rest of us as this is your business. We can only be guided by publications, such as they are, about these weapons. I can see that flat blades would be easier (and cheaper) to forge than ribbed ones. From that point of view, my train of thought was that the EARLIER ones would be flat as the forger would perhaps not been exposed to the technology required to make the ribbed version. I guess we will never know for certain but I am finding this discussion extremely interesting. As I have said before on this Forum, we are all still, and always will be, learning. Just to add a little more, here are some pics of the rest of my long Jambiyas. The one with the "Sudanese type" hilt has been rehilted at some stage but the whole item shows good age, so it is not a recent happening. Regards Stuart Attached Images

15th August 2009, 10:10 PM	#4
kahnjar1 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND Posts: 2,786	Thanks Lew, and I see your reasoning. My thinking has been based on the apparent older look to flat bladed items I have come across. Some of the (particularly) Yemeni items around even have the blade made in two halves and spot welded together. YUK!! Potential buyer beware!

16th August 2009, 02:05 PM	#5
Jeff Pringle Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 189	The forged-in ribs that Artzi is referring to should not be confused with the ground-in double fullers that are relatively common and very 20th century. The one jambiya of this type I’ve seen with a wootz blade was flat, neither ribbed nor fullered, and to confuse matters even more, was in a leather-covered scabbard with both authentic use-wear and bright plastic decorative trim. The Arabian peninsula is an unusual place, in that they had a very late surviving ethnographic weapons tradition and then a very rapid conversion to modern materials & decorative/tourist-grade blades - it makes for some interesting juxtapositions.