Cairo

Yannis · 8th February 2007, 02:59 PM

Cairo

I spend lot of days in Cairo and I enjoy it. Khan El Khalili was always tourist trap but it used to have good things too. Now it is full of Chinese crap.

I went in any antique shop I could find in the greater city with the help of Egyptian friends. The result was zero. The only blades that you can find are new made North African daggers with useless blades and silver Omani jampiyas, that were sold as antiques but they have the same age with my cell phone.

I saw only one antique Kaskara, in bad condition, instead of hundreds you could find few years ago. I was so fed up that I didn’t ask the price.
I also found an old phurba dagger but I had no idea about a fair price of it, so I called Eftihis to ask your help. The seller started with $3000. After 10 minutes he was down to $800. Still it was too much for my ignorance.

It must be a new law against edged weapons there, because sellers talk more openly for hashish than for blades.

The best part of the hunting was when sellers draw from “secret” boxes bright new Indian knifes with etched damascus patterns. As far as I understood, there is a trail from India to Syria and from there to the rest Middle East.

Caveat Emptor

P.S. I enjoyed any other part of my trip

8th February 2007, 02:59 PM	#1
Yannis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Athens Greece Posts: 479	Cairo Cairo I spend lot of days in Cairo and I enjoy it. Khan El Khalili was always tourist trap but it used to have good things too. Now it is full of Chinese crap. I went in any antique shop I could find in the greater city with the help of Egyptian friends. The result was zero. The only blades that you can find are new made North African daggers with useless blades and silver Omani jampiyas, that were sold as antiques but they have the same age with my cell phone. I saw only one antique Kaskara, in bad condition, instead of hundreds you could find few years ago. I was so fed up that I didn’t ask the price. I also found an old phurba dagger but I had no idea about a fair price of it, so I called Eftihis to ask your help. The seller started with $3000. After 10 minutes he was down to $800. Still it was too much for my ignorance. It must be a new law against edged weapons there, because sellers talk more openly for hashish than for blades. The best part of the hunting was when sellers draw from “secret” boxes bright new Indian knifes with etched damascus patterns. As far as I understood, there is a trail from India to Syria and from there to the rest Middle East. Caveat Emptor P.S. I enjoyed any other part of my trip