Translating text and date on a Ottoman dagger

Drabant1701 · 13th March 2018, 08:45 PM

I have bought Ottoman dagger (jambiya?). Its really big, about 48cm long, and has a nice watered steel blade. On one side of the blade there is an arabic text and on the other side a date. The last digit in the date is halfway gone but I do think its a nine. As far as I can tell it would be 1219 = 1804, correct?
I have no idea what the text might say, but there might be someone on the forum that could read it. If you can, and want to I would very much appriciate a translation to english (or swedish .

Regards Peter

Battara · 14th March 2018, 03:20 AM

I love the wootz!

Not sure the scabbard and hilt are original to each other though.

Yes Ottoman jambiya.

Drabant1701 · 14th March 2018, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battara

I love the wootz!

Not sure the scabbard and hilt are original to each other though.

Yes Ottoman jambiya.

The wootz is awsome. I bought it with really dirty blade thinking that it might be wootz. I just cleaned it a little and etched it. I got a weird result with lighter patches near the gold koftgari. I polished and reetched with the same result.
Strangly they are uniform on both sides

Edit: Found at blade with similar difference in color, makes me think its been heat treated. https://www.instagram.com/p/BVkbZ8kg...-by=mkantiques

The scabbard and hilt do look like they dont match, maybe they dont. But this is pretty similar. http://armsandantiques.com/19th-c-si...a-dagger-md428

ariel · 15th March 2018, 12:29 AM

Very nice.

The date is 121(9?), corresponding in the worst possible case to 1804-1805.
Full silver scabbard is likely original.

motan · 15th March 2018, 12:32 PM

Great dagger. Absolutely beautiful wootz. The scabbard and general shape look Eastern Turkish, Kurdish influenced.
There is one thing I have to add though. As you said yourself, it might have been "treated" at some later date. The perfect state of the koftgiri + these light patches are a bit suspicious and may suggest the the koftgiri has been re-done at some point.

Drabant1701 · 15th March 2018, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motan

Great dagger. Absolutely beautiful wootz. The scabbard and general shape look Eastern Turkish, Kurdish influenced.
There is one thing I have to add though. As you said yourself, it might have been "treated" at some later date. The perfect state of the koftgiri + these light patches are a bit suspicious and may suggest the the koftgiri has been re-done at some point.

Thanks you Ariel and Motan for your comments.

I am not experienced enough to judge of the koftgari is re-done. My guess is that it is period to the dagger. I have a couple of ottoman pieces with koftgari, one of them a sword from the same period with koftgari that is in very good condition. From what I have seen this type of koftgari seem to be very resistant to wear, and may well look very good after 200 years.

After 3 years of collecting I am however starting to realize that not much is certain when collecting "oriental" arms and I am allways open to revalute and learn from those with more experience.

13th March 2018, 08:45 PM	#1
Drabant1701 Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Sweden Posts: 181	Translating text and date on a Ottoman dagger I have bought Ottoman dagger (jambiya?). Its really big, about 48cm long, and has a nice watered steel blade. On one side of the blade there is an arabic text and on the other side a date. The last digit in the date is halfway gone but I do think its a nine. As far as I can tell it would be 1219 = 1804, correct? I have no idea what the text might say, but there might be someone on the forum that could read it. If you can, and want to I would very much appriciate a translation to english (or swedish . Regards Peter Attached Images Last edited by Drabant1701; 13th March 2018 at 09:01 PM.

14th March 2018, 03:20 AM	#2
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,139	I love the wootz! Not sure the scabbard and hilt are original to each other though. Yes Ottoman jambiya.

15th March 2018, 12:29 AM	#4
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Very nice. The date is 121(9?), corresponding in the worst possible case to 1804-1805. Full silver scabbard is likely original.

15th March 2018, 12:32 PM	#5
motan Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Jerusalem Posts: 274	Great dagger. Absolutely beautiful wootz. The scabbard and general shape look Eastern Turkish, Kurdish influenced. There is one thing I have to add though. As you said yourself, it might have been "treated" at some later date. The perfect state of the koftgiri + these light patches are a bit suspicious and may suggest the the koftgiri has been re-done at some point.