Mysterious knife number 2

francantolin · 18th November 2019, 09:04 PM

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 · 19th November 2019, 07:17 AM

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 · 19th November 2019, 07:18 AM

Quote:

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 · 19th November 2019, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

Touristy!

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

mariusgmioc · 19th November 2019, 03:53 PM

Quote:

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 · 19th November 2019, 06:42 PM

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 · 19th November 2019, 07:28 PM

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

mariusgmioc · 19th November 2019, 07:36 PM

Quote:

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 · 19th November 2019, 08:12 PM

Here is the classic Tunisian dagger from 1900 1920ties
But it wont be fair to call it touristy, i prefer to say colonial souvenir....
These daggers are very sharp and very pointy, not toys.
It will be cool if Ibraheem or others can translate the inscription...

Kubur · 19th November 2019, 11:56 AM

Quote:

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

18th November 2019, 09:04 PM	#1
francantolin Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 840	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 Attached Images

19th November 2019, 07:17 AM	#2
mariusgmioc Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Austria Posts: 1,883	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). Last edited by mariusgmioc; 19th November 2019 at 08:12 AM.

19th November 2019, 08:12 PM	#9
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	Here is the classic Tunisian dagger from 1900 1920ties But it wont be fair to call it touristy, i prefer to say colonial souvenir.... These daggers are very sharp and very pointy, not toys. It will be cool if Ibraheem or others can translate the inscription... Attached Images

19th November 2019, 06:42 PM	#6
francantolin Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 840	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 !

19th November 2019, 07:28 PM	#7
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,154	Tannic acid turns rust a nice black and stabilises the rust.