Old Jambiya for ID

Andy Stevens · 13th December 2004, 02:18 PM

Hello All
This Jambiya has been lurking around the house for sometime. I would like to know where it came from? and what is the purpose of the lug on the back of the handle ? The weapon looks well used, the blade is heavy and very sturdy. The handle is covered in sheet brass, decorated with punched circles , stars and flicky lines. The blade measures 7.5 " , overall 12". Many Thanks.

Radu Transylvanicus · 13th December 2004, 06:57 PM

It could be from many places from Ottoman to Arab to Persian to Malay, you need to post more clear and in light images of general and any sign particular (the fillings or any other marks) ... The easieast thing would be to say its western Iran eastearn Iran but that wouldnt be fair since I cannot be sure if really the case ...

Tim Simmons · 13th December 2004, 07:12 PM

I agree with Radu,but my first thoughts were the horn of Africa and the Yemen.As I type this, I am reminded of some North African craftmanship.Tim

Yannis · 13th December 2004, 08:18 PM

The form is midle east, but the material and the signs on blade make it more african.

Does blade look practical for cutting use? If not, it is more possible to be a crude african art for tourist market.

ariel · 14th December 2004, 03:11 AM

The handle is very similar to Jiboula (Ethiopia, Somali etc, sometimes attributed to Morocco or to Falasha Jews).
The blade is very reminescent of the Bedja daggers( Hadendoa people from Sudan).
Putting the two together, I am voting for Sudan or thereabouts.

tom hyle · 15th December 2004, 02:36 AM

Is the blade engraved, or is it forged from a rasp/file? Do I see a seperate band of metal overlaying the other metal, like a belt around the center of the handle?

Andy Stevens · 15th December 2004, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom hyle

Is the blade engraved, or is it forged from a rasp/file? Do I see a seperate band of metal overlaying the other metal, like a belt around the center of the handle?

Hello Tom
The blade has been engraved with a cross hatch type decoration, which is looking very worn in places. The chap that sold me this knife reckoned the blade was ex military. The steel does seem to be of good quility, thick and heavy. Its an interesting notion that file blades were used for blade making, Is this common ? The band around the waist of the handle is partly to hold the brass sheet in place. I have included a better picture of the handle.

tom hyle · 25th December 2004, 03:17 AM

Thanks. Yes, it is, and has been for a long time (a couple hundred years, at the least), through-out the steel-using world, and despite some silly claims that are out there to the contrary, common to forge blades out of files and rasps, as used dull ones are not readily renewable, and represent a source of carbon steel.

tom hyle · 25th December 2004, 07:04 PM

more:
Files are made by an engraving (cutting) process; the teeth are cut in with chisels. Remnants of file teeth closely resemble chiselled/hand-graved engraving. One difference is that teeth on a file will all be cut from an angle and all from the same direction, but this can be hard to see in ground- or forged-over remnants. I mean no disrespect, but I'm unconvinced these aren't file teeth; such are common, while a cross-hatched pattern like this cut as decoration isn't, though that certainly doesn't rule it out.
The central band on the handle is something I'm starting to notice on jambiyas (etc.) from khoumiya to shabria, and also in related forms like those narrow pokey Zanzibari swords. No help there for regional ID, I guess.

13th December 2004, 02:18 PM	#1
Andy Stevens Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: London Posts: 155	Old Jambiya for ID Hello All This Jambiya has been lurking around the house for sometime. I would like to know where it came from? and what is the purpose of the lug on the back of the handle ? The weapon looks well used, the blade is heavy and very sturdy. The handle is covered in sheet brass, decorated with punched circles , stars and flicky lines. The blade measures 7.5 " , overall 12". Many Thanks. Attached Images

13th December 2004, 06:57 PM	#2
Radu Transylvanicus Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: 2008-2010 Bali, 1998-2008 USA Posts: 271	It could be from many places from Ottoman to Arab to Persian to Malay, you need to post more clear and in light images of general and any sign particular (the fillings or any other marks) ... The easieast thing would be to say its western Iran eastearn Iran but that wouldnt be fair since I cannot be sure if really the case ...

13th December 2004, 07:12 PM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,739	I agree with Radu,but my first thoughts were the horn of Africa and the Yemen.As I type this, I am reminded of some North African craftmanship.Tim

13th December 2004, 08:18 PM	#4
Yannis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Athens Greece Posts: 479	The form is midle east, but the material and the signs on blade make it more african. Does blade look practical for cutting use? If not, it is more possible to be a crude african art for tourist market.

14th December 2004, 03:11 AM	#5
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	The handle is very similar to Jiboula (Ethiopia, Somali etc, sometimes attributed to Morocco or to Falasha Jews). The blade is very reminescent of the Bedja daggers( Hadendoa people from Sudan). Putting the two together, I am voting for Sudan or thereabouts.

15th December 2004, 02:36 AM	#6
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	Is the blade engraved, or is it forged from a rasp/file? Do I see a seperate band of metal overlaying the other metal, like a belt around the center of the handle?

25th December 2004, 03:17 AM	#8
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	Thanks. Yes, it is, and has been for a long time (a couple hundred years, at the least), through-out the steel-using world, and despite some silly claims that are out there to the contrary, common to forge blades out of files and rasps, as used dull ones are not readily renewable, and represent a source of carbon steel.

25th December 2004, 07:04 PM	#9
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	more: Files are made by an engraving (cutting) process; the teeth are cut in with chisels. Remnants of file teeth closely resemble chiselled/hand-graved engraving. One difference is that teeth on a file will all be cut from an angle and all from the same direction, but this can be hard to see in ground- or forged-over remnants. I mean no disrespect, but I'm unconvinced these aren't file teeth; such are common, while a cross-hatched pattern like this cut as decoration isn't, though that certainly doesn't rule it out. The central band on the handle is something I'm starting to notice on jambiyas (etc.) from khoumiya to shabria, and also in related forms like those narrow pokey Zanzibari swords. No help there for regional ID, I guess.