Identity of Damascus blade? (new member)

faulk · 1st August 2005, 09:25 PM

I cannot find if this has been covered already. I am trying to identify the blade in the photo. I understand that it was purchased in Damascus. I am unsure what the style is called so I'm having trouble looking up anything useful on it.

Thank you for any assistance you can provide.

Regards,

Stuart

Lew · 1st August 2005, 09:50 PM

Hi Stuart

Your dagger seems to be a nice quality recently made dagger as for a specific style I cannot say maybe a hybrid type dagger?

Lew

ariel · 1st August 2005, 10:03 PM

I agree. The pattern is identical to what is mass-produced in India these days and sold as "made by the descendants of the ancient Moghul masters".
The scabbard looks like a "shikargar" pattern. I doubt there were many real scabbards of that kind: they offered very little protection for the blade.
Overall, I would trace this dagger to modern India.
Nice work, though.

faulk · 1st August 2005, 10:56 PM

Thank you for the prompt reply. I was told that the blade was old but this may not be an informed opinion. I'll see if I can find something like it in more recent Indian work.

Thanks again.

Stuart

Aqtai · 1st August 2005, 11:39 PM

Nice dagger. the crossguard looks like a miniature version of a Mamluk or Ottoman crossguard, that part at least may be genuinely Damascene.

faulk · 2nd August 2005, 02:20 AM

Yes, this is part of what I found confusing. I'm a novice but even to my eye this seems to combine two or three different regional styles, particularly mixing Islamic design elements with those that are not.

It is something of an achievement that the whole manages to work pretty well together.

Possibly this is made for the Arab Damascus market by Indians? I understand it to have been bought in a souk in Damascus.

Thanks for your comments. I hope to learn more.

Stuart

Yannis · 2nd August 2005, 07:45 AM

Few years ago I had post in this forum a khanjar with similar blade that was bought in Damascus. I found out that it was newly made in India.

Damascus city has a reputation of fine blades and lot of tourists look in the souk for a bargain. The sellers there know exactly what the tourists want and because they cannot serve the demand with their own blades they import from India.

I have seen the same in Kabul. They import from Pakistan and India to feed with souvenirs the thousands of foreign soldiers.

1st August 2005, 09:25 PM	#1
faulk Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 3	Identity of Damascus blade? (new member) I cannot find if this has been covered already. I am trying to identify the blade in the photo. I understand that it was purchased in Damascus. I am unsure what the style is called so I'm having trouble looking up anything useful on it. Thank you for any assistance you can provide. Regards, Stuart Attached Images

1st August 2005, 10:56 PM	#4
faulk Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 3	Thank you. Thank you for the prompt reply. I was told that the blade was old but this may not be an informed opinion. I'll see if I can find something like it in more recent Indian work. Thanks again. Stuart

2nd August 2005, 02:20 AM	#6
faulk Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 3	Aqtai Yes, this is part of what I found confusing. I'm a novice but even to my eye this seems to combine two or three different regional styles, particularly mixing Islamic design elements with those that are not. It is something of an achievement that the whole manages to work pretty well together. Possibly this is made for the Arab Damascus market by Indians? I understand it to have been bought in a souk in Damascus. Thanks for your comments. I hope to learn more. Stuart

1st August 2005, 09:50 PM	#2
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Hi Stuart Your dagger seems to be a nice quality recently made dagger as for a specific style I cannot say maybe a hybrid type dagger? Lew

1st August 2005, 10:03 PM	#3
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	I agree. The pattern is identical to what is mass-produced in India these days and sold as "made by the descendants of the ancient Moghul masters". The scabbard looks like a "shikargar" pattern. I doubt there were many real scabbards of that kind: they offered very little protection for the blade. Overall, I would trace this dagger to modern India. Nice work, though.

1st August 2005, 11:39 PM	#5
Aqtai Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Merseyside, UK Posts: 222	Nice dagger. the crossguard looks like a miniature version of a Mamluk or Ottoman crossguard, that part at least may be genuinely Damascene.

2nd August 2005, 07:45 AM	#7
Yannis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Athens Greece Posts: 479	Few years ago I had post in this forum a khanjar with similar blade that was bought in Damascus. I found out that it was newly made in India. Damascus city has a reputation of fine blades and lot of tourists look in the souk for a bargain. The sellers there know exactly what the tourists want and because they cannot serve the demand with their own blades they import from India. I have seen the same in Kabul. They import from Pakistan and India to feed with souvenirs the thousands of foreign soldiers.