Two Moroccan Daggers... one new, one less so

[Matt Splatt]

A friend just brought these back for me from a recent trip. The upper knife is brand new sold in heaps at tourist traps. The blade is clearly ground with a dremal type tool.
The lower knife is older (my friend said she bought it quite far off the beaten path). The workmanship on the brass and leather sheath is beautiful. The blade is file finished and is laminated. The pictures don't show it very well but the blade edges are a lighter colored steel than the rest of the blade.
I know very little about these so any comments would be appreciated.

[ward]

Tureg I do not think it is much older than the 1st generally see them in the south of Magrib

[Dom]

Originally Posted by Matt Splatt

The upper knife is brand new sold in heaps at tourist traps. ...
The lower knife is older (my friend said she bought it quite far off the beaten path). ....
I know very little about these so any comments would be appreciated.

sorry for your friend, but both knife are new brand, not a "tourist traps", but manufactured for touristic trade
it's nice to help the local workmanship, your friend did a good action by those purchases
Just to give you an idea of an old one, here from my collection a "loï bo" traditional Targui / Reguiba knife (area; South Algeria, North Mali, Niger, South East Marocco, Berber natives)

à +

Dom

[Jim McDougall]

Though not at all old, it is good to see nicely made products being made in these regions and observing traditional forms. They are distinctly ethnographic and representative of thier regions.
Of course there are many instances where tribal knives and edged weapons are still an item of both utility and fashion in many ethnographically significant areas.

[ward]

Nobody wears these in Morocco. There are huge piles of these in various shops in the the medinas. they even leave some out in the sun to get that aged look.