interesting jambiya on eBay

[Lew]

Just finished on eBay but I forgot to bid . Looks like the hilt is wood the whole packacge seems a mix of Yemen and or Omani ?

[A.alnakkas]

Hey Lew,

I got this one. Fittings seem to be of average quality but really like the blade. More of it will come once I recieve it.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Lew

Just finished on eBay but I forgot to bid . Looks like the hilt is wood the whole packacge seems a mix of Yemen and or Omani ?

Salaams Lew, Interesting potential mixture with what looks like a 7 ringer Omani to me ~ with an odd blade ~ that could be Indian. I think the blade has some quality to it. The scabbard and dagger are, it seeems, matched going by the silverwork. It could be a Royal Khanjar (sa'idiyyah khanjar) but with much of the usual silver adornment gone from the hilt. See my thread "The Omani Khanjar" to compare the hilt of a Royal Khanjar . The belt is a simple jebali or bedu work belt. The Khanjar could be a Salalah job or at least used there for a few decades...
The dotted blade could be wootz and perhaps worth polishing.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[A.alnakkas]

Recieved it today, here are some photos. Tomorrow I will get proper photos of the hilt and the blade ;-)

The blade is really nice and thick, probably the thickest blade I have seen on an Arabian khanjar or jambiya. Lovely patina on the silver which I wont clean.

[Atlantia]

Very nice Lotfy.
So now it's in hand can you confirm the hilt material?

[A.alnakkas]

Thanks Gene, I can only be sure with a hot needle test. The seller said its wood but it have alot of similarities with horn items and has some weight to it. The back side shows some fiberous octagonal shapes that I couldnt photograph properly without sunlight.

I'll clean the blade too but might not be worth it. Lovely patina on it and no rust.

[kahnjar1]

Nice piece Lofty. The handle has the bottom silver missing but I'm sure that you should be able to do something about that. The arrangement of the rings looks original as the silver wire linking them does not appear loose. My guess is definately not Omani as there is no typical scroll decoration. I would guess at either Saudi or Yemeni but from the proximity of the Omani border.
As far as the blade is concerned, if there is not rust, just a light rub with an oiled cloth so as not to remove the patina.
Stu

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Lew

Just finished on eBay but I forgot to bid . Looks like the hilt is wood the whole packacge seems a mix of Yemen and or Omani ?

Breakthrough !!!

Salaams Lew, A Al Nakkas, Spiral, Atlantia, Khanjar 1 and all interested parties in this discussion. I have been staring at this little conundrum for many days on and off.. something just not right... so it is with some relief that I can now tell everyone what this weird number actually is. At the same time I am able to clear up one thorny issue over the terminology "Habaabi" aluded to by me on several occasions on details in other threads but never able til now to nail it correctly..

Personally I have had the run around after information on this subject thinking (based on rumour and other peoples supposition here in Oman) that Habaabi was a generic term applied to several tracts of Saudia when in fact it only applies to one region..It is the name of an actual place in the South and fits with the origin of species of the daggers at my thread "The Omani Khanjar"... It used to be in the Yemen but was incorporated into Saudia about 90 years ago. The style appears to have migrated as a copied in design after the Royal Omani Khanjar, Muscat from perhaps the mid 19th C.

It is very specific in that its design is quite unlike any other Yemeni (or Saudia variant), however, is parallel in style in almost all aspects to the Omani Royal Khanjar.

The seaport of Jazan was a major trading sealink with Muscat. The new design of Royal Kkanjar would have easily found preference there since Jazan is on the through trade route to and from Zanzibar as well as being itself an important trade port link.

I am delighted to report to Forum that what we have here is The Original form Habaabi Khanjar on a Rhino hilt. It forms a benchmark for the original style of dagger from that region and all over the Jazan.

The Habaabi Khanjar.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.