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Old 23rd February 2012, 05:55 PM   #1
Ibrahiim al Balooshi
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE
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Default The Omani Work Knife.

The Omani Work Knife. (Sikkeen)

Traditionally this is often an English butter knife of Sheffield steel or a German Solingen blade, their handles silver decorated and usually silver crowned and worked over the bone handle. It is tucked behind the Omani Khanjar and used as the utility blade for cutting string or leather and other menial tasks. The scabbard is simple leather.
Another knife from the Mussandam occasionally can be seen in the North of Oman doing the same job and that is discussed on Forum viewed by typing into Search Are these Shafras.
There is yet one more knife that is worn separately on its own often tucked in the side position (not worn with the Khanjar) ... a much longer working knife though again either German or British steel and with or without a silver worked hilt. The scabbard may be wooden with geometric decoration or simple leather.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Note: Occasionally steel blades fashioned from bedford truck suspension unit steel or from files plus modern Japanese blades are seen. The longest blade pictured is marked simply Oman in arabic and the lower butter knife(for wearing behind the Omani Khanjar) with its Sheffield Maker.W and H (Walker and Hall). The knife at the top of picture has a wooden geometric decorated scabbard and the blade is marked Solingen with a partial undecipherible name which reads Friedrich--(followed by a couple of unknown leters)-- und Sohn. The knife with no hilt is unmarked but appears to mirror the Solingen.
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Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 23rd February 2012 at 07:41 PM.
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