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Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi
NORTH AFRICA, ARABIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
In the Arabian Penninsula the practice of inset brass dots is very rare. A local contact in Yemen of one collector reported that dots appearing on jambiya in the “poison” area of the blade are supposed to signify the number of kills by the blade. This explanation appears in other regions as well, and also in reference to holes in the blade (which may or may not have held a brass inset at one time). The theory should be regarded as highly speculative, even a myth invented long after the fact by locals and collectors.
The religious belief that iron and steel of a blade causes death is well known in North Africa (e.g., Tuareg) and led to the use of brass to protect a person’s hand from touching the metal.
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.
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Hello,
In Arab tradition (this practice dates to pre-islam) brass as a metal is used to ward off the "evil eye" and also repel the jinn. This belief is still prevalent in many societies in Arabia still.
Regards,
Sager