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Originally Posted by ariel
Agree with A. alnakkas: just “ Lebanese Dagger”:-) Although one can legitimately call it "Jezzine dagger".
Majal Shams is a Druze village at the Golan Heights. It has its own style of daggers that is unmistakably characteristic: spool-like handle made of multicolored stacked elements. Due to its souvenir popularity and the fact that Golan Heights are currently in Israel similar daggers are now manufactured in other places in Syria and Lebanon.
Lebanese style largely stems from Maronite Christian workshop in Jezzine, established by Haddad family some 250 years ago. Haddad work became so famous that it earned an article in the National Geographic in 1958. Older examples carry handles similar to the one shown here. Its currently most popular style has a Phoenix-like handle. I suspect that by now other workshops are imitating Haddad knives.
These two styles are very distinct and should not be used in one sentence. The only common feature is a curved blade.
Here are pics: older style Jezzine dagger, current most popular Haddad dagger and Majal Shams Druze dagger.
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While I agree in general with this assessment; the majdali dagger to begin with is not really only a majdali dagger. Production through out Syria produce different styles, some in De'raa and Damascus, even Aleppo and Deir alZor. While I managed to track the sources, I cant pinpoint which style belongs where.
There are also various images of Bedouins in Palestine and the Syrian desert with those daggers. Arabs did not wear weapons with any religious prejudice. You will find that even items attributed to Nejd worn by famous Druze characters.
I own a shibriya, of outstanding quality, made by a Nejdi sword maker to a Druze prince. Things are not as simple as they seem :-)