Koummya and Janbiya

ASomer · 14th March 2021, 02:11 PM

Hi,

I just bought these daggers. Three of them are Maroccan Koummya and one I guess is Yemen? Janbiya.

Can anybody shed some light on the age and if they are merely tourist grade daggers?

Obviously the condition is pretty bad.

Thanks

Gonzoadler · 14th March 2021, 06:47 PM

The Koummya in the middle seems to be the oldest, maybe it is antique. It has also some authentic signs of wear. The other two are touristic pieces, eventually 1970s or later. The Jambiya looks indian or pakistani to me and is not that old, too.
Regards

Jim McDougall · 14th March 2021, 07:28 PM

The koumyya's are from the Maghreb in North Africa, that is Morocco into Algeria, and technically are a form of khanjhar.
The right item is termed khanjahr in the regions in eastern Yemen into Oman and northeast to Bahrain. This, as noted, not that old and seems Omani, though not following the typical styling too much.

The term janbiyya is used for the daggers to the west from Yemen into the Hijaz, and there are regional dfferences.

Koummya tend not to be very old as they have been produced n huge volume as souvenirs. Even the middle one may have antiquty into the 20s at best.
Very specialized area of collecting and look forward to observations by the guys here most knwledgeable n them.

ASomer · 15th March 2021, 04:15 PM

Thanks for your help!
It is always nice to learn something new from more experienced collectors.

David R · 16th March 2021, 03:24 PM

I have owned a few of the souvenir Koummya over the years, and rather liked them though disappointed in the blades. In fact I bought a relatively new one recently via this forum, which I am very happy with.
The old style real weapons do turn up from time to time, the difference being a forged blade, rather than one filed out of flat stock. This is the one I bought about 15 years ago at an open air antique (and junk) fair.

David R · 16th March 2021, 03:27 PM

And one with a 30cm ruler for scale.

mariusgmioc · 16th March 2021, 05:31 PM

To me, all three Koummyas look rather low end touristy 20th century.

More about Koummyas you can find at the link below:

http://vikingsword.com/ethsword/koummya/index.html

The Jambiya does not appear to be ethnographically specific/traditional and it is definitely not Omani or Yemeni, in my opinion. The workmanship doesn't appear to be neither Indian or Pakistani but more like African.

Kubur · 16th March 2021, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David R

And one with a 30cm ruler for scale.

This is a good stuff, David

You should buy the scabbard from Asomer, it will be perfect for it.

14th March 2021, 02:11 PM	#1
ASomer Member Join Date: Mar 2021 Posts: 8	Koummya and Janbiya Hi, I just bought these daggers. Three of them are Maroccan Koummya and one I guess is Yemen? Janbiya. Can anybody shed some light on the age and if they are merely tourist grade daggers? Obviously the condition is pretty bad. Thanks Attached Images

16th March 2021, 03:24 PM	#5
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,135	I have owned a few of the souvenir Koummya over the years, and rather liked them though disappointed in the blades. In fact I bought a relatively new one recently via this forum, which I am very happy with. The old style real weapons do turn up from time to time, the difference being a forged blade, rather than one filed out of flat stock. This is the one I bought about 15 years ago at an open air antique (and junk) fair. Attached Images

16th March 2021, 03:27 PM	#6
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,135	And one with a 30cm ruler for scale. Attached Images

16th March 2021, 05:31 PM	#7
mariusgmioc Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Austria Posts: 1,912	To me, all three Koummyas look rather low end touristy 20th century. More about Koummyas you can find at the link below: http://vikingsword.com/ethsword/koummya/index.html The Jambiya does not appear to be ethnographically specific/traditional and it is definitely not Omani or Yemeni, in my opinion. The workmanship doesn't appear to be neither Indian or Pakistani but more like African. Last edited by mariusgmioc; 16th March 2021 at 05:49 PM.

14th March 2021, 06:47 PM	#2
Gonzoadler Member Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: Germany Posts: 273	The Koummya in the middle seems to be the oldest, maybe it is antique. It has also some authentic signs of wear. The other two are touristic pieces, eventually 1970s or later. The Jambiya looks indian or pakistani to me and is not that old, too. Regards

14th March 2021, 07:28 PM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,670	The koumyya's are from the Maghreb in North Africa, that is Morocco into Algeria, and technically are a form of khanjhar. The right item is termed khanjahr in the regions in eastern Yemen into Oman and northeast to Bahrain. This, as noted, not that old and seems Omani, though not following the typical styling too much. The term janbiyya is used for the daggers to the west from Yemen into the Hijaz, and there are regional dfferences. Koummya tend not to be very old as they have been produced n huge volume as souvenirs. Even the middle one may have antiquty into the 20s at best. Very specialized area of collecting and look forward to observations by the guys here most knwledgeable n them.

15th March 2021, 04:15 PM	#4
ASomer Member Join Date: Mar 2021 Posts: 8	Thanks for your help! It is always nice to learn something new from more experienced collectors.