Indian Jambiya

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by JamesKelly

The dealer described this as a 19th century Indo-Arab Jambiya. Made in central and south India for Arabs who were there mostly to trade. Some animal's horn hilt, velvet covered wooden scabbard with a "copper gilded" chape (tip?). 12-3/4" overall, 8-1/2" blade.

With my recent passion for knives I've acquired a few items from Maghrib to Indonesia as eclectic additions to an antique gun collection. Now I notice something that is odd, at least to me. It would be most unpleasant to be stuck with the point of any of these.But none of the blades are sharp, I'd hate to try to actually cut something with one of them. They look like they were made this way, and no one ever sharpened them. Includes this knife, a Moroccan Koummaya and two kerises.

I have neither knowledge of nor experience in knife fighting. To me, a knife is either a pocket, or a hunting, knife either of which I keep as sharp as I can.

Why were these otherwise interesting knives made so dull????

I do have a Japanese sword in a WWII scabbard that is just as sharp as they are said to be, and a small Indian kard that at least looks like someone tried to sharpen it.

Salaams JamesKelly and welcome to the Forum, Your dagger is interesting especially with the quite nice chape decoration. The hilt is difficult to confirm but as you say it could be horn .. The style is Omani(Salalah)/Yemeni and again you are right to consider the trade link as most probable. On cutting; these blades are usually sharp and said to originate as a skinning blade as well as for cutting and chopping meat. Indeed the other function as a defensive weapon is in stabbing thus the reinforced central rib on both sides of the blade.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.