Old syrian (Golan) Jambiya/Khanjar.

Kubur · 18th September 2016, 09:26 AM

Hi,
The best is to look at
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=majdali
I will say 1335, early Mandate French colonial period in Syria...
Nice blade!
Best,
Kubur

Athanase · 18th September 2016, 02:45 PM

Ok, thank you.

motan · 18th September 2016, 03:01 PM

Hi again. I am not 100% sure on the subject, but jambiya (from jambi - at my side) is a term often used for many daggers from the middle east by collectors, but as far as I know, only used by locals in Yemen and perhaps some adjacent areas in the Arabian peninsula like Nejd. Khanjar is a more generic Arabic term for dagger and is used widely-in fact for every dagger except those which have a specific name like kinjal, koummiya or shibriya. Therefore, your dagger is certainly a khanjar and is refered to as such by locals in Syria.

broadaxe · 18th September 2016, 04:49 PM

It's a khanjar (=dagger, Arabic). Jambiya is a term strictly used in the Arabia peninsula.
Majdal Shams = originally from Aramaic, Magdal Shamsha 'Tower of the Sun'. It is a remote, rural village (today, a town) settled on the high slopes of mount Hermon, thus having Alpine weather terms. It has been under the jurisdiction of Israel since 1967. Physically it is not a part of the Golan Heights. Several khanjar makers were recorded there, including one famous Family, Kadamany. Last makers were still operative by the early 1970's. Today the population is almost 100% Druze, in the past there were also Christians and Alawites.

Athanase · 19th September 2016, 11:00 AM

Thank you for hall your information.

motan · 18th September 2016, 02:49 PM

Hi Athanase,
Your dagger is a beatiful and early example of this type with few unusual features. As for the date, it is almost certainly 1325 -1907. The second digit is unclear, but the earliest examples I know of of this style are from around 1900 or a little earlier and earliest examples are a little different. So the second digit must be 3, not 2. The third digit is 2.
Other style elements, especially the scabbard and scabbard tip indicate Ottoman era. This style of sheath is uncommon and it appears that the sheet of copper alloy that covers the wood is thicker that in later examples. The blade type is also unusual and I have not seen this kind of decoration on a Majdaly blade. I like the use of red inserts, which should be Mediterranean red coral.
So very good and unique example of this type.

18th September 2016, 03:01 PM	#3
motan Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Jerusalem Posts: 274	Jambiya vs. khanjar Hi again. I am not 100% sure on the subject, but jambiya (from jambi - at my side) is a term often used for many daggers from the middle east by collectors, but as far as I know, only used by locals in Yemen and perhaps some adjacent areas in the Arabian peninsula like Nejd. Khanjar is a more generic Arabic term for dagger and is used widely-in fact for every dagger except those which have a specific name like kinjal, koummiya or shibriya. Therefore, your dagger is certainly a khanjar and is refered to as such by locals in Syria.

18th September 2016, 02:49 PM	#6
motan Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Jerusalem Posts: 274	Nice old Majdalu Hi Athanase, Your dagger is a beatiful and early example of this type with few unusual features. As for the date, it is almost certainly 1325 -1907. The second digit is unclear, but the earliest examples I know of of this style are from around 1900 or a little earlier and earliest examples are a little different. So the second digit must be 3, not 2. The third digit is 2. Other style elements, especially the scabbard and scabbard tip indicate Ottoman era. This style of sheath is uncommon and it appears that the sheet of copper alloy that covers the wood is thicker that in later examples. The blade type is also unusual and I have not seen this kind of decoration on a Majdaly blade. I like the use of red inserts, which should be Mediterranean red coral. So very good and unique example of this type.

18th September 2016, 09:26 AM	#1
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	Hi, The best is to look at http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=majdali I will say 1335, early Mandate French colonial period in Syria... Nice blade! Best, Kubur

18th September 2016, 02:45 PM	#2
Athanase Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Paris (France) Posts: 420	Ok, thank you.

18th September 2016, 04:49 PM	#4
broadaxe Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 334	It's a khanjar (=dagger, Arabic). Jambiya is a term strictly used in the Arabia peninsula. Majdal Shams = originally from Aramaic, Magdal Shamsha 'Tower of the Sun'. It is a remote, rural village (today, a town) settled on the high slopes of mount Hermon, thus having Alpine weather terms. It has been under the jurisdiction of Israel since 1967. Physically it is not a part of the Golan Heights. Several khanjar makers were recorded there, including one famous Family, Kadamany. Last makers were still operative by the early 1970's. Today the population is almost 100% Druze, in the past there were also Christians and Alawites.

19th September 2016, 11:00 AM	#5
Athanase Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Paris (France) Posts: 420	Thank you for hall your information.