The Omani Work Knife.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Pukka Bundook

A very interesting thread, Ibrahiim!

I have a few of these Sheffield carbon steel knives and keep them in the kitchen drawer.
We have a drawer full of knives, yet it is these old springy razor sharp knives that we use for Everything.
I often marvel at the steel;
So paper-thin and springy, it can be bent to a great angle and yet springs back. We can not buy new knives with these characteristics.
New steel is thick and dull, whatever you do to it!

Your Omani chaps knew what they were doing when they sought out these little knives!

Richard.

Salaams Pukka Bundooq ~ I am delighted to get praise on Forum entries and this month was even more appreciated than others as we push the envelope on Omani weapons..
Here is a Solingen name well known in the cutlery world ...These Solingen knives are also greatly respected and worn in behind the Khanjar either left or right of the main weapon . In this case I was quite surprised to see the hilts which in Omani Arabic are transliterated as Horn Z'raffe Afrique . Omani traders called the Rhino Hilt Z'raffe ! An odd twist in the history of trade through Zanzibar which reached its peak in the first half of the 19thC.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

I thought to bring on a few more work knives and another variant ...a longer knife worn on its own a bit like a sort of beefed up work knife..Simply a bigger version. A few of these knives ..some European butter knives in their original state before being treated to the silver Omani handle ... The group of four held displayed in one hand are a modern style seen after 1980 probably more in the Indian style.
Regards Ibrahiim al Balooshi

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

An English fish knife about to change its use as an Omani Sikkeen worn on its own on the waistbelt in a leather sheath. Awaiting its silver crown and probable silvered hilt and razor edge.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

I have always thought that semi precious stones would look good fitted into the crowns of Omani Work Knives as they fit them into camel sticks … but til now never saw any. Here they are!

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

THESE OLD EUROPEAN (and other) BUTTER KNIVES and the larger knives often for cutting cakes or bread/ meat and sought after by Omanis for their excellent blades and razor sharpened for menial tasks like cutting string or the traditional coup de grace for killing small game chickens and the like … are worn tucked in behind the Khanjar often in a hand made leather scabbard or in the case of the bigger knives on their own on a belt. The clipped point is often preferred and the silver work traditional, always on the hilt and over the top of existing bone, bakelite or other handles.
Here are full pictures of the knives..(Sikkeen) below.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

THE ICONIC RODGERS WORK KNIFE

This is the highly respected Rodgers knife >>A Victorian butter or Cake Knife given the Omani hilt silverwork And usually worn behind The Omani Khanjar.

[Edster]

Ibrahiim,

The silver cap on the top of some of these knives looks like those on top of powder containers discussed on this Bandolier post.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=25355

Are the caps repurposed from powder container stocks or purpose-made for knife embellishment?

Regards,
Ed