Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Ethnographic Weapons

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 22nd July 2016, 09:21 AM   #1
RichieRich6988
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 1
Default Help on Identifying this Dagger

I recently got this at an estate sale. I really liked it but was wondering if I can get help ojn its origin. Several Charistricts of this piece is on the handle of the knife there is a religious figurs with a book in their hand, right above that looks like some kind of big cat attacking a antelope, also on the blade there is on one side 3 stars in a line and on the other the same 3 lined up stars at the base of the blade then at the end of the blood grooves there is 3 stars in a triangle. I am quite interested in any info you might be able to provide

Thanks

Richie Rich
Attached Images
     
RichieRich6988 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23rd July 2016, 07:03 PM   #2
Ibrahiim al Balooshi
Member
 
Ibrahiim al Balooshi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE
Posts: 4,408
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RichieRich6988
I recently got this at an estate sale. I really liked it but was wondering if I can get help ojn its origin. Several Charistricts of this piece is on the handle of the knife there is a religious figurs with a book in their hand, right above that looks like some kind of big cat attacking a antelope, also on the blade there is on one side 3 stars in a line and on the other the same 3 lined up stars at the base of the blade then at the end of the blood grooves there is 3 stars in a triangle. I am quite interested in any info you might be able to provide

Thanks

Richie Rich
It looks like a shibriya see http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...light=shibriya for similar examples though I cannot tell the age of yours... The dots may be Talismanic warding off evil where 3 dots is significant for that purpose |(reflecting or blocking evil from crawling up or down the blade or hilt...) usually in a triangle format. This is a technique reflected in Arabian blades.
Ibrahiim al Balooshi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24th July 2016, 11:18 PM   #3
motan
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Jerusalem
Posts: 274
Default To RichieRich6988

Hi, I am sorry to dissapoint you, but your dagger is definitely from middle/late 20th century and made for the tourist trade in Syria, probably around Damascus. It belongs to a large and diverse family of daggers made in Syria and in different shapes: some with curved and some with straight blade, some modelled to popular regional types like imitation Majdali type, Lebanese type with round inserts or bedouin shibriya, and some are just like yours-specific for these daggers only. So how do you recognize them? The best clue is the cast brass sheath, sometimes coated with white metal. This is opposed to chased or engraved brass or white metal sheet over wooden core, which is the traditional type for this region. The poorly made blade with a few stamped stars is also typical, though other types occur, such as cast brass blade. The design is inspired by the Kinjal, like many older Syrian daggers are. The ornaments are inspired by Qajar daggers. Look at the photos for some examples.
Attached Images
     
motan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30th July 2016, 09:18 AM   #4
Montino Bourbon
Member
 
Montino Bourbon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Posts: 295
Default Actually, looking at the construction...

I think that it's a better-than-average blade. Most of those daggers have an elliptical blade with a very simple profile; This has very well-made fullers, a characteristic that I have not seen except in finer blades. The shape is also very functional and extremely good.
Montino Bourbon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30th July 2016, 09:27 AM   #5
mariusgmioc
Member
 
mariusgmioc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Austria
Posts: 1,860
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Montino Bourbon
I think that it's a better-than-average blade. Most of those daggers have an elliptical blade with a very simple profile; This has very well-made fullers, a characteristic that I have not seen except in finer blades. The shape is also very functional and extremely good.
Better photos would help but I believe you are giving a little too much credit to the blade.

The blade appears to be elliptical and the fullers are very easy to produce. Not to mention the punched stars.

Probably the blade is also of very low carbon steel so very soft and easy to machine.
mariusgmioc is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 05:37 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.