The Omani Khanjar

[Dom]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Salaams All ~ Just building up the Data Base ! Some Emirati Styles here. The differences being overall style difference including chevron shaped rings or thinner rings and a lot of leather showing in the lower scabbard region beneath the ring belt.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Aleikum Salaams Bro.
I could not resist to present this one

à +

Dom

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Dom

Aleikum Salaams Bro.
I could not resist to present this one

à +

Dom

Salaams Yaa Ustaath Dom wa mutagem ruqn wahid (Dom oh Master with number 1 Interpreter !) ~ This is the classic Emirati Style with lots of leather below the belt with scorpion patterns.. Also often seen with chevron shaped rings but not always. The belt is superb reflecting the geometry on the scabbard. Nice one Dom.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaam All ~ The use of high density modern composites on hilts.

To save the Rhino, Elephant and other endangered species here are a few alternative Omani Hilts that are very capable, properly weighted and take all the usual silver pin decoration just like horn and bone.

Oddly I have never seen Mamoth tusk used on Omani Khanjars.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Atlantia]

Namaste Ibrahiim,

Excellent work on these hilt materials.
I absolutely applaud such a stance.
They not only look fantastic, they also preserve the traditional skills of the craftsmen who decorate them.

As this is such an important innovation in the evolution of the Omani Khanjar, perhaps you could expand on this post and tell us more about the vital work of ending the demand for new Khanjar with hilts made from endangered species and how you go about altering the more "traditional" mindsets of those who still might see them as 'current' status symbols and not simply items of historic interest?
As a dealer and maker of new Khanjar, have you developed any of these alternatives yourself?
What materials have you used, how are they made? How do they 'perform' in terms of durability etc?
Do your clients prefer them to say exotic wood or coloured cow horn?
How have your clientele reacted to their introdcution and recieved them in general? In fact have your clients led the demand for these alternatives or have you taken the chance and introduced them anyway?

Can you envision a time when public opinion in Oman might make it socially unaceptable to wear the endangered species hilts and they could be consigned to collections and museums only? (here's hoping!)

Well done again
Gene

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Atlantia

Namaste Ibrahiim,

Excellent work on these hilt materials.
I absolutely applaud such a stance.
They not only look fantastic, they also preserve the traditional skills of the craftsmen who decorate them.

As this is such an important innovation in the evolution of the Omani Khanjar, perhaps you could expand on this post and tell us more about the vital work of ending the demand for new Khanjar with hilts made from endangered species and how you go about altering the more "traditional" mindsets of those who still might see them as 'current' status symbols and not simply items of historic interest?
As a dealer and maker of new Khanjar, have you developed any of these alternatives yourself?
What materials have you used, how are they made? How do they 'perform' in terms of durability etc?
Do your clients prefer them to say exotic wood or coloured cow horn?
How have your clientele reacted to their introdcution and recieved them in general? In fact have your clients led the demand for these alternatives or have you taken the chance and introduced them anyway?

Can you envision a time when public opinion in Oman might make it socially unaceptable to wear the endangered species hilts and they could be consigned to collections and museums only? (here's hoping!)

Well done again
Gene

Salaams Atlantia ~ We don't build using Rhino or Elephant unless the certification shows allowability.. In any case its a fairly rare event and hopefully the price is sufficiently steep to deter many being called for...The greater drain appears to be from medicinal herbal traditional Chinese demand... and hand carved items. Frankly we are very cautious and fully aware of the dodgey credentials offered by people selling this material ..

We use a lot of composite now .. high density plastic which is called Americy in the market place ! No one seems to mind since the finish is good and it takes all the pins etc...The trouble is that Khanjars get upgraded so it matters little what leaves the workshop if the client then or later switches to a rare hilt.

We also use good horn from basic water buffalo which polishes well, however, I am looking at Mamoth since that could be part of the answer ...and its CITES compliant. I believe that could take over from Rhino and Elephant.

Occasionally there is a call for Sandalwood hilt which is about as exotic as it gets and Sandalwood doesn't get attacked by weevil. Cowhorn is looked on as just about acceptable but its low on the spectrum.

I'm afraid the mindset is rather cemented in terms of the rare items... though we have many clients now happy with the alternatives... Unfortunately the Rhino is still intrinsically linked to the dagger. Power, prowess, rich price...for rich men... status.

I hope that with composites improving all the time including grain and texture we can narrow the use of rare hilts.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Atlantia]

Hi Ibrahiim,

The difficulty of changing ingrained tradition cannot be easy, especially when they are linked to perceptions of status. But given the alternative, attitudes do have to change. Not only in Oman but also in the far east.

Why the lack of interest in woods?
I've seen old Khanjar with wooden hilts and it is after all, a renewable and sustainable resource.

With the recent massive resurgence of hard-stone carving in China and India, have you ever considered sourcing hard-stone hilts as a more 'status' alternative to resins?
They could still have partial silver covers with limited pins cemented in to connect the exterior elements, in fact following the Indo-Persian/Mughal methods of decoration they could be quite elaborate.
They would also provide a wide variety of colours and some of the stones used are extremely hard and durable.
Jade, Jadeite, Bowenite Serpentine etc.....

I bet Chinese or Indian workshops could produce a standard 'I' shaped Khanjar hilt to a very high standard at very reasonale cost!

And it's a readily available material with well rooted traditions!

Best
Gene

EDIT: Picture added. Photoshopped picture of Khanjar hilt.
Original hilt removed and space filled with picture of red jadeite.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Atlantia

Hi Ibrahiim,

The difficulty of changing ingrained tradition cannot be easy, especially when they are linked to perceptions of status. But given the alternative, attitudes do have to change. Not only in Oman but also in the far east.

Why the lack of interest in woods?
I've seen old Khanjar with wooden hilts and it is after all, a renewable and sustainable resource.

With the recent massive resurgence of hard-stone carving in China and India, have you ever considered sourcing hard-stone hilts as a more 'status' alternative to resins?
They could still have partial silver covers with limited pins cemented in to connect the exterior elements, in fact following the Indo-Persian/Mughal methods of decoration they could be quite elaborate.
They would also provide a wide variety of colours and some of the stones used are extremely hard and durable.
Jade, Jadeite, Bowenite Serpentine etc.....

I bet Chinese or Indian workshops could produce a standard 'I' shaped Khanjar hilt to a very high standard at very reasonale cost!

And it's a readily available material with well rooted traditions!

Best
Gene

Salaams Atlantia Stone just isn't wanted..It may be because it has the wrong weight... and oddly even the expensive stone isn't sought such as Jade...though it is for exotic Persian and Indian Daggers...Standard hardwood is looked upon as the poorest hilt...followed by cheap plastic then cowhorn.. (then there is the possibility of an almost all silver hilt) then Sandalwood then Composites then Elephant then Rhino. In the advent of a peculiar horn or bone such as Water Buffalo the place they take would be below Elephant but better than Composites... Sea animal tusk I've seen a few and they come before Elephant ... somewhere in that order.

I liked the Jadeite example you placed..Shukran.

We do make a camel stick in almost that configuration in a ceramic hilt form but its a bit unsafe ... What is the effect of dropping a stone hilted khanjar onto a stone floor from about 4 feet?... I'm sure it would fall pommel down first ... would it crack break or chip? Bone and composites don't break or chip.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Atlantia

Hi Ibrahiim,

The difficulty of changing ingrained tradition cannot be easy, especially when they are linked to perceptions of status. But given the alternative, attitudes do have to change. Not only in Oman but also in the far east.

Why the lack of interest in woods?
I've seen old Khanjar with wooden hilts and it is after all, a renewable and sustainable resource.

With the recent massive resurgence of hard-stone carving in China and India, have you ever considered sourcing hard-stone hilts as a more 'status' alternative to resins?
They could still have partial silver covers with limited pins cemented in to connect the exterior elements, in fact following the Indo-Persian/Mughal methods of decoration they could be quite elaborate.
They would also provide a wide variety of colours and some of the stones used are extremely hard and durable.
Jade, Jadeite, Bowenite Serpentine etc.....

I bet Chinese or Indian workshops could produce a standard 'I' shaped Khanjar hilt to a very high standard at very reasonale cost!

And it's a readily available material with well rooted traditions!

Best
Gene

EDIT: Picture added. Photoshopped picture of Khanjar hilt.
Original hilt removed and space filled with picture of red jadeite.

Salaams Atlantia,
We have just brought on a couple of hilts made of rock crystal... They look pretty stunning but are very weighty... twice the weight of a normal hilt . I suspect they would shatter if dropped..especially on a marble or concrete floor...Anyway it is interesting.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.