Recommendation? Help Identify

[Dzzbo]

This knife has been in the family for three generations now. It was a gift to my grand father for helping someone/ family with a great task. I have no idea of it's country/culture/date of origin. Only scripture is on the base of the blade on both sides, of which the language is unknown to me.

Greatly appreciated!

 

[killgar]

It looks like some form of Jambiya, a middle eastern dagger.

Welcome to Bladeforums.

 

[CWL]

It is indeed a Jambiya, but it is a tourist version, not a real one that you would see tucked into the waist sash of an Arab or North African.

Search for pictures of Jambiyas online and you will see authentic ones. Real ones will usually have a raised spine forged down the center of the blade while tourist versions will not.

 

[Dzzbo]

It is indeed a Jambiya, but it is a tourist version, not a real one that you would see tucked into the waist sash of an Arab or North African.

Search for pictures of Jambiyas online and you will see authentic ones. Real ones will usually have a raised spine forged down the center of the blade while tourist versions will not.

Okay, thank you for adding some input. I see the spine your are talking about, and also older types had three ridges? I forgot to mention that my blade has a sharp edge on both sides.

A tourist version, interesting. This was a gift to my grandfather, so we are talking about 1940-1950 when acquired, yet no absolute date of when the knife was made.

 

[K.O.D.]

Despite being the "tourist" version, it is still very cool. Arab history has always intrigued me, as it was one of the areas not really covered in school. I spent a lot of time in the library in high school instead of study hall learning about it, though the penchant for curved blades was always intriguing.

Enjoy it, it is a beautiful conversation piece even if it isn't particularly valuable.

 

[CWL]

Okay, thank you for adding some input. I see the spine your are talking about, and also older types had three ridges? I forgot to mention that my blade has a sharp edge on both sides.

A tourist version, interesting. This was a gift to my grandfather, so we are talking about 1940-1950 when acquired, yet no absolute date of when the knife was made.

IIRC, jambiyas were presented to a son on his 14th birthday, the year he officially is recognized as a man. These knives are carried for life and usually cost several years salary or more (the ones using rhino horn grips are sold by the gram weight!) So unless your grandpa helped out a prince or sultan, I don't think your jambiya would be in that price range. This does NOT mean that the gift was meaningless, just that the giver couldn't afford to mortgage his home to buy your grandfather a gift.
Also, jambiyas were double edged because they did serve as fighting knives, with a form of martial art developed for fighting with them. Check out the modernized versions issued to the Jordanian army, special forces and king's guard.

 

[Dzzbo]

IIRC, jambiyas were presented to a son on his 14th birthday, the year he officially is recognized as a man. These knives are carried for life and usually cost several years salary or more (the ones using rhino horn grips are sold by the gram weight!) So unless your grandpa helped out a prince or sultan, I don't think your jambiya would be in that price range. This does NOT mean that the gift was meaningless, just that the giver couldn't afford to mortgage his home to buy your grandfather a gift.
Also, jambiyas were double edged because they did serve as fighting knives, with a form of martial art developed for fighting with them. Check out the modernized versions issued to the Jordanian army, special forces and king's guard.

Grandfather was an officer in the navy in WWII, then a city councilman and attorney for South San Francisco. I've googled the ones using Rhino horn and looked at other general examples. I checked out the modernized Jordanian issued knives as per your recommendation. I found that the Indo-Persian type Jambiya knife has some similarities. Found this example (19/20th century)