It's not much...

the plugs and the hair thing is very subjective, im sure it was done some-- like in that sword it was obvious somebody liked taking scalps-- but Its reasonable to think that people would put things on there for "status" even when they didnt really kill 100 people or what not, when tourists started buying i know they started trading in each others hair to put on mandau-- but yeah like the guy says, that is the top of the line , i too really wish I had gotten to see the blade
 
Hmm the link to the video didn't work I think they have replaced it or I am just completely lost LOL could be either one.

As far as weaponry ect. The market these days is becoming pretty well settled. Not a lot of "new" finds out there so everything already authentic is pretty well picked over and priced at current "fair" values. Getting good authentic items for lower than market prices is now very rare and should be celebrated when lucky enough to occur. Shows like Antiques Road show ect have made the "sellers" aware of the market and ebay ect. have given them a way to identify ranges of price.

Still, I love watching Antiques Road show just to see how gullible people are. Some of the "finds" where they buy this thing at a garage sale thinking it is worth a fortune and get told it is worth about a buck just make me howl with laughter. Sometimes people junk really is just junk. Even if you know what you are looking for, don't expect to make a killing because most of the time anything really good was bought before the door even opened to the public.
 
That's one hairy mandau!

I think it's true you aren't going to find an exceptional weapon at a thrift store or garage sale anymore. But I'd still rather spend $250 on 5 different low quality blades from an "ignorant" buyer on e-bay in the hopes that one turns out to be interesting instead of buying one $250 sword from a reputable buyer that you know is going to be mediocre.

Then again, 10 years from now the resale value on that $250 will probably be at least what you paid for it but you probably won't be able to get the $250 back on your junk blades.
 
well lets be honest, if you are doing this to "invest" you are kidding yourself-- we love antique weapons because of the history and culture around them and the art , I think we would be interested regardless of investment opportunity, would just be more fun if you were one of the few people who cared so you could get all the neat stuff :D
 
One should never underestimate the ignorance of a seller when trusted with anothers property to make a nickel! Shavru you are right tho. Used to you could find good deals on auction simply because something was misspelled or ill-categorized. They have evolved pretty well now with search engines and taxonomy which makes it more difficult but it does still happen. Not too long ago I found a piece of scuba equipment under "airplane parts". Thats about as polar opposite as it gets! Try searching "hairy knife":D Never know what you might get?
 
I don't know Gehazi, in 30 years I bet your collection's going to be worth considerably more than what you paid for it. In 30 years most of my rusty junk will just be a little bit rustier but equally valueless.
 
I hope I can still recognize and appreciate even rust in 30 years. I'm trying to stay focused on the simple stuff like breathing, maintaining a heart beat, that sort of thing.

I hope we can all be carrying on this conversation in 30 years. Maybe short term goals are better, lets start with 15.
 
LoL Bawana, in this state the goal is for US to not rust in 15 years.

Yeah Ndog understood what I meant the thrill of the find has just become too rare. Remember I am greeeeeedy. I want everything and I want it at bargain prices. LOL
 
The mailman had something for me today...
View attachment 428898

The Jambiya! The blade is awfully light and shiny. I don't know if it's stainless steel, nickel plated steel, or just a solid piece of some other metal. I'll have to test it with a magnet. I think the hilt is either wood or plastic.

View attachment 428899View attachment 428900
I actually like the belt better than the knife itself.

There's fake coins on the hilt. I'm not sure what they're supposed to be but it looks like they got the 4 backwards.
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Hmm I get an invalid attachment message when I try to visit the attachments. The picture of the "Coin" is the only embedded thing working for me.
LOL backwards and wrong font and upside down too on that 4. Interesting can't wait to see the other images.
 
I got that at first two, now they are all showing up fine with no link required. Must have fixed it.
 
Whoops, dang computer gremlins... Anyways, here's a better picture of the "coin". Looks like a greek soldier on horseback slaying a dragon or something. I'll have to do some research on coin forums to find out what this was supposed to be a replica of. Something from 1914 I guess. I read the best Jambiyas had genuine Byzantine gold coins as decorations.

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Here's a closeup of the hilt. Looks like wood to me

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My Ethiopian Gile came in today too.

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The blade's fairly thin but the whole thing feels sturdy enough for actual use. The"fuller" has an interesting pattern etched on it. I've never seen one with a pattern like this

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The tip of the scabbard is very nice as well.

View attachment 428915
 
The back of the scabbard is covered in the fur of the animal that generously donated its hide for the project. The red belt is leather, and it's too brittle to unwrap from the scabbard. I'm going to just leave it as is.
View attachment 428916

And here's another closeup of the pattern on the fuller. It almost looks acid etched to me.
View attachment 428918
 
From what I have seen most of the Jambiya hilts are wood or bone. I agree the belt is awesome, very fine detail, but the blade looks pretty good to. I wonder if there is a way to tell the metal without damaging it.
The Gile I love the sheath. The handle and blade except the fuller pattern almost appear workman like in comparison with the sheath. The detail on the sheath looks almost out of place. All in all a good day to see the mailman coming for you eh?
 
A magnet stuck to the blade so I guess it is steel. It appears to be a single piece of metal too, some jambiyas are made from two plates welded together, since it's easier to make the spine down the middle that way. Useless as a weapon but it looks close enough I guess. I'll test the hilt with a hot needle tomorrow to see if it's plastic.

I agree about the workmanship on the Gile. The hilt looks like it was gnawed into shape by a hungry beaver. I remember seeing somewhere another very nice Gile with almost the same decorations and patterns, except the metal was all silver and the wood was finely carved. Maybe this is a cheap imitation of that.

Any suggestions on how to display the Jambiya on "the wall"?
 
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Wow, that is going to be a tough challenge. You have to figure a way to lay the belt out so that it won't get damaged. Perhaps if you were to stretch it around a piece of wood to keep it flat out? Then you could hang the wood from the wall but still keep it in good shape?
 
I'm more concerned with the space it's going to take up. If I spread the whole belt out on a board or something it's going to occupy a ton of space. Hanging the buckle over a peg isn't a bad idea, then I could just let it hang down the side of my pegboard which isn't exactly valuable real estate. I'm going to see how tightly I can wrap the belt around the scabbard and then maybe hang it from a hook. That may damage the belt in the long term though.
 
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Hmm that is a bit of a problem, hadn't thought of that. I do believe your collection is going to need to annex another wall. At the rate it continues to grow, you might need to be expanding back to the man cave and un-babyfy it. Put locks on the door so you can keep your room but not have the kid in any danger??
 
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