Original Early Arabian Jambiya Dagger with Scabbard and Cross Belt Original Items

Original Item: Only One Set Available. Janbiya, also spelled janbia, jambiya, and jambia (Arabic: جنبية‎ janbīyah), is the Arabic term for dagger, but it is generally used to describe a specific type of dagger with a short curved blade. The term janbiya is used in various Arab countries and India, it is closely associated with the people of Yemen and is prevalent among Muslim men in the Horn of Africa (primarily the Afars of Djibouti).

This example is remarkably old, but was brought back by a British Soldier after the Battle of Omdurman in Sudan in 1898 and has remained in a British Regimental Museum until it was closed in the 1960s. It was then recovered by one of the Officers from whom we received it.

It is totally honest and totally untouched. The style is that of the Saudi Arabian Peninsula and it could well be prior to 1800. The leather of the scabbard and crossbelt is decorated with impressions and is quite ancient. There is quite a bit of age deterioration unfortunately, and the cross belt thong broken. There is also significant worm damage to the scabbard.

The dagger itself is all business, a very sturdy but crude blade fitted with a horn grip, again showing its age. There originally appears to have been a wrapping in the middle of the grip, but this is now missing. The blade, curved of 10″ is double sided and is remarkably heavy. There is some staining from rust and a small amount of pitting, but it is still quite solid.

This item reeks of history and was very possibly over 100 years old when it was recovered from the Omdurman Battlefield in 1898. Ready to display