Moroccan koumiya

length: 13 1/4"
blade: 8"
blade width: 1" base
grip: 5"
weight: 5 oz
Come here and I'll tell you of koumiya - this is the Moroccan version of the traditional Arabic jambiya. Once the French and British empires expanded into northern Africa in the early 1800's and the homelands of the Arabs were overrun with white-suited expatriates fancying themselves as desert-wallahs, it became quite popular to send local weaponry back home to amaze and astound the yokels who were not so well travelled and worldweary. Morocco having gone down quite early to the rampages of European colonialism, industries sprang up overnight to supply the Extravagantly Rich White Devils with the native weapons that helped them feel superior to the poor Wogs without the benefit of Sheffield Steel. The tradition continues to this day, and at any time you can still find eBay loaded with dozens of koumiya-shaped letter openers.
This koumiya dagger dates from the late 1800's, and is a nice example of the type produced at the time. Steel blade, wooden handle bound in silvered brass, brass over wood scabbard. Please don't ever take one of these knives to a bench grinder as some schmuck did with this one.

9/30/01