All About Pocket Knives

I picked up this knife because I liked it, and because the price was right.
Anyone have anything like it? The imbellishments are rather crude, as well as the handle. It was probably a tourist piece of many days ago. The leather is brittle and failing, but was what attracted me the most.
All of the work was by hand, sheath sewing, blade stamping, and handle carving. Though a bit crude, this also appealed to me.
Overall length is 14.75”

Please post pics of any such knives that you have.
Thanks.

Cool pick up Tony. Are you going to make one like it? If it was for tourist it is still a great piece of decoration. Cool pick up.

Tony, I don’t know why I think this but what comes to mind is something from Mexico. I think it’s the sheath that looks like something I’ve seen in Mexico. Plus the crack in the handle. So many items made from wood in Mexico are made from wood that is not dried or treated. Tourist buy things and then when the get home a few weeks later it cracks.
Just a theory.
SSk

Tony, I too appreciate the hand work, in your knife!
This was one of those "touristy" things, I picked up, when we were stationed in Turkey. I too, liked that it was all hand done. There is a very fine brass wire inlayed throughout and mother of pearl. I don't remember what I payed for it... probably around $10-15. It's not sharp and mainly for display...but someone put some time in to it.

doglegg wrote:Cool pick up Tony. Are you going to make one like it? If it was for tourist it is still a great piece of decoration. Cool pick up.

Thanks Floyd. Every knife I see is subject to a recreation, of only subtly. I do like the feeling of the piece.

Sharpnshinyknives wrote:Tony, I don’t know why I think this but what comes to mind is something from Mexico. I think it’s the sheath that looks like something I’ve seen in Mexico. Plus the crack in the handle. So many items made from wood in Mexico are made from wood that is not dried or treated. Tourist buy things and then when the get home a few weeks later it cracks.
Just a theory.
SSk

Yes sir. I do agree that it came from another climate and dried oncenit entered this climate. I picked this piece up in Indiana. Perhaps it is from Mexico. The things that speaks Mediterranean is the pommel shape.

Doc B wrote:Tony, I too appreciate the hand work, in your knife!
This was one of those "touristy" things, I picked up, when we were stationed in Turkey. I too, liked that it was all hand done. There is a very fine brass wire inlayed throughout and mother of pearl. I don't remember what I payed for it... probably around $10-15. It's not sharp and mainly for display...but someone put some time in to it.

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Doc, thanks for the pics! It is amazing what intricate work one can pick up overseas for such paltry amounts! I always look for something handmade when in a mission trip overseas.
I enjoy the similarities of these pieces: pommel, curves blade, and blade decoration, though your piece is far more decorated than the one I picked up.

If the knife has inhand balance and the edge is sharp or could be touched up to sharp then it probably is not a tourist piece. I have seen somewhat similar knives said to be from "North Africa" which i assume includes Morocco and Algeria which might be where this knife came from.
kj

It looks like a jambiya to me.Hard to tell where it came from as they were popular throughout the Middle East. Usually(but not always)a jambiya will be double edged and have a reinforcing rib running down the center of the blade.The curve is also a lot more pronounced.If you looked at the blade in cross section it is somewhat diamond shaped.Here is one that I have from the 17th century.

I think the op knife is Muslim or mid-eastern inspired, if not actually from that region. Those folk have their own names for different versions of that type, but the 'Western' word in print for a few centuries has been "scimitar," with attendant misspellings. Western butcher shops and packing plants have used a knife for cutting steaks out of big beef quarters, that has also called a scimitar (with attendant misspellings) or a 'steak' knife. Here is one with a Clyde, OH strong etch. It has some pepper but is otherwise new. Probably stored poorly.

kootenay joe wrote:If the knife has inhand balance and the edge is sharp or could be touched up to sharp then it probably is not a tourist piece. I have seen somewhat similar knives said to be from "North Africa" which i assume includes Morocco and Algeria which might be where this knife came from.
kj

The knife does have good balance. It is super sharp on one edge, and has a false edge on the other.
Thank you.

knife7knut wrote:It looks like a jambiya to me.Hard to tell where it came from as they were popular throughout the Middle East. Usually(but not always)a jambiya will be double edged and have a reinforcing rib running down the center of the blade.The curve is also a lot more pronounced.If you looked at the blade in cross section it is somewhat diamond shaped.Here is one that I have from the 17th century.

Thank you for the input. This blade is more oval in shape than it is diamond, but is definitely more pronounced in the middle. Has marking on it from finish draw filing.
That is a beauty of a blade that you posted. Thanks for the pic and post.

tongueriver wrote:I think the op knife is Muslim or mid-eastern inspired, if not actually from that region. Those folk have their own names for different versions of that type, but the 'Western' word in print for a few centuries has been "scimitar," with attendant misspellings. Western butcher shops and packing plants have used a knife for cutting steaks out of big beef quarters, that has also called a scimitar (with attendant misspellings) or a 'steak' knife. Here is one with a Clyde, OH strong etch. It has some pepper but is otherwise new. Probably stored poorly.

Clyde scim 1.JPG

Clyde scim 2.jpg

Thank you sir for the post. The first thought I had was middle Eastern when I saw the knife. There are no hallmarks on it, of course, but the blade shape and handle shape lends to that area