Nice photos of Gusbi Jambiyas and some Arabian Nimchas

[Michael Blalock]

Some nice photos here.

[Michael Blalock]

More

[kahnjar1]

....and another in the same category....

[TVV]

These swords are attributed as Hadhrami by Elgood, but the last picture in your first post is also posted in Hales' book and the description there is that this is the Sultan of Lahej. So I guess they were worn all over Southern Yemen, but probably did not become popular to the north.

In the Omani Silver web site, there is a picture of German trophies from an Arab Uprising (1888-90) in what is now Tanzania, featuring among them one of these characteristic swords from Southern Yemen. These areas were under heavy Omani influence, so kind of surprising to see such a sword in this context.

Teodor

[thinreadline]

I do like the picture with 2 guys , one with a Lee Enfield No.4 rifle the other with what could be a 3 band Enfield muzzleloader .... the picture must have been taken in the 1940s or later .... the ammo supply logistics must have been interesting as I also note some are using Mauser rifles too. Anyone know what the machine guns are ? .... Love the way the chaps holding them are anticipating the Rambo method of using them !

[Michael Blalock]

Those look like Colt-Browning 1895s. I read they were fabricated for the .303 and Mauser ammunition.

[thinreadline]

Originally Posted by Michael Blalock

Those look like Colt-Browning 1895s. I read they were fabricated for the .303 and Mauser ammunition.

Interesting , thanks . Well that fits in well with the 303 Lee Enfields and 7 mm Mausers .

[Philip]

Originally Posted by thinreadline

I do like the picture with 2 guys , one with a Lee Enfield No.4 rifle the other with what could be a 3 band Enfield muzzleloader .... the picture must have been taken in the 1940s or later .... the ammo supply logistics must have been interesting as I also note some are using Mauser rifles too. Anyone know what the machine guns are ? .... Love the way the chaps holding them are anticipating the Rambo method of using them !

One of those two guys definitely has a No. 4 Mk 1, but his buddy is armed with what was a real museum piece at that time -- it's a French Mle. 1874 Gras infantry rifle, a single-shot which takes a black-powder rimmed cartridge firing an 11 mm slug. According to Robert Elgood, ARMS AND ARMOUR OF ARABIA (Scolar Press 1994), many of the latter were imported into the Yemen after they became obsolete in France; Ch. 7 of his book has a photo of one which has undergone some crude native attempts at after-market decoration and perhaps a field repair. Arms were obtained in large quantities from Belgium, Germany, and Rumania as well which would explain the Mausers (each of those countries chambered theirs in different calibers). Also interesting to know that Japanese Arisaka Type 97 rifles made their way to the Peninsula as well. When I visited the Askeri Müze in Istanbul years ago, several were on display and it seems that a quantity of them were purchased for the Ottoman Navy. Elgood (p 62) quotes T E Lawrence in describing the extremely decrepit condition of these Japanese weapons by the time they got into Arab hands, one wonders about the path they took in getting there.

[Michael Blalock]

Here is another historical photo of the Gusbi as well as a mix of rifles.