Thread: Jambiya again
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Old 8th June 2010, 12:15 AM   #4
Dom
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Paris (FR*) Cairo (EG)
Posts: 1,142
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Hi my Friends

you make me laugh gently, with your notions of borders ...
in these countries only the concept of ethnicity has a meaning

your tribe is originally from which country, don't make sens for them
what makes sens is; what did you relate to this or that ethnic group,

these ethnic groups can and often are cross-border and do not recognize the territorial sovereignty of each state,
which creates conflicts for generations and generations

e.i. the boundary of the territories claimed, or badly identifiable on spot either by Saudi or Yemen (Rub‘ al-Khâlî, seems to be settle in 2000)
Egypt and Sudan (Hala'ib triangle) till yet pending

to return to our subject, even for the Saudis, the blacksmiths were,
and might be still are (?) Yemenis, until "Gulf War" it's was like that ... at least
their production was according with the specific taste of their buyers, khanjar for some and jambiya for the others
for instance, Saudis were ... are more "merchants" than "manufacturers"

I remember have seen at Jeddah (at bottom of Bedouin suk) in year 80th Yemenis blacksmith producing all type of metal items (also, silver "saïf" handle)
parts for pistols and rifles and not only for "percussion or Tower" but for Browning or AK47 ...

nothing it's so Manichean, specially in those countries of Middle-East

and your dagger looks more Yemeni in general shape
did you noticed that the blades are all the same
excepted for the jambiya Mecca type who is very long,
but Khandjar (Saudi, Osmani, Qatari) or Jambiya Yemenis have the same blades,
the differences are with the hilt, as well as the scabbards

à +

Dom
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