Jambiya-Shibriya

[broadaxe]

Folks, just to make some clarifications:
The Shibriyeh (as should be pronounced) with its distinctive blade has been spread in the regions of the Sinai peninsula, Jordan and the Land of Israel only. Bedouins of the Sinai and the Israeli southern Negev desert still carry it.
Armed bedouin characters as shown in most vintage photos are NOT military men but irregular personnel, militia-type. The shibriyeh is the basic tool of defence & offence and a symbol of manhood, much like the Janbiya, hence carried openly. In spite of the blade form, there a lot of varieties - mostly in handle form and decoration form; thorough research is yet to be done. In Jordan it is a national symbol and because of that very common turist souvenir. At the opposite side, there is a large internal market today for higher quality Shibriyahs, for official occasions and as gifts. Collectors in Israel are familiar with older ones, from the 19th century. Some "working" sh' have blades reforged from old files, a source of hard steel.

[Dom]

Originally Posted by broadaxe

Armed bedouin characters as shown in most vintage photos are NOT military men but irregular personnel, militia-type.

Hi "broadaxe"
do not tell me that Arab Legion are irregular personnel
and nevertheless the shibriya is part of their equipment
e.i. that pic was done by me (Nov. 2008)

à +

Dom

[Devadatta]

Sirs,

So I wanna to make clear are those guys from Petra "Arab legion" or Desert police?

It's quite important for me to understand

[broadaxe]

Originally Posted by Dom

Hi "broadaxe"
do not tell me that Arab Legion are irregular personnel
and nevertheless the shibriya is part of their equipment
e.i. that pic was done by me (Nov. 2008)

à +

Dom

Oops, yes, forgot to mention
Those are the turist police, not the Arab Legion which doesn't exist anymore - it has been merged into the Jordanian Armed Forces in 1969. Neverthelss the turist police is an actual police force that maintained the special uniforms with all the attire, as a symbol. The modern, tactical-looking dagger in one of the photos above is the current issue of the Jordanian special forces.

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by broadaxe

...The modern, tactical-looking dagger in one of the photos above is the current issue of the Jordanian special forces.

note the link for the jordanian one leads to a supplier that also has an omani army one:



and a brunei tactical keris:


traditional designs updated.

[Dom]

Originally Posted by broadaxe

Those are the turist police, not the Arab Legion which doesn't exist anymore - it has been merged into the Jordanian Armed Forces in 1969..

little more complex than that ...
in the desert areas the traditional system of camel-mounted desert patrols survived, and you are correct when you mention that the Arab Legion doesn't exist anymore
but the Camel Police Desert Force, who is direct heir of the Arab Legion, all legionnaries are bearing the typical attributs of the Arab Legion; "bothra with igal" and their metal badge is the one of Arab Legion ...
MORE, they still have the shibriya as part of their equipment as show the following pic's extracted from an internet site concerning; Jordan Police Forces
I met them often around the "Wadi Rum", me with my 4x4 and them with their camels .. intemporel meeting
Arab Legion
Police Desert Force
camel-mounted Police Desert Force

à +

Dom

[broadaxe]

Dom I cannot argue with that, it makes sense.
Interesting enough, the IDF had, from time to time, its own camel-raiders unit. This was no police but a long range patrol and recon.
Note the german MG37 & saddle holster in the first photo, the Thompson SMG and what appears like a Lewis gun in the second photo.