Motan, I was looking forward to reading your post. Quite a nice insight into a subject I am yet still learning. My approach to studying arms is to study it and categorise as its local users do. Thus I relied heavily in contacting people within the regions, mostly dedicated collectors who are in a far better position than I am (or I dare say, in a far better position than your average western collector)
Collectors in the south, the Hejaz area, or Oman, or Yemen, have a better position where the living elders transmit a lot of their information (which is often taken for granted or considered a given) to collectors who are approaching the topic with a sense of preservation to a fading heritage. They end up being well learned without knowing they are. Also, within the Hejaz, there are still some living weapons makers who can be relatively easy to reach if you live there.
As for the term shibriya, it is what the natives call these knives, in all the regions mentioned. And you are quite right in pointing the shared features between the southern and Levant items.
Could you send me a private message? I want to have a direct contact with you.
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