Hello Motan, I would like to thank you for posting this interesting thread about Shibriyas. I have a few in my collection and have never really been able to find out much detail about them such as age, which particular tribes carried them, are they a general purpose or fighting weapon or both, where did the design originate from etc etc.?
I don't understand why there is so little information about them it would appear that have been under the radar or the experts have not thought them worthy enough to study, I personally find them a very interesting and deadly weapon having its own unique shape.
Having searched through my own reference books the only one which mentioned this dagger was Elgood`s Arms and Armour of Arabia and this was only quoting someone else who had commented that some tribes in northern Arabia carried a short, narrow knife. The knife being a shibriya and a tribe called Rwala all very vague and no illustrations or photos despite there being dozens of Jambiya and Khanjar illustrations, why none of the Shibriya, I don't understand.
I have taken the liberty of showing some pics of my Shimbriyas and would be grateful for your comments as I know next to nothing about them.
Their O/Ls without scabbard vary between 11 and 11.75 ins.
No 1:- Very plain but I feel it to be an old one?
No 2:- Still very plain with some decoration on the hilt. Again I have a feeling that this may be an old one. I think that the pommel is also interesting having not seen one on other Shimbriyas.
No 3:- this is more decorative and modern having the date of 1370 AH on the blade which I think equates to 1950/51 AD.
No 4:- Again more decorative and modern possibly similar date to No 3?
No 5:- Very decorative with the date 1900? on the blade. I am not sure if this is a date or something else as the style seems to be more modern.
