3. Jambiya
In most countries, status symbols are shown by cars or the latest iPhone or the latest tech that people own. However, that is not the case in Yemen. Instead, it is a custom for men to carry a curved dagger (Jambiya) when they go out in public. It represents the high social status of the person.
The jambia was given its name because it is worn on the side of a person – the word jambia is derived from the Arabic word janb (Arabic: جنب, lit. 'side'). A jambia is constituted of a handle, a blade, and a sheath in which the blade is held. It is made of a certain sort of wood, to hold the blade that is fixed to the waist from underneath with an upward curved sheath. The belt that holds the jambia is made of tanned leather, or some thick cloth. There are specialised markets and handicraft markets that decorate it with golden wires.
The jambia handle often tells of the social status of the man who wears it. Jambias were often made with ivory handles. The manufacturers most often receive this material through smugglers, due to the international ban on the substance. As ivory has only ever had ornamental merit in such an application, those that recognize the jambia as a tool and/or weapon tend to prefer a hardwood handle anyway. Many street-side charlatans will proclaim to sell ivory-handled jambias whilst actually selling poorly-made blades with white plastic handles.