The Jambiya, along with the Kalashnikov AK-47 is the essential fashion accessory for any Yemeni male from 14 years old upwards. The dagger is always worn in an ornamented wooden or leather sheath tucked into the front of the belt in a decidedly phallic manner. Whilst much has been written (most of it bollocks) on the role of the Jambiya in Yemeni society, its primary function is immediately obvious to anyone who has walked around a market - it is there so that the wearer may carry a plastic carrier bag (usually full of qat) with the handles hooked over the dagger's hilt. This way, both hands are left free for emphasising a conversational point whilst stripping the leaves off a branch of qat (for those who don't know, qat is a mildly narcotic plant whose leaves are chewed by nearly everyone in the Yemen. Under duress, I did try it myself but have to confess I couldn't keep the bitter tasting leaves in my mouth long enough to get any kind of hit off them - much to the amusement of the locals I was sharing a long taxi ride with).