African (shona) axe?
 

Just got this axe, ( my first one :) ) described as approx, a century old (1908), wire work is aluminium.
Was aluminium available in Africa at this time? I am assuming that it was, but would have been relatively scarce. (high status axe? Or did aluminium have a ‘mystical’ properties?).
The blade is narrow and suggests that it was not designed for utilitarian tasks, so would it be considered a war axe.?

Popular belief is that these are generally from Tanzania and very often dismissed as tourist items. I am not so sure that is the case with many that I have seen, but I do have one in the loft where all the bad things go. :cool:

I haven't receive this yet. So its probably a 'tourist' piece :o . ....never mind. It was 'cheap as chips (+ a saveloy)' :D Thanks Tim.

I did say that I am not 100% convinced that these are all tourist things. That idea is often formed when collectors have no real comprehension of the material poverty that is the lot of many Africans. These are simple made things, made from what ever is to hand. They are traditionally chiefly regalia. It was obviously not made yesterday. So for saveloy and chips I think it is good. What do they put in saveloy anyway, they do not taste like I remember. :confused:

1908 is possible for the use of aluminium but it was very expensive untill the end of WW1. Usually it is an indication of being made from the 1920s.

When I receive the axe and have it 'in hand' I may be able to deduce whether it is 'genuine' or a tourist piece.
As for savaloys I suspect we are all better off not knowing what ingredients are used, ........my dog won't even eat one :eek:

In Case Anyone Was Curious
 

I know I was :

To Make Savaloys
Take 3 pounds of young pork free from bone and skin; salt it with an ounce of salt-petre, and a pound of common salt for two days; chop it fine; put in 3 teaspoonsful of pepper; a dozen sage leaves chopped fine, and a pound of grated bread; mix it well, fill the guts, and bake them half an hour in a slack oven: they are good either hot or cold.

Salt Petre !?! :eek:
You poor Blokes ......... ;) :p

Eaten in a state of inebriation on a cold nights walk home I believe they can be quite epicurean.

Eaten in a state of inebriation with all that saltpetre they could contribute to 'brewer's droop ' . :D

I am sure I read somewhere that gunpowder was believed to be an aphrodisiac (it was injested). Salpetre (a constituant of gunpowder) must have the opposite effect.
........anyway I've found gunpowder stains your tongue black ;)

Hi Katana

Here is one I picked up last month also from Tanzania.

Well Lew you know where you can stick this one, na,nana,nanana!!!!!

In a box to me ;) .

Received axe today, blade is well fixed, evidence of previous sharpening, angle of axe head to handle feels 'right' (same angle as Lew's example, thanks for posting pic, Lew). So on that criteria it is either a well made tourist piece or 'genuine'.
Tim, now I can see why these cause confusion, but I think this axe is not a tourist piece........ but there again ;)