African(?) Dagger
 

I just won this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=008

I'm not sure about the seller's cut-down smallsword description, as I would think a bayonet is a more likely source for the blade. I've seen genoui with blades like this, but the handle on this one seems unusual, and I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this dagger. It almost looks like some kind of immitation bollock dagger...

Thanks a bunch,

--Radleigh

I know, Lew is itching to get in, but... Just for the fun of it... Shi?

Bollocks dagger or kidney dagger is my first (and for the moment only) assosiation too.

I could see something armour piercing from the Sahel or parts of West Africa with Islamic influences? :shrug: Nice.

Hello,
I bought similar dagger from Touaregs near Ghadames (Libya) in 2002. The Touaregs were from Niger ("Ifoghaz" Touaregs). The blade should be made of old European bayonet.
Martin

In my opinion these weapons are not made from bayonets. On close inspection there is such variation in shapes, sections, straightness and many other subtleties. This is my latest and you can see at the tip that this is forged locally.

I pay top dollar but it love me long time. :cool:

Ariel

After picking up that Trabzon dagger I did not want to push my luck ;)

Radleigh

Nice pick up reminds me of a ballock dagger. :)


Lew

Hi all, thanks for the responses. Sadly in spite of directing my attention to West Africa I have been unable to find a similar example; Martin if you have a chance to snap a picture of yours I'd love to see it!

Tim thank you for your pictures. I was watching the monitor lizard as well and I'm glad a forumite got it. I am attaching more pictures, with a genoui from Morroco for comparison. I know very little about bayonets but the genoui definitely has more of a bayonet sort of feel than does the "ballock". The "ballock" has a far greater profile taper and also a substantially different cross section.

Also just for fun and comparison, I'm attaching a picture from here showing some "dungeon daggers" which most closely resemble this one.

Thanks,
--Radleigh

Hi, Good day every body

just matter to introduce a doubt :p
may be, m'I completly out of pic ?? :o

the general shape of the blade, remind me
"a rosalie" ... french army bayonet
(first model 1886 lenght 638 mm weight 460 g)
used with "Lebel" gun
that bayonet has been very often modified to be an hand weapon
here in France, or French colonies ;)

some e.i.

à +

Dom

Dom --

It's kind of hard for me to tell from the pics, but I've drawn (to the best of my ability) what the cross section of the "ballock" knife looks like. The genoui I post as comparison (which I do think is a bayonet blade) has a more typical three-sided triangular cross section. I'm not sure this qualifies, since the third "side" of the triangle seems more like two convex sides, if I am making myself clear. :shrug: Anyway if it is a lebel that could certainly narrow the origins!

Thanks,

--Radleigh

"Rosalie" is four-side cross :shrug:

I'm certain :p
because many workers was using it as "cross screw-driver" in past :shrug:

sorry for disturbance :o

:D :D :D

à +

Dom

Sorry for late answer. I will make a snap of my Tuareg dagger. However, I have it at home and I am leaving for a holliday (i.e. home) in July - so I will send it then

Enclosed please find promissed photos. This dagger was collected from Tuaregs near Ghadames (in Libya).

Interesting to see that the guard on the last exammple could be identical to the examples I post except they are covered in lizard skin and have rather different handles. Is this a regional difference? How do styles change in this vast sand sea? What are the main areas of manufacture? I have a telek that can be found in publications listed as being from Bornu. When I have my PC running I will pursue the matter further.