Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Sheffield-made Kaskara

Jim McDougall · 29th November 2011, 02:16 AM

I have been remiss in not thanking Stephen as well for sharing this most interesting kaskara blade, and as noted, an instance of sheet steel with some potentially intriguing history.
It seems well established that British industry was producing materials for the Sudan prior to Omdurman as well as for the Khedive of Egypt during the Condominium. The demand for 'Soudan' souveniers had Brirmingham producing spear heads and other items to supply industrious merchants in shops in Suakin c.1888 and later. Helmets and coats of mail were made in Birmingham for the Khedives forces, but the helmets proved acceptable with the mail completely unacceptable as with gunfire they produced horrible adsdition to the wounds.

While sheet steel seems to have been used in making local blades as noted earlier, it appears that these Sanderson Bros & Newbold Ltd for Platt Bros Ltd. blades must have been produced by this firm as is. It seems the firm name in that configuration began use in 1901. The Platt Bros. firm was a textile firm which undertook munitions contracts in WWI and thier name after 1931 showed it as a holding co, so the WWI period seems plausible.
Sanderson was producing bayonets in WWI (marked only Sanderson with 1916 and 1917 dates on some seen). On 1908 swords produced by this firm initials SB&N Ld (the Ld in subscript) were used.

It would seem possible that in the Condominium, during WWI, in British action against Ali Dinar, the defacto ruler of Darfur under Ottoman suzerainty, may have presented Great Britain the need for arming of additional local Sudanese native forces. Perhaps a number of these traditional sword blades may have been produced by this British war material grouping. While Darfur remained separate from British occupied Sudan, Ali Dinar had joined with Ottoman forces and declared jihad against the British and thier allies. In 1916 Ali Dinar was killed and Darfur annexed to the Sudan.

I thought this might be plausible and add to the interesting history which may be part of this blade, obviously rehilted much more recently as is normal with these swords.
The assala (python) in native symbolism is considered the ultimate power and presumably would imbue this power into the blade and the warrior. The stars in cosmological grouping would likely serve to enhance the symbolic.

I wanted to add this after some interesting research inspired by this blade and again to thank Stephen for sharing the blade here.

All best regards,
Jim

29th November 2011, 02:16 AM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,100	I have been remiss in not thanking Stephen as well for sharing this most interesting kaskara blade, and as noted, an instance of sheet steel with some potentially intriguing history. It seems well established that British industry was producing materials for the Sudan prior to Omdurman as well as for the Khedive of Egypt during the Condominium. The demand for 'Soudan' souveniers had Brirmingham producing spear heads and other items to supply industrious merchants in shops in Suakin c.1888 and later. Helmets and coats of mail were made in Birmingham for the Khedives forces, but the helmets proved acceptable with the mail completely unacceptable as with gunfire they produced horrible adsdition to the wounds. While sheet steel seems to have been used in making local blades as noted earlier, it appears that these Sanderson Bros & Newbold Ltd for Platt Bros Ltd. blades must have been produced by this firm as is. It seems the firm name in that configuration began use in 1901. The Platt Bros. firm was a textile firm which undertook munitions contracts in WWI and thier name after 1931 showed it as a holding co, so the WWI period seems plausible. Sanderson was producing bayonets in WWI (marked only Sanderson with 1916 and 1917 dates on some seen). On 1908 swords produced by this firm initials SB&N Ld (the Ld in subscript) were used. It would seem possible that in the Condominium, during WWI, in British action against Ali Dinar, the defacto ruler of Darfur under Ottoman suzerainty, may have presented Great Britain the need for arming of additional local Sudanese native forces. Perhaps a number of these traditional sword blades may have been produced by this British war material grouping. While Darfur remained separate from British occupied Sudan, Ali Dinar had joined with Ottoman forces and declared jihad against the British and thier allies. In 1916 Ali Dinar was killed and Darfur annexed to the Sudan. I thought this might be plausible and add to the interesting history which may be part of this blade, obviously rehilted much more recently as is normal with these swords. The assala (python) in native symbolism is considered the ultimate power and presumably would imbue this power into the blade and the warrior. The stars in cosmological grouping would likely serve to enhance the symbolic. I wanted to add this after some interesting research inspired by this blade and again to thank Stephen for sharing the blade here. All best regards, Jim