Nice find, Tim.
To make it complete, you should add a leather strap. I have a similar sword with much the same decoration. Mine has a leather strap attached to the handle. It was probably made of an old leather army belt (perhaps from a gun).
The handle is also a bit damaged. It has been decorated with some iron binding and copper wire. At the bottom, some rectangular strips of copper were applied to it.
As to origin, I would attribute this sword more to the Benge-,Boa-,Hanga-, Mba- and/or Angba-tribes living in Central/North Congo and the border area of the Central African Republic.
The name of this sword in Angba-Mba language is :
Kondo
Check out this website :
http://www.mambele.be/
This is not my collection, but I want it all
