THE AFRICAN EXAMPLE LINKED BY Iainn IS WHAT I WOULD EXPECT A NATIVE MADE WEAPON USING A SAWFISH OR SWORDFISH BILL TO LOOK LIKE. CLUBS WHICH WERE THE MAIN STRIKING WEAPON THROUGHOUT OCEANA DO NOT HAVE GAURDS SO WHY WOULD THEY GO TO ALL THE EXTRA TROUBLE OF MAKEING ONE UNLESS IT WAS DUE TO EUROPEAN INFLUENCE. IT ALSO WOULD MAKE THE SWORD WEAKER AND HEAVIER AT THE HANDLE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO USE WITH BOTH HANDS.
I ALSO SUSPECT THAT MANY OF THESE MAY COME FROM AFRICA AS THERE ARE VERY MANY LARGE SAWFISH IN THE RED SEA AND INDIAN OCEAN. I SAW THE LARGEST I HAVE SEEN IN DJBOUTI OVER 5 FEET LONG AND THERE WERE LOTS OF THEM IN ALL THE SELLERS STALLS BUT ALL WERE IN THEIR NATURAL STATE. THERE WAS ALSO MUCH EARLIER CONTACT WITH PEOPLE WHO USED SWORDS WITH GAURDS IN THAT REGION OF THE WORLD. LOTS OF SAILING SHIPS FROM MANY COUNTRYS FREQUENTED THE MAIN PORTS THERE ALSO. I SUSPECT THERE MUST BE A MARKET FOR THEM OR THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO MANY IN THE SHOPS, PERHAPS THEY ARE A INGREDIENT IN SOME ORIENTAL MEDICINES.
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