Small = Nice !

Freddy · 6th August 2007, 11:13 AM

I found this piece on the Bruges antique market yesterday. Couldn't resist buying it.

It's a very small African knife, complete with its sheath. The seller told me it came from Congo, but I'm not sure of this. Could also be West-Africa.

This piece has a length of 16,5 cm in its sheath. The blade itself measures 8,6 cm and is 2,1 cm wide.
What is interesting, I think, is the blade. The shaped reminds me of the blades from some pocket knives I have in my collection.
There's also no tang protruding from the top of the handle (as so often seen on African knives).
Could it be that a clever African found a good blade of a pocket knife and converted it to an African piece ?

Here are some pics

Freddy · 6th August 2007, 11:15 AM

Here's the piece compared to some of my European pocket knives

Tim Simmons · 6th August 2007, 11:19 AM

Universal function. nice with good scabbard

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Bill M · 6th August 2007, 12:24 PM

Wonder if, with the phallic shaped scabbard, it could have been a circumcision knife? Could still have been made from a pocket knife.

katana · 6th August 2007, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Marsh

Wonder if, with the phallic shaped scabbard, it could have been a circumcision knife? Could still have been made from a pocket knife.

Good point Bill, the scabbard is extremely well made ...which suggests the sheath is important in identifying it's function. Very interesting knife Freddy.

kronckew · 6th August 2007, 09:36 PM

if that is a circumcision knife, i'd be wondering what kind of leather the sheath was made of.

there was a documentary on last night about a celeb travelling along the equator in africa, he went to visit a group of circumciser shamans, they do about 300 boys roughly 13 yrs old in one ceremony twice a year, works out about one boy every 12 seconds. i am glad i was a baby when they did me in a hospital

.....they showed the circumciser's knife, it looked like a thin hand forged spearpoint blade about 6in. long, inch or so wide, no fullers or central rib, with a simple nondescript leather covered grip. just a cheap old rough knife with no carving at all. not to say there are not variations....

6th August 2007, 11:13 AM	#1
Freddy Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sint-Amandsberg (near Ghent, Belgium) Posts: 830	Small = Nice ! I found this piece on the Bruges antique market yesterday. Couldn't resist buying it. It's a very small African knife, complete with its sheath. The seller told me it came from Congo, but I'm not sure of this. Could also be West-Africa. This piece has a length of 16,5 cm in its sheath. The blade itself measures 8,6 cm and is 2,1 cm wide. What is interesting, I think, is the blade. The shaped reminds me of the blades from some pocket knives I have in my collection. There's also no tang protruding from the top of the handle (as so often seen on African knives). Could it be that a clever African found a good blade of a pocket knife and converted it to an African piece ? Here are some pics

6th August 2007, 11:15 AM	#2
Freddy Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sint-Amandsberg (near Ghent, Belgium) Posts: 830	Here's the piece compared to some of my European pocket knives

6th August 2007, 11:19 AM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,807	Universal function. nice with good scabbard .

6th August 2007, 12:24 PM	#4
Bill M Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA Georgia Posts: 1,599	Wonder if, with the phallic shaped scabbard, it could have been a circumcision knife? Could still have been made from a pocket knife.

6th August 2007, 09:36 PM	#6
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,183	if that is a circumcision knife, i'd be wondering what kind of leather the sheath was made of. there was a documentary on last night about a celeb travelling along the equator in africa, he went to visit a group of circumciser shamans, they do about 300 boys roughly 13 yrs old in one ceremony twice a year, works out about one boy every 12 seconds. i am glad i was a baby when they did me in a hospital .....they showed the circumciser's knife, it looked like a thin hand forged spearpoint blade about 6in. long, inch or so wide, no fullers or central rib, with a simple nondescript leather covered grip. just a cheap old rough knife with no carving at all. not to say there are not variations....