African Arm Dagger...finally!

Emanuel · 11th December 2006, 03:59 AM

I got one, I got one!!!

Usually I see Lew snatch these beauties up, and I've wanted one since I first saw them in one of his posts: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=240

My example has a simple - though beautifully carved - wooden hilt, and what appears to be a very well made blade with compound fullers. There is some script etched into the blade, I cannot tell from the seller's pictures whether it is arabic.
It is missing the scabbard unfortunately.
Comments and some clearer id would be much appreciated.

Regards,
Emanuel

katana · 11th December 2006, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manolo

Usually I see Lew snatch these beauties up,

Regards,
Emanuel

So..... I'm not the only one that has noticed that

Emanuel, thats a very nice blade....I too like the North African arm knives

I think yours is a good example.....hopefully someone will be able to translate the script.

Freddy · 11th December 2006, 01:16 PM

Very nice knife blade. You should try to find a suitable sheath. On ebay, it's possible to buy cheap tourist knives. But mostly the sheaths are well made.

Katana, this is not a North African knife, rather a West African knife.

katana · 11th December 2006, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freddy

Katana, this is not a North African knife, rather a West African knife.

Yes Freddy...you are right.....I should have checked what I had written..

..although it could be from the North West

Emanuel · 11th December 2006, 02:46 PM

Thanks!

I'll look for an appropriate sheath...I just noticed on the second to last picture it looks like a chunk is broken off the hilt...too bad, it lookd almost perfect!
Any ideas about where specifically examples like this one come from? They seem to vary a lot in shape and blade quality...are some variants specific to certain countries or ethnic groups?

Emanuel

Freddy · 11th December 2006, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manolo

Thanks!

I'll look for an appropriate sheath...I just noticed on the second to last picture it looks like a chunk is broken off the hilt...too bad, it lookd almost perfect!
Any ideas about where specifically examples like this one come from? They seem to vary a lot in shape and blade quality...are some variants specific to certain countries or ethnic groups?

Emanuel

Manolo, don't be alarmed because a piece of the hilt is missing. I looked at the picture and it seems to be an old break. This could mean your piece has some age to it.

As to the provenance, Tim is quite right when he states that the origin could be West-Africa. These knives were traded all over the Sahara region and beyond. There are a lot of different styles of arm dagger to be found.

Here is a brand new arm dagger. It was bought by a person who worked in the Sudan, near Darfur. He bought this knife in 2004, in a village between El Fasher, El Geneina and Nyala. The blade is cut from a piece of steel and razor sharp. In addition to the knife, the sheath also contains a long needle and a pair of tweezers. The sheath is made from leather. But to 'embellish' it, the maker took some kind of plastic material with lizard print and added it to the sheath.

Here are two pics of the knife in its sheath. Later, I will post a pic of the knife itself.

Lew · 11th December 2006, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manolo

I got one, I got one!!!

Usually I see Lew snatch these beauties up, and I've wanted one since I first saw them in one of his posts: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=240

Regards,
Emanuel

Manolo

I was watching that one

and I was tempted to bid on it but I have a draw full of them so I passed on it. It is a nice one I really like the fullers too bad there is no scabbard. Maybe someone can translate the Arabic inscription

Congrats

Lew

Emanuel · 11th December 2006, 04:09 PM

Hi Lew,

Good thing you passed over it

you've made me a happy man.
I can't wait to get my hands on it...and I can understand how you'd have a drawer full of them.
I'll look for the simple leather scabbards with thick braided loop. I think I'll stay away from the ones with snake/croc/miscelaneous reptile skin...

Thanks,
Emanuel

Tim Simmons · 11th December 2006, 05:21 PM

I think the second picture of the script says Omdurman. This can be seen in other threads so it would normaly be listed as East African although also the North.
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3499

katana · 11th December 2006, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

I think the second picture of the script says Omdurman. This can be seen in other threads so it would normaly be listed as East African although also the North.
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3499

Thanks for adding this comment Tim, I was sure (originally) it was North / Sudanese but Freddy (whom I know is very knowledgeable) said it was Western and assumed he was right, and knew something I didn't. Then I started to think that the knife was manfactured in the West and had ended up in the N /NE and then had been inscribed with the Arabic text.

We live ...and learn ....I should really 'challenge' information given... so that there is an explaination as to the statements given....to validate them.
A LESSON LEARNED.....

Tim...do you think this knife could be a relic of the Mahdist era?.....it doesn't seem to have enough age

11th December 2006, 03:59 AM	#1
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	African Arm Dagger...finally! I got one, I got one!!! Usually I see Lew snatch these beauties up, and I've wanted one since I first saw them in one of his posts: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=240 My example has a simple - though beautifully carved - wooden hilt, and what appears to be a very well made blade with compound fullers. There is some script etched into the blade, I cannot tell from the seller's pictures whether it is arabic. It is missing the scabbard unfortunately. Comments and some clearer id would be much appreciated. Regards, Emanuel Attached Images

11th December 2006, 01:16 PM	#3
Freddy Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sint-Amandsberg (near Ghent, Belgium) Posts: 830	Very nice knife blade. You should try to find a suitable sheath. On ebay, it's possible to buy cheap tourist knives. But mostly the sheaths are well made. Katana, this is not a North African knife, rather a West African knife.

11th December 2006, 02:46 PM	#5
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Thanks! I'll look for an appropriate sheath...I just noticed on the second to last picture it looks like a chunk is broken off the hilt...too bad, it lookd almost perfect! Any ideas about where specifically examples like this one come from? They seem to vary a lot in shape and blade quality...are some variants specific to certain countries or ethnic groups? Emanuel

11th December 2006, 04:09 PM	#8
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Hi Lew, Good thing you passed over it you've made me a happy man. I can't wait to get my hands on it...and I can understand how you'd have a drawer full of them. I'll look for the simple leather scabbards with thick braided loop. I think I'll stay away from the ones with snake/croc/miscelaneous reptile skin... Thanks, Emanuel

11th December 2006, 05:21 PM	#9
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,806	I think the second picture of the script says Omdurman. This can be seen in other threads so it would normaly be listed as East African although also the North. http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3499