Two African knives

[Ian]

I recently purchased a Moro spear head which was part of a lot. It came with two African knives shown here.

The first is a nice old double-edged dagger with silver mounts on the hilt, a disc pommel and a full length tang peined over the end of the hilt. The blade is double-edged and has an Arabic inscription on one side. OAL 9.75 in. Blade 6 in. Hilt 3.75 in.







The second is another double-edged knife in a wooden scabbard bound with segments of wound copper wire. The flattened elliptical wooden hilt has similar wire wrapped bands. The blade on this one is very interesting and is constructed in a way I have not seen before. Think of a blade with a flattened diamond cross-section coming to an acute point. To one side of the longitudinal midline ridge the blade has been hollowed out such that it is concave from the middle to the edge. This is repeated on the other side such that each concave half is backed by a flat half on the other side. In this way, a double-edged knife has been created fairly easily. OAL in scabbard 16.5 in. OAL out of scabbard 16.3 in. Blade 10.5 in. Hilt 5.8 in.






I'm looking for help in placing the origin of these two knives.

[Marc M.]

Hi Ian

The first one is a Soudan arm dagger of good quality, probaly fur.
The second is from South Africa, Shona i think. See at the site african-weapons.com for simular examples.

Best regards
Marc

[Edster]

I agree with Marc that the top one is Sudanese, top notch. I'd go with Eastern Sudan due to the Black Wood grip. Maybe Mahdi Period or early 20th C. The inscription may provide a better clue.

Best,
Ed

[Pertinax]

Congratulations Ian , great acquisitions. I support Marc, the shape of the second knife is also characteristic of sword Shi
Regards, Yuri.

[Ian]

Marc, Ed and Pertinax,

Thanks for your prompt replies and very helpful information. I appreciate the ID of these two knives. African knives and swords have not been a major focus for me. However, I do like both of them and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of both. The little Sudanese dagger is a very nice knife and looks to be reasonably old, perhaps late 19th C. The South African large knife/short sword is of interesting construction and good quality, as you noted. I think this one is early- to mid-20th C, and does not seem to have been used. Each was made as a weapon, and not simply decorative, tourist items or for ceremonial use.

Ian.

[Ian]

An interesting old thread on Sudanese arm daggers here.