Strange Short Sword - Identification Please

user24 · 23rd November 2006, 02:23 PM

Hello! I've been advised that you people may have some more insight on a short sword I have. I'm pretty convinced it's a cheap tourist item but I'd like to know at least where it may have come from;

cross-posted from bladeforums.com but I've re-posted it below:

take a look at the photos here:

I can tell you nothing at all about its origin, beyond that it wasn't expensive.
If anyone's got any info about it I'd appreciate it.

Sorry about the terrible quality of the photos, but I don't have the sword with me here, so I had to patch together what I had.

The blade is thin (<3mm), not sharp (but may have been), and has many scratch marks. The leather hilt and scabbard do not look mass produced to me; on the back the scabbard is sewn up with thonging. As you can see, the blade and leather are both stamped with a design, the leather more intricately so.
The scabbard is (as far as I can tell) 100% leather. The hilt I'm not so sure about. The stamping is on both sides of the blade, only one side of the scabbard.

The iron ring on the hilt confuses the hell out of me, and may have been added later (but may not).

The blade is about 1.5 - 2 feet long by about 4 inches at widest point, and the whole thing is 2 - 2.5 feet. Scabbard is about 1 inch deep.

It's probably a tourist item, but I'd like to know at least which country it comes from, so if you can tell me anything about it at all, I'd really appreciate it!

thanks,
-h.

Ian · 24th November 2006, 05:19 AM

Hi user24:

Welcome to the EAAF.

This is indeed a recently made knife from West Africa. A few years ago I had an international student who brought several of these knives of varying lengths from Ghana as a present. The tooled leatherwork is actually quite attractive but the knives have poor non-functional blades.

While I know they are being sold now in Ghana, I can't really give you a more precise geographic region in which they are made. Others here can probably give you more accurate information.

Attached are pictures of several that I received from my student.

Regards,

Ian.

user24 · 24th November 2006, 12:42 PM

yay! thanks a lot for this - that's solved a problem that's been bugging me for about 4 years! I honestly thought we'd never get further than "well, it looks eastern/african/turkish/etc".

thanks muchly!
-h.

23rd November 2006, 02:23 PM	#1
user24 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 2	Strange Short Sword - Identification Please Hello! I've been advised that you people may have some more insight on a short sword I have. I'm pretty convinced it's a cheap tourist item but I'd like to know at least where it may have come from; cross-posted from bladeforums.com but I've re-posted it below: take a look at the photos here: I can tell you nothing at all about its origin, beyond that it wasn't expensive. If anyone's got any info about it I'd appreciate it. Sorry about the terrible quality of the photos, but I don't have the sword with me here, so I had to patch together what I had. The blade is thin (<3mm), not sharp (but may have been), and has many scratch marks. The leather hilt and scabbard do not look mass produced to me; on the back the scabbard is sewn up with thonging. As you can see, the blade and leather are both stamped with a design, the leather more intricately so. The scabbard is (as far as I can tell) 100% leather. The hilt I'm not so sure about. The stamping is on both sides of the blade, only one side of the scabbard. The iron ring on the hilt confuses the hell out of me, and may have been added later (but may not). The blade is about 1.5 - 2 feet long by about 4 inches at widest point, and the whole thing is 2 - 2.5 feet. Scabbard is about 1 inch deep. It's probably a tourist item, but I'd like to know at least which country it comes from, so if you can tell me anything about it at all, I'd really appreciate it! thanks, -h.

24th November 2006, 05:19 AM	#2
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,209	W. African knives Hi user24: Welcome to the EAAF. This is indeed a recently made knife from West Africa. A few years ago I had an international student who brought several of these knives of varying lengths from Ghana as a present. The tooled leatherwork is actually quite attractive but the knives have poor non-functional blades. While I know they are being sold now in Ghana, I can't really give you a more precise geographic region in which they are made. Others here can probably give you more accurate information. Attached are pictures of several that I received from my student. Regards, Ian.

24th November 2006, 12:42 PM	#3
user24 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 2	yay! thanks a lot for this - that's solved a problem that's been bugging me for about 4 years! I honestly thought we'd never get further than "well, it looks eastern/african/turkish/etc". thanks muchly! -h.