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#1 |
Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Kent
Posts: 2,653
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I have just taken a risk on this Knife, just purchased off eBay, for £20?!!
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#2 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,712
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Not my field but £20 seems a good to me, doesnt look as garish as the more recent ones to my eye.
Spiral |
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#3 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 5,503
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I do not think it can be properly called Telek, but I agree: Tuareg most likely, and 19th cen sounds very plausible.
The handguard reminds me of Takouba. Nice one! |
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#4 |
(deceased)
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Coast USA
Posts: 3,191
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Ariel
It's an old Hausa tribe arm dagger. Very nice! Lew |
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#5 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: What is still UK
Posts: 5,780
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Not bad for the money, it is a real old one.
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#6 |
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Kent
Posts: 2,653
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Thanks everybody,
so it looks likely to be Hausa, and with some age. Is it the style that indicates it's likely age? Am I correct in saying that the Hausa styled swords and knives have a Taureg influence? |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: What is still UK
Posts: 5,780
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Hello David,
Your question is a little chicken or egg as to who influences who. The hilt on your telek is very typical of Nigerian/Hausa and some Cameroon daggers. I would have a wild guess that the settled areas with more resources for manufacture probably exert the strongest influence. This is just a guess but Taureg hilts are also found in use in Hausa and other areas. |
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#8 |
Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Kent
Posts: 2,653
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Thanks Tim,
your knowledge of African weapons is a valuable resource, I appreciate your many replies to my threads. Although this knife is probably Hausa, is it still considered a Telek? Or is it a 'Telek styled' knife? |
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#9 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: What is still UK
Posts: 5,780
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I think arm knives covers most knives that are carried on your arm , but collectors even historians like specific names I guess.
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#10 |
Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Montréal, Province of Québec, Canada
Posts: 46
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Hi everybody,
Even more complicated, Tuareg of Mali call their arm daggers "gouzma" (or "guzma"), and their belt daggers "telak" ! Zan |
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#11 |
Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Kent
Posts: 2,653
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Received knife today, definately old, unfortunate that the scabbard is missing, or would some be made without? I would have thought a bare blade against the arm would not be a good idea. The blade has the 'characteristic' three grooves,parallel, running along both sides of the blade ( not deep enough to be classed as fullers?) which I tend to associate with the Taureg, which now I know is not necessarily true. Is there any significance with these lines? The 'arm band' is leather that is age hardened, is it OK to use leather feed to make it more supple, or is it best to leave 'as is'?
Nevertheless, it's a nice piece and I think a bargain price? (hey, I don't know, I've only recently started collecting ![]() Pictures below, the brass is more tarnished than photo's suggest Last edited by katana; 25th March 2006 at 09:01 PM. |
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