Unusual African knives for I.D.

colin henshaw · 10th August 2021, 05:42 PM

Here are a couple of African knives I acquired a little while ago. Usually this type is described as "Shona", from Zimbabwe, however there are a few unusual features being ... not an "ogee" profiled blade, copper strip bindings and the deliberate squared off tip.

The copper strips are associated more with the Congo area, the blunted tips are strange, perhaps to make them less lethal (could this be to satisfy some tribal or colonial authority law ?)

I'm inclined to place these knives tentatively to the Malawi area, but can anyone help out with more precise identification ?

Further information and/or comments are welcome.

10th August 2021, 05:42 PM	#1
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,430	Unusual African knives for I.D. Here are a couple of African knives I acquired a little while ago. Usually this type is described as "Shona", from Zimbabwe, however there are a few unusual features being ... not an "ogee" profiled blade, copper strip bindings and the deliberate squared off tip. The copper strips are associated more with the Congo area, the blunted tips are strange, perhaps to make them less lethal (could this be to satisfy some tribal or colonial authority law ?) I'm inclined to place these knives tentatively to the Malawi area, but can anyone help out with more precise identification ? Further information and/or comments are welcome. Attached Images