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#1 |
Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Montréal, Province of Québec, Canada
Posts: 46
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This is a recently made knife from the small village of Sègué, Mali. In fact, it is was special order to the local blacksmith !
The blade as not been polished, but is very sharp. Most importantly, mens with a certain status in the village were wearing a similar knife still in 2003, so it is not a tourist-made knife. The white stripes are realy made of plastic. Zan |
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#2 |
Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Montréal, Province of Québec, Canada
Posts: 46
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This one is from a Bambara village near Ségou. It was the personal knife of one man in that village.
If the scabbard is newly made, the blade is quite old. And there is again those plastic white stripes. Zan |
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#3 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 164
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Thank You all very much.
I found the one I bought at an antique store for 20 dollars. I felt like it was worth at least that much just because of how well made the scabbard is. it looks like this ones handle is a bone that has been covered in leather,but I am not sure ![]() Thanks Again for all the info Alan |
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#4 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Sint-Amandsberg (near Ghent, Belgium)
Posts: 830
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This one is probably from the same area as Zan's knives. It has a wooden handle with similar decorations. The blade is functional, yet crudely made. It has a leather sheath of different shape (without any tassels).
I like these simple knives. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Freddy |
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#5 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: 2008-2010 Bali, 1998-2008 USA
Posts: 271
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This is a contemporary Dogon tribe knife from southern Mali, western Africa. Tourist market is flourishing with many of them ending in USA as souvenirs or “accent pieces”. Dogon people are more for famous for their skill in creating ceremonial masks than edged weaponry.
Last edited by Radu Transylvanicus; 9th January 2006 at 11:58 AM. |
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#6 |
Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Montréal, Province of Québec, Canada
Posts: 46
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Hi,
Radu is perfectly right : it is a typical Dogon knife. This fascinating tribe limited to Mali is one of the only in Western Africa with preserved way of life, traditions and belief. Most still live in simple villages the same way their ancestors do. Their cosmology and their masks' society is much interesting and known, but there is almost nothing about their edged weapons. I have visited a Dogon museum in Mali where there was a saif and a Manding sword... from their enemys. It is a pacific tribe, wich was looking for unatteinable cliff edges to settle yo avoid conflicts. But they do have some interesting traditionnal utilitarian knifes. I will soon post two typical Dogon knifes. Zan |
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#7 |
Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Montréal, Province of Québec, Canada
Posts: 46
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This one was the personal knife of a seller in a small Dogon village. He had not a single knife to sell, so he sold is own.
Mens use to wear at least one of those tiny knifes. Older mens were seen with two or three of them, hanging from a leather bag. Each one has apparently is own utility. It has the typical red and black triangular patterns on the scabbard, and a very simple double-edged blade (wich is now cleaned, don't worry!). Zan |
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