Small sharp and massive sword, horn of Africa ??

Marius66 · 19th March 2025, 11:00 PM

Hello and thank you all !
I was feeling something like danakil desert region...
Thank you Martin for the link ,
I read on another post that they are lot of different quality blades in these models,
This one is not perfect but impressive with the large central ridge on both sides ( make like a diamond section )
associated with extreme sharpness.
I will clean/ sand it a little.

For the horn or hoof hilt parts ,
I just wanted to say that when I receive it,
The were all almost brown and seemed wood
parts and after a baking soda bath we could see the transluscence.
For me this sword is clearly earlier thant the 80 's

Martin Lubojacky · 20th March 2025, 05:43 PM

I Let me attach photo of other long and heavy daggers (or machetes) from the southern half of Ethiopia....
All of them are completely locally made, the biggest one can measure about 70 cm. I consider them more - less contemporary (although they were made X years ago, they are still in use and local people continue to make new ones). ---Nevertheless with the exception of the three daggers in the middle of the picture, which, I think, could be least from the middle of the 20th century.

Marius66 · 20th March 2025, 10:08 PM

The fact that people-bladesmith still make these kind of sword doesn't mean that all these sword are recent ones.

The ''model'' and technic are still the same,
Cf this dagger taken back during first italian incursion ( blade looks mahdist ) looks like post 1950 ones
On this museum, only weapons collected before 1900
I'll try to find some.pics in this italian museum of similar long knives as we discuss.

20th March 2025, 05:43 PM	#2
Martin Lubojacky Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 843	I Let me attach photo of other long and heavy daggers (or machetes) from the southern half of Ethiopia.... All of them are completely locally made, the biggest one can measure about 70 cm. I consider them more - less contemporary (although they were made X years ago, they are still in use and local people continue to make new ones). ---Nevertheless with the exception of the three daggers in the middle of the picture, which, I think, could be least from the middle of the 20th century. Attached Images

20th March 2025, 10:08 PM	#3
Marius66 Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Posts: 131	The fact that people-bladesmith still make these kind of sword doesn't mean that all these sword are recent ones. The ''model'' and technic are still the same, Cf this dagger taken back during first italian incursion ( blade looks mahdist ) looks like post 1950 ones On this museum, only weapons collected before 1900 I'll try to find some.pics in this italian museum of similar long knives as we discuss. Attached Images

19th March 2025, 11:00 PM	#1
Marius66 Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Posts: 131	Hello and thank you all ! I was feeling something like danakil desert region... Thank you Martin for the link , I read on another post that they are lot of different quality blades in these models, This one is not perfect but impressive with the large central ridge on both sides ( make like a diamond section ) associated with extreme sharpness. I will clean/ sand it a little. For the horn or hoof hilt parts , I just wanted to say that when I receive it, The were all almost brown and seemed wood parts and after a baking soda bath we could see the transluscence. For me this sword is clearly earlier thant the 80 's