Mandingo Daggers

[Jim McDougall]

While the discussion originally pertains to the classification spectrum of Mande sphere weapons, I had noted the distinct feature of the flared tip scabbard which occurs also in Sudan with kaskara scabbards.

So using the occurrence of such features on other 'Mande' associated weapons with similar features, actually which are bulbous rather than flared, the question is what do these represent, as well as decorative character. The potential for snake related potential is brought up.

By analogy, in India there are the swords with disc like features which are termed by collectors, 'cobra swords' referring to the flared hood of the cobra snake.
These seem to be primarily situated in Uttar Pradesh in Northern India with the Pahari people and also connected to Hindu Rajputs. The chakra (=disc, wheel) is a weapon of Shiva, which is what this feature actually represents, not a cobra or snake.
The disc appears typically at the root of the blade, however there are examples of Hindu basket hilt with the disc at distal end of blade, with a serrated (nagan) blade.

These are the kinds of situations we end up with in trying to determine what sort of symbolism is being represented and hoping to apply that to the determining regions the feature commonality might denote.
Again, while off the course of the subject weapons, just an illustration of the situation.