My First Kuba Sword......comments please

Flavio · 21st October 2006, 08:43 PM

Hi Katana, for sure the ikula is a good one, no tourist piece, and even if these knives are quite common, anyway they are very elegant and worth to be collected. Here are two of mine for comparison. About the scabbard, well as others have already said, it's modern

Regards
Flavio

Flavio · 21st October 2006, 08:53 PM

Here, instead, is a kuba war sword, the ilwoon. The handle shows some strange decorations that, in a first moment, have made me think that the handle was recent, but the very deep patination maybe tells the contrary.

Flavio · 21st October 2006, 08:55 PM

And here there is another one with also the ferrule, but this one is no more mine

katana · 22nd October 2006, 01:47 AM

Hi Flavio, thanks for the info.

....what is the best way to clean the metal pattern areas of the hilt....to make them show more clearly....

Luc LEFEBVRE · 22nd October 2006, 10:19 AM

hello katana, if you want to be a real Kuba warriors...
You can see the knife & the scabbard, which have sometimes a "strange" look, with carved heads looking like tourists pieces, but in fact it seems that no.
Luc

Luc LEFEBVRE · 22nd October 2006, 10:22 AM

a copper one of my collection
Luc

Flavio · 22nd October 2006, 10:29 AM

Hi Luc, how are you?

I have already seen this pictures and for sure are quite recent (maybe 70s or 80s?), and it's also strange the fact that these warriors show the ikula (that is a typic kuba knife) and the long sword in the scabbard with faces that in all the books is attributed to Luba (and no Ilwoon at all!!)

Maybe i'm completely wrong but this to me seems a "organized festivity" to permit a WHITE REPORTAGE!! What do you think?

Flavio

Luc LEFEBVRE · 22nd October 2006, 11:12 AM

Fine Flavio

I was thinking like you...but I' found this pic from 1953 showing a KUBA dancer with a sword in a scabbard attributed generally to the LUBA !
Well it's not simple...The western Luba (kasayi) rae not far from the Kuba region, and in the kuba territory you have people with the name of Luba (according with Felix : see the map).
We have to find and old colonial man, who live in this place to know...before he dies...
Luc

Tim Simmons · 21st October 2006, 08:54 PM

I think these are a little like Dha some are more common than others.

21st October 2006, 08:43 PM	#1
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Hi Katana, for sure the ikula is a good one, no tourist piece, and even if these knives are quite common, anyway they are very elegant and worth to be collected. Here are two of mine for comparison. About the scabbard, well as others have already said, it's modern Regards Flavio Attached Images

21st October 2006, 08:53 PM	#2
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Here, instead, is a kuba war sword, the ilwoon. The handle shows some strange decorations that, in a first moment, have made me think that the handle was recent, but the very deep patination maybe tells the contrary. Attached Images

21st October 2006, 08:55 PM	#3
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	And here there is another one with also the ferrule, but this one is no more mine Attached Images

22nd October 2006, 10:19 AM	#5
Luc LEFEBVRE Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: France Posts: 473	If you want to hold it... hello katana, if you want to be a real Kuba warriors... You can see the knife & the scabbard, which have sometimes a "strange" look, with carved heads looking like tourists pieces, but in fact it seems that no. Luc Attached Images

22nd October 2006, 10:22 AM	#6
Luc LEFEBVRE Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: France Posts: 473	copper Ikulbapyaang a copper one of my collection Luc Attached Images

22nd October 2006, 01:47 AM	#4
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,658	Hi Flavio, thanks for the info. ....what is the best way to clean the metal pattern areas of the hilt....to make them show more clearly....

22nd October 2006, 10:29 AM	#7
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Hi Luc, how are you? I have already seen this pictures and for sure are quite recent (maybe 70s or 80s?), and it's also strange the fact that these warriors show the ikula (that is a typic kuba knife) and the long sword in the scabbard with faces that in all the books is attributed to Luba (and no Ilwoon at all!!) Maybe i'm completely wrong but this to me seems a "organized festivity" to permit a WHITE REPORTAGE!! What do you think? Flavio

22nd October 2006, 11:12 AM	#8
Luc LEFEBVRE Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: France Posts: 473	Fine Flavio I was thinking like you...but I' found this pic from 1953 showing a KUBA dancer with a sword in a scabbard attributed generally to the LUBA ! Well it's not simple...The western Luba (kasayi) rae not far from the Kuba region, and in the kuba territory you have people with the name of Luba (according with Felix : see the map). We have to find and old colonial man, who live in this place to know...before he dies... Luc Attached Images

21st October 2006, 08:54 PM	#9
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,875	I think these are a little like Dha some are more common than others.