A kuba Nshaal?

[Flavio]

What a surprise, Mike! I have a sword with an identical blade like yours, but, untill now, i never seen others! I thought was congolese, but someone said to me that it maybe comes from Cameroon.
Instead there are no doubts it comes from Congo as show the tipical yaka handle and scabbard! But Mike, I don't think that the blade is Salampasu, it's quite different!

[Conogre]

I'd hazard a guess that the Ilwoon is actually mid to late 1800's based upon the heavy ridge in the center, with later pieces often much flatter.
The Fang Fa sword is absolutely gorgeous **drool** and Freddy, is your mbanja thrower a user or a ceremonial piece (it looks like the former)as probably 80% of the "throwing knives were actually ceremonial pieces.
Flavio, that is a beautiful sword and definitely the same blade, but with a hilt and scabbard style I've not seen before......just great, now I'm back to square one again, but at least not alone this time! LOL!
Many don't realize that a lot of tribes were actually quite fluid, moving as alliances were made or broken and with many "tribes" actually part of much larger nations, much like the American plains Indians, the African Zulu nation tribes prior to Chaka or even the Mongols prior to Temujen's unification, to go way back.
Here's my latest thrower, a Ngbaka (I believe) user type that ironically was reproduced and mass marketed here in the US about 10 years ago as the "hunga munga"...I wish I'd have kept the US version now more than ever, but alas it was thrown to death!**grin**
Mike

[Flavio]

Hello Mike, great throwing knife (even if I preferr to call it throwing blade since here in Italy, and maybe also in other countries, the knife is something very different: a blade with only one edge sharp).
Anyway, about your yaka short sword, I have said previously that the blade, in my opinoin isn't salampasu, (is for the working of the blade, mine is all hammered in the central part, while the salampasu that are mine are completely smoothed, more the midrib is decorated with a zig-zag, while the salampasu blades are not or, maximum, they have a series of dots that close encircles the depression near the hilt [in mine, and as i can seen, in your blade there isn't this depression]). After all i'm agree on what you say about the several African tribes.
Perhaps the single comparison with salampsu is on the scabbard of my short sword: it has, like the salampasu scabbard, that element in relief that help to hang the scabbard to the sides or on the back.

[Tim Simmons]

Hello all, I have seen Mikes Knife with the Yaka style hilt and scabbard but Cameroon style blade labeled as Songye.I think one has to except some cross over of stylistic boundarys.However I agree with Flavio that I to feel it is not Salampasu, which I believe this is.Tim

[Freddy]

I'm starting to like this thread. Let's all show our 'strange' knives and swords.

Mike,

The Mbanja throwing knife could be ceremonial if you look at its shape. But I can assure you : all edges are sharp.
It came in a lot with four other throwing knives. All from the same region, but all with a different shape. I guess the other four are more for 'daily' use. I wouldn't like to be in the flight path when these guys are thrown. All are still sharp.

One thing is sure, a throwing knife made to be used always has a plaited or leather handle (sometimes copper banding is also used). Other material would break on impact.
The ones with wooden or even ivory handles are the ceremonial ones.

This is how I found them :



Look at the edges :



One even has some engravings



By the way, Mike : nice throwing knife. Why not throw it at me

[Tim Simmons]

Very nice Freddy,have you got one spare?

[Tim Simmons]

I know I am going up North ,I just had to join in one more time.Afene.Tim

[Conogre]

I stand corrected on the Salampasu attribution and agree with you guys, particularly after seeing your fine examples.
Mine is definitely a user piece with a raised central rib that's nicely decorated and incised and then is depressed on either side thikening slightly to a reinforced cutting edge that's razor sharp...I'll clean it and post a better blade photo.
Freddy, those throwers are awesome and highly effective and lethal, real beauties....as I said, I had a US mass produced cheap and thinner version and practiced with it until I literally destroyed it, but it was amazingly accurate and almost always struck true, thus giving me a real appreciation for them as both weapons and hunting tools for small game.
Your observation of the ivory and elaborate hilts on throwers would seem to indicate that they also have some prestige value, much like Moro swords from the Philippines more than ceremonial, but I agree, those weren't for everyday use.
Tim, I have one similar to your favorite, only without the widened extension as a pommel...is that one metal or wood?
I've seen one or two with that same hilt and from the photos it almost looked like at least one had a secondary blade for a pommel, perhaps as a built in fleshing tool?
I also agree on posting away as African pieces seem to take a back seat so often, with many truly impressive.
Justin originally thought the African pieces looked flimsy until I let him split a log with one!**grin**
Mike

[Flavio]

Hey guys this thread it's great!! What a gallery of very beautiful pieces!!
And Tim, your salampasu sword it's simple woderfull!! The scabbards is decorated with some shells?

[Conogre]

Those are cowie shells, something that I find extremely interesting as they are used as decoration throughout Africa, even in arrid regions hundreds of miles inland, throughout Indonesia and the Philippines and even on many Native American artifacts, making it probably one of the most universally used decorative items in the world.
Although some cowries reach 4" in size, the vast majority are too small to have any value EXCEPT as decor, making it all the stranger.
Mike

[Conogre]

Here's two Turkana pieces, just for example, and yes, I KNOW they aren't knives!**grin**
Mike