North African? Saber of European form

[Shakethetrees]

I got this from a local antique shop. Walked by it for years, but because it didn't fit comfortably into what I was then collecting (American/Southern US weapons), so I ignored it for ten years, maybe more.

The price sat (and the dust built up) over the years.

Finally, I had to grab it, as nothing in my field was turning up.

By then this dealer had become a good friend, and visits to his shop over a 22 year period became more social than business.

I thought for a long time it was possibly made in the new World, by an African trained blacksmith, due to the asymmetrical blade. It has a flat, slab side and a chamfer down to the edge, and opposite is just a plain slab side. All surface finishing is roughly filed or stone finished and not finely polished. The guard is hand wrought and chiseled to a generally European form. The grip appears to be tubular iron with thin dark brown skin wrapped in one piece.

The scabbard has no metal mounts and appears to never have had any. The leather is pretty high quality, unlike that used on European or American scabbards. The two flaps sewn to the scabbard are reminiscent of those used on a British Fairbairn-Sykes WWII commando knife scabbard.

After all sorts of adjustments to my understanding of this piece, I've evolved. I think it's of North African origin. The form and finish of the blade, the construction, style, and type of leather cinch this attribution in my mind.

However the hilt is a mystery.

There are a lot of experts here familiar with takouba of the Tuareg, and other weapons from various Sahel tribes that are out of my experience.

Any light that could be shed on this enigma would be most helpful.

[trenchwarfare]

Interesting piece. The hilt style, is vaguely similar to an English 1853 pattern. What part of LA do you live in? I'm in Alexandria, and set up at most of the gun shows in the state. Maybe our paths have crossed?

[Shakethetrees]

Let's PM.

[Jim McDougall]

This is indeed an anomaly, and as been well observed, the guard pattern of the hilt remarkably favors the British M1853 cavalry sabre. As noted, the scabbard seems entirely Saharan with the central depression, as well as some of the tooling designs resembling Tuareg style motif.
Those carry flaps are also typically seen on Tuareg scabbards.

The hilt, while resembling the British pattern, is not of the characteristic standard, and seems one of the colonially produced examples. I think of these from I believe Rodwell & Co. who produced these model swords for the police or security forces of a railway Co (I think it was Baruda).
These hilts could easily have entered the North African sphere during the post Mahdiyya condominium and how they might have diffused further is anybodys guess.
It is most uncommon to see this kind of a hilt on a Saharan sword, so very incongruent with the Tuareg style scabbard. I would point out that there were curved takouba known as aljuinar. I have also seen these with Mole blades (Birmingham England),

The blade is absolutely native and the raised central ridge also atypical for Sahara, while well known in Ethiopia (much like the 'gile' blade) and the Maasai seme.

Interesting to say the least! and an attractive sabre, apparently with some stories to tell.

*side note re: M1853 British cavalry swords.......many of these were supplied to the Confederate States in the Civil War through Isaac & Co. in London. Also many of the pattern were produced for native cavalry regiments in India.

[Shakethetrees]

Jim,

Thanks for the observances!

As my lead-in story tells, it was such an odd-ball that I ignored it for a very long time, not realizing that these "orphans" can tell some amazing stories.

In time, as I saw more ethnic work, I came to realize the blade is Tuareg style. The back slab side is parallel to the upper facet opposite. The edge facet slopes down from the mid-point to the edge. There is no raised central ridge.

The hilt is very primitively made, just hand wrought and chiseled into shape. I don't think any self respecting Brit cutler could have in good conscience put out such a primitive piece!

The grip is very small, only 3.5", barely enough to squeeze my average sized hand into. The blade is a shade under 29", and about one and a quarter inches wide at the ricasso.

[blue lander]

I saw a similar European sabre with Tuareg looking scabbard go up for auction a few months ago. But the blade and hilt on this one are obviously European and not some native facsimile.