New one ....
 

I visited the flea market in Bruges this morning and found this gorgeous African throwing knife. It's from the Mbanja tribe in Congo. The handle is made from some kind of animal hide.

It measures approx. 41,5 cm x 26 cm and it weighs 600 grs.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...elding1400.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...elding1403.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...elding1401.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...elding1402.jpg

You do this just to make me sick with envy :) Tim

Freddy

Very nice! Now give it a throw and see if it sticks :D


Lew

Actually these knives were more often used as currency!

Here's some of my faves:

Now you are just trying to drive me insane :D :( :rolleyes: :mad: :eek: :cool: :eek:

The hunting was sccesfull :-). Nice one!

You're quite right, but mine is not a currency....it's a weapon. You can tell the difference by looking at the blade. The currency blades are mostly flat on both sides. They can be made from iron or copper. The throwing knives who were meant to be used as weapons are different. One side is flat (the back) and the other side shows some 'relief'. I don't know if this is the correct english word, but I mean by this that it's never flat. This is needed to give the weapon its flight capacities.

Also..currencies are made without a cutting edge. A true throwing knife has a handle made from leather or braided cord. No wooden handles are used because these could be damaged on impact. Sometimes we find throwing knives with wooden handles (even covered in copper). This type of knife then has a more symbolic use. They are status symbol, not to be used for throwing.

Hello. Freddy you are, as usual, perfect (a GREAT KNIFE)!! I would only add that the Kota MUSELE knife (the one with the blade like a raven head) isn't a throwing knife, like in the end of '800 early '900 all the authors thought, but was used in the dances of a secret society only for men called MUNGALA, used ALSO as currency and placed on the graves of the chiefs.

All these knives are super, from the functional to the spiritual/magical :) Montino I do not know how you have been able to resist cleaning your examples with just a little oil and fine steel wool. Obviously I have regained my sanity :D Tim.

Oh My G*D, and ruin the patina of centuries? I can hear the outraged cries of museum conservators... "you desecrated your priceless collection!"

Ahhh yes, my famous collection of African throwing knives, years and millions spent gathering the rarest and strangest....

Actually, my 'collection' of Fang knife/currency exists only in my computer... I got the pic's from an on-line gallery whose name I now can't remember... Would you like me to post a few more?

Just found the link-
http://www.hamillgallery.com/CURRENC...gCurrency.html

Now you'll REALLY go crazy, Tim!

Oh and by the way, Tim, did I show you this other little bauble in my collection?

Hi Montino,
Is that your in 'your pictures' or is it really yours :) I have a firm grip on the wood work while I wait to hear if those emeralds and other gems are real and in your collection. It is a great pleasure to get involve in that type of work. At any given time only a very small number of things like that are made world wide. Tim

Yah, it's a great dagger but I found that the emeralds tend to get slippery if you get blood on them so I donated it to the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul... They've got it in their permanent collection now.