Very Nice Congo Dagger.
 

Just did a buy know on this lovely Congo dagger it wa a bit more than I wanted to spend but it was too nice to pass up.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=120126537507


Lew

How spooky, it's that farce thing again. I did the same thing with the same seller only yesterday. I will add a pic. Naturally I got the best piece, but you do not mind that do you Lew? :D

This is not that small, 59cm long. I just had to have the sculpted blade. The pic is a bit rubbish but i will post better when I have it. It was not expensive when one thinks about it.

Tim

Don't mind at all ;) .

Lew

A Mongo for Lew and a Songye for Tim.
I'm not sure about the scabbard of the Songye, send some detailed pics when you have.

luc

Lew, my short sword has arrived and I am delighted. A nice old one.

Luc, I can see no reason to doubt that the scabbard is original. The cuts to the side and mouth of the scabbard fit the withdraw of the blade.

I am particularly pleased with the slight off centre alignment to favour a cut from one side as seen on so many weapons from India and elsewhere. I like the sculpted nature to the forging of the blade. The weapon has added strength and rigidity by tempering the blade with a very subtle twist in opposite directions. The centre of the twist is the bridge across the blade at the waist.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../Songye001.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../Songye003.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../Songye004.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../Songye005.jpg

Tim

Very nice piece you have there I know it's a rare sword but the only thing that would have stopped me from bidding on it is the missing piece on the hilt but that is just my little quirk otherwise it is a lovely sword.


Congrats

Lew

Thanks Lew, that too made me hesitate but as nothing was missing and the break was clearly early in the weapons life, I felt it was not that detrimental. i look forward to when you receive your konda knife. I would like a good look at that rather nice engraved pattern. :cool:

While playing with this new toy I have discovered that apart from the sculptural beauty of this weapon. The twist makes it rather unpleasant. When thrust and met with resistance like a soft bodied creature, a human. The blade turns as it cuts. Nice.

The dagger arrived yesterday and it's a beauty. :D Can't tell if the scabbard is original or not but it seems old and in good shape.


Lew

Very nice Lew!!! Congratulations!! Is the brass sheet decorated with impression?

Very nice, if only I had the money for both at the time. I am getting so middle aged that I am thinking of wearing trousers instead of jeans :( :shrug:

Thanks Gentlemen. Flavio yes there is some type of embossing on the brass. Also I checked out a few other examples of this dagger on the internet and the scabbard is original.

Lew

Tim,
Your knife seems strange to me : the blade looks like a Tchokwe one, the handle a Songye one, and the scabbard is not typical.
Well, I don't know, maybe a borderline model, but the Songye are not really near the Tchokwe, some Luba are, but the Luba's handle is a bit different and their blade is bigger.
Some weapons are travelling a lot and undergoing !
Luc

Luc, perhaps this sword has it's origin in a large area of some cultural mix.
http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Luba.html