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Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
The scabbard on the Manding sword is diagonally geometric rather than checkerboard, and such geometrics are clearly widely used in many cultural spheres, so this comparison while interesting, I would still consider inconclusive.
As always! More research to be done 
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Good point Jim, Id missed that, perhaps in that case, we should look at the Dogon for a possible North African insperation to such cheqerboard designs though? whether by diffusian to surronding tribes or not?
To quote from..
http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Dogon.html
"The Dogon are best known for their extensive carving of masks and wooden figurative art. The primary colors used by the Dogon are usually red, black, and white, and popular patterns include spirals and checkerboard motifs, both of which can be traced to their origin stories."
I assume these handles were intialy dyed red & black? that how it appears, to my eye?
The origin of this pattern in the region is reputadly from one of the 4 anscersters of the tribe.{The Nomo.}...
"Often depicted is the blacksmith Nommo, usually with a horse. He was the first to descend to earth in an ark or by means of a rainbow, bearing seeds and he laid out the first fields for agriculture. The chequer board patterns are associated with him and those fields"
from.
http://artworld.uea.ac.uk/teaching_m...n/welcome.html
So that combined with The grip shape could be an evolution or hybrid of North African grips, Nimcha, Berber Saber, Bou Saadi. Would perhaps mean North Africa shouldnt be ruled out?
It certanly visualy would sit comfterably in a North African weapons collection.
Spiral