Portuguese navigator sword for comments

Philip · 5th February 2021, 06:20 PM

Interesting. Looks like a recycled European saber blade? I'm wondering about the hilt, especially the grip/pommel junction. Front end of grip is darkened and shows wear from age, whereas rear looks relatively fresh, and its flat-sawn end stands apart from the globosity of the pommel. The guard looks right to me and the way the ricasso of the blade has been trimmed to fit the arms descending from the écusson is appropriate to the European antecedents to these African weapons. I don't know enough about equatorial African arms to tell whether the grooved spherical pommel is culturally appropriate in form and manufacture, but hopefully another forumite familiar with this material can comment.

Thanks for posting this example.

5th February 2021, 06:20 PM	#30
Philip Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,036	Interesting. Looks like a recycled European saber blade? I'm wondering about the hilt, especially the grip/pommel junction. Front end of grip is darkened and shows wear from age, whereas rear looks relatively fresh, and its flat-sawn end stands apart from the globosity of the pommel. The guard looks right to me and the way the ricasso of the blade has been trimmed to fit the arms descending from the écusson is appropriate to the European antecedents to these African weapons. I don't know enough about equatorial African arms to tell whether the grooved spherical pommel is culturally appropriate in form and manufacture, but hopefully another forumite familiar with this material can comment. Thanks for posting this example.