Simple yet beautiful blade; bone (ivory?) hilt; origin unknown

[shayde78]

Originally Posted by DhaDha

So... The pinned hilt and scabbard are pretty unique by Dha standards. Could this be a Yao knife from Africa?

Well...you sent me down a rabbit hole! Reading thru threads on here, it seems the origin of the yao knives was never really agreed upon (despite museum designations). I see the similarities to my knife and yours is a good suggestion. However, some features that differ - the Yao knives seem to have a partial tang (my knife has a full tang and slab scales). Also, the 1/4 inch thick spine and meticulously forged blade isn't similar to anything I've ever seen come out of Africa, but I could be wrong.

I love finding items that bring a little mystery to the conversation!