touarg telek

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Marc M.

Latest telek tuareg arm dagger, oal 46.5 cm, dagger 46 cm, length blade 43 cm, width at handle 3.8 cm and thickness blade to handle 4.5 mm. Blade with a diamond cross-section, solid quality blade with 3 small grooves with a circle/sun motif at the end. Wooden handle in the shape of a Latin cross decorated with brass wire and plate. The scabbard is leather with a wide leather strap to carry the weapon on the arm. The front is perforated and shows green leather. An old quality arm dagger that you don't come across very often.
It helps if you read something carefully, just found that according to Gast, M, 1959 that telek or telak is a common name for dagger and includes the azegiz, a rare long arm dagger from the Ahaggar region. Probably this type of arm dagger.
Regards
Marc

Hi Marc,

This one is a real beauty! Very nice blade.

Regards,
Detlef

[TVV]

Marc, your new telek is quite possibly the nicest I have seen of this type, congratulations! Based on examples in the Quai Branly and Bastide's books, this type is attributed to the Hoggar mountains, which is consistent with your sources.