SUDANESE DAGGER FOR COMMENT

Hal Siegel · 5th June 2005, 12:44 AM

A very nice dagger, Flavio.

I believe that the Holbein-ish t-grip shape of the grip indicates an origin from Cameroon rather than the Sudan. We had a discussion about this style of dagger on the "old" forum a year or so back, but I couldn't find the discussion quickly using the Archive search.

Here's a more recent (and more touristy!) version of a Cameroon dagger:

Flavio · 5th June 2005, 11:25 AM

Thank you very much Hal. Now i'm very curious to read this old thread. Could anyone help to find it?

Conogre · 7th June 2005, 06:10 AM

Honestly Hal, I think that original discussion was based largely upon incomplete information available at the time, and I'm fairly certain that the piece that started this thread is from the Sudan.
Many of the "burnt" pieces from Cameroon seem to be turning uo in more and more shapes not original to the area (including you're "hook bladed one ! **grin**) and often made out of wood that looks amazingly like rattan.... perhaps it's even possible that an enterprising individual imported some rattan to make up for the scarcitiy of native woods due to deforestation, due to it's straightness and comparatively light weight?
Mike

ariel · 7th June 2005, 06:40 AM

Maybe, Hal is onto something. Look at the blade segment close to the handle: it has triangular projections on both sides. They do remind Central/East African blades.

5th June 2005, 12:44 AM	#1
Hal Siegel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 15	A very nice dagger, Flavio. I believe that the Holbein-ish t-grip shape of the grip indicates an origin from Cameroon rather than the Sudan. We had a discussion about this style of dagger on the "old" forum a year or so back, but I couldn't find the discussion quickly using the Archive search. Here's a more recent (and more touristy!) version of a Cameroon dagger:

5th June 2005, 11:25 AM	#2
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Thank you very much Hal. Now i'm very curious to read this old thread. Could anyone help to find it?

7th June 2005, 06:10 AM	#3
Conogre Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Clearwater, Florida Posts: 371	Honestly Hal, I think that original discussion was based largely upon incomplete information available at the time, and I'm fairly certain that the piece that started this thread is from the Sudan. Many of the "burnt" pieces from Cameroon seem to be turning uo in more and more shapes not original to the area (including you're "hook bladed one ! grin) and often made out of wood that looks amazingly like rattan.... perhaps it's even possible that an enterprising individual imported some rattan to make up for the scarcitiy of native woods due to deforestation, due to it's straightness and comparatively light weight? Mike

7th June 2005, 06:40 AM	#4
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Maybe, Hal is onto something. Look at the blade segment close to the handle: it has triangular projections on both sides. They do remind Central/East African blades.