Ngombe execution knife

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by DaveA

I'm looking at these pictures of beautiful Ngombe swords, some cleaned down to the raw metal and appearing spanking new, and others showing the passage of time. I know feelings are mixed among among members of the forum on the various aspects and merits of preservation vs. restoration. For now, I'm thinking that the African weapons have a greater beauty when they show their age. Arrest the rust and preserve the rest!

Best,

Dave A.

Hello Dave,

I don't want to start a discussion what is a correct maintenance of ethnograhic weapons and I am aware like you that there are different perceptions special between european and american collectors. But I have several questions and notes.
First, I see only one ngala in up which seems to my eyes somewhat overcleaned, all other apparently cleaned blades still have the signs of wear and age IMHO.
Second, why you write this special about african weapons? Where you see the different between maybe philippine and african blades? I think that every tribal warrior have kept his respected and surely expensive weapons in a good and clean state. Furthermore is a rusted blade improper for fighting IMO.

Do you think that I have overcleaned my ngala and do you have let it in the state the backside still have? Please have a look to the detail pictures from the cleaned blade. And frankly said, the blade look on the pictures much cleaner as in real.

In my opinion I have only removed rust and no patina. BTW, I have some blades with a dark surface which I have let in this state, but this blades haven't had active rust. See attached image.

I hope that you don't feel attacked by my questions since this isn't my purpose.

Best regards,

Detlef

[Pieje]

The Africans kept their weapons very clean, this can be seen on original pictures. Many have beautiful engraving. Why let these engraving covered by that black “patina” making them often hardly visible. (Not to confuse with the blackened part on the blade of some swords, Kuba etc) The many copper wire and nails used on the hilt would be useless if not kept clean.

I noticed that swords brought back from Belgian Congo in e.g. the first part of the 20th C. don’t have that black “patina”. The active usage of these weapons at that time probably made it impossible to acquire such patina. Apart of removing the active rust, those don’t need any further treatment. It is a real pleasure to clean these weapons.
However, those that stayed in Africa for dozens of years, unused, stored in that harsh climate, only those show such black blade. And cleaning could take some time as noted Sajen.
In my opinion, if you like to have your weapons as they were at the time they were used, you should clean the blade. “Showing their age” is just showing what they look like if being unused for many dozens of years. But that’s not the African way of preserving their weaponry. Only my opinion.

[Sajen]

Agree complete with you. There may be examples where it is difficult to find the correct way (for example the first one in post #13) but by my one I think it will be no other choice to spend some more hours for the back side!

[VANDOO]

I AM NOT SURE IF THESE ALL FIT INTO THIS CATEGORY OR TRIBE BUT ARE SIMULAR IN FORM. I HAVE ALWAYS LIKED THE DOUBLE BLADE TIP FORMS AND WILL ADD SOME PICTURES I HAVE ON HAND. PERHAPS SOMEONE WITH THE KNOWLEGE CAN CLASSIFY THEM AS TO TRIBE AND NAMES IF THEY WISH.

[eric45]

very nice.

[VANDOO]

THE LAST PICTURE ABOVE IS SAID TO BE JEMONGO, NGATA I AM NOT SURE IF THATS THE TRIBES OR WHAT. HERE ARE 2 MORE PICTURES OF IT ONE SHOWING THE UNUSUAL POMMEL GRIP. OLD OR MORE RECENT WORK I DON'T KNOW BUT I LIKED IT AND THOUGHT THE PRICE WAS RIGHT.