new kaskara

[David R]

Interesting that you see this as being a trade blade. My own has exactly the same style, and I took it to be a local product.... No stamps, which is one of the reasons I did no think it a trade item.

[Iain]

Originally Posted by David R

Interesting that you see this as being a trade blade. My own has exactly the same style, and I took it to be a local product.... No stamps, which is one of the reasons I did no think it a trade item.

The piece in the original post looks to have a ricasso. Not something I recall seeing on locally made blades. I'd attribute your example as local manufacture as you supposed.

[David R]

I don't see a ricasso, I see thickened edges where the langets are, but not the actual squared off section that you have with a ricasso. Perhaps the author can confirm or deny.

[Iain]

Originally Posted by David R

I don't see a ricasso, I see thickened edges where the langets are, but not the actual squared off section that you have with a ricasso. Perhaps the author can confirm or deny.

Thats the element I was referring to. Never see it on native blades.

[David R]

Originally Posted by Iain

Thats the element I was referring to. Never see it on native blades.

Over the years I have had a couple (perhaps 3 even) trade blades and they did not have a ricasso, merely a blunt, less sharp, thickened area at the base. A ricasso proper is a distinct squared off base, like this...

[Iain]

Originally Posted by David R

Over the years I have had a couple (perhaps 3 even) trade blades and they did not have a ricasso, merely a blunt, less sharp, thickened area at the base. A ricasso proper is a distinct squared off base, like this...

I'm aware of what the term means, in the case of the blade under discussion it is not simply unsharpened, but has not been ground for the profile of the blade, it is the remains of the ricasso 'block' but the fuller has been extended through it.

I've had and seen plenty of trade blades in African mounts with ricasso, quite often they are hidden under the guard when they are mounted in this context.

[Marc M.]

Originally Posted by David R

I don't see a ricasso, I see thickened edges where the langets are, but not the actual squared off section that you have with a ricasso. Perhaps the author can confirm or deny.

Hi David
There is no classic ricasso, the fuller stops against the crosshandle. I see this as a ricasso where the fuller runs through.
I recall reading an older thread about the same type of ricasso on a single wide fuller blade like on my kaskara, probably an european import blade.
The blade on your kaskara looks to be of a good quality.
Its not so important for me if it's european or native, as long as it's used and well made.
Best regards
Marc

[David R]

I am happy with blades of either origin, so long as they are a decent piece. I do like the one I posted, a lot. It is surprisingly light and handy to wield by virtue of a good and well done distal taper, and a fair old edge to it as well.

47 years ago I worked on a dig in Shropshire with a very old veteran of the Sudan administration in the 1920's. He told me that the favourite ploy was to feint a strike down, and then backhand up into the inner thigh to hamstring or to cut the femoral artery.... He sat in on the native court where they decided on the blood money owed to a man who lost a leg to that blow. 9 black camels was the final award.
Strikes to the outside of the arm or leg counted as intent to wound, cuts to the inside arm or leg were adjudged to be intent to kill, and compensation graded accordingly. (RIP Max,we will never see your like again).

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by David R

I am happy with blades of either origin, so long as they are a decent piece. I do like the one I posted, a lot. It is surprisingly light and handy to wield by virtue of a good and well done distal taper, and a fair old edge to it as well.

47 years ago I worked on a dig in Shropshire with a very old veteran of the Sudan administration in the 1920's. He told me that the favourite ploy was to feint a strike down, and then backhand up into the inner thigh to hamstring or to cut the femoral artery.... He sat in on the native court where they decided on the blood money owed to a man who lost a leg to that blow. 9 black camels was the final award.
Strikes to the outside of the arm or leg counted as intent to wound, cuts to the inside arm or leg were adjudged to be intent to kill, and compensation graded accordingly. (RIP Max,we will never see your like again).

Thats a great story David! and a nice tribute to someone who sounds to have been a fascinating man. It is interesting that in many tribal societies there were indeed these kinds of compensatory matters handled by tribal courts.
My similar experience with one of the 'old guard' was with a British Brigadier who led one of the last British mounted cavalry charges in 1931 on the Khyber Plains. One treasures the moments they shared these amazing stories.....

[Edster]

Thanks Iain & Marc for the clarifications. In my ignorance I would have thought the heat treated blade would be considerably harder than one freshly forged and considerably resist a hammer blow on a stamp die. I guess commercial dies as one piece with complex designs were applied either cold or hot per their depth often with a hydraulic press. Makers marks like those used by Kassaka smiths were made with a series of small simple dies also cold applied. No doubt smiths only wanted to "sign" their work after it was complete and proven of quality.

Thanks again,
Ed