Seme

[DaveF]

I've three semes with medial ridges and they all have an unsharpened section just down from the handle. I'd always assumed that this was because, being very tip-heavy, they would have been held by that part of the blade to provide better balance for finer cutting/chopping.

[Marc M.]

I just received this seme, similar to the seme from Interested Party. The blade is in the old shape with a central rib, fairly heavy. The blade is 9 mm thick at the handle, 41 cm long and oal 54 cm. The blade is 6 mm thick at the hilt and gradually merges into the sharp cutting edge over a length of 17 cm. Since it is a hiltless sword it seems logical to me that the cutting edges are blunt against the handle, this way you keep your fingers intact if your hand slides off the handle. Both sword and scabbard are in good condition, the belt is missing a piece. The end of the scabbard is a one cent coin of Edward the seventh, 1909. I suppose the date of the coin is not necessarily the age of the sword, it looks far too good.
Regards
Marc

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

[Interested Party]

Nice looking seme Marc. To me yours has a more finished blade and the handle has ribs under the leather. I read some place, maybe this forum, that the handles that had ribs were older. Anyone have evidence to prove or disprove this idea?

[Tim Simmons]

Wish i hade kept these now.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...highlight=seme

[G. Mansfield]

Interested party, I think that your seme is a legitimate sword, meaning not for tourist, but not entirely old either, circa 1950. Marc, I think yours has some greater age to it as it is more in the older style with the leather spiral handle and a nicely mid-ribbed blade. With the 1909 coin attached, the coin may have been earlier, but I would not be surprised if it is from that time period. It’s hard to tell. They did not change too much from the late 19th century to 1930s. The British Museum has a good number of examples in their collection to compare. The newer ones post 1930s, have very flimsy flat blades and are poorly constructed.

The older examples I have seen have both wide bladed and slender versions. I have two slender style blades. They are both very heavy iron, unsharpened until around half the blades length. Dating 1895 to about 1925. Photos attached with a Massai shield in the background. Detailed links followed.

https://www.the-mansfield-collection.com/seme-385
https://www.the-mansfield-collection.com/seme-407

-Geoffrey

[Interested Party]

Originally Posted by G. Mansfield

Interested party, I think that your seme is a legitimate sword, meaning not for tourist, but not entirely old either, circa 1950.
The older examples I have seen have both wide bladed and slender versions. I have two slender style blades. They are both very heavy iron, unsharpened until around half the blades length.
-Geoffrey

Thank you Geoffrey! 1950s, height of the Mau Mau rebellion not at great time for tourism. Thanks for the details on sharpened/unsharpened edges and weight/balance.

That is a beautiful collection. Thanks for the link.
-IP

[Marc M.]

Originally Posted by G. Mansfield

Interested party, I think that your seme is a legitimate sword, meaning not for tourist, but not entirely old either, circa 1950. Marc, I think yours has some greater age to it as it is more in the older style with the leather spiral handle and a nicely mid-ribbed blade. With the 1909 coin attached, the coin may have been earlier, but I would not be surprised if it is from that time period. It’s hard to tell. They did not change too much from the late 19th century to 1930s. The British Museum has a good number of examples in their collection to compare. The newer ones post 1930s, have very flimsy flat blades and are poorly constructed.

The older examples I have seen have both wide bladed and slender versions. I have two slender style blades. They are both very heavy iron, unsharpened until around half the blades length. Dating 1895 to about 1925. Photos attached with a Massai shield in the background. Detailed links followed.

https://www.the-mansfield-collection.com/seme-385
https://www.the-mansfield-collection.com/seme-407

-Geoffrey

Hi Geoffrey
Thanks for the additional info. Nice old seme's and the massai shield is always a cool thing. An old seme and a spear with a wide long blade are still on my wish list.
I recently bought this massai shield, the seme with the flat blade, and some spears was brought back from Kenya by a friend of mine in the 70's on a landrover tour.
Regards
Marc