A Tale of Two Kaskaras

[drac2k]

Ever notice that when one buys a particular type of weapon, all of a sudden others of the same genre become available; this is my case at this time in regards to Sudanese weapons, especially kaskaras.
The first kaskara is a short one, which was said to have been collected in Port Sudan in 1935. It looks to have been shortened and the width reduced. The blade is 20" long and 1.25" wide; it is sharp and it has a heavy guard. It has been previously stated on this site that the shorter blades were for archers or that the blades were cut down as trophies, however, I do not think that this is the case with this sword since the handle is only 3" long. The length of the handle leads me to conclude that this is indeed a child's' or woman's sword(were there any Sudanese women or children warriors?), or a tourist piece.
The second sword is another matter altogether. It has a huge sharp blade and it bespeaks power and authority when held. Is the maker's mark the "Kull Death Head?"Does the blue portapee have any significance such as rank, etc.?