Do you know what this is?

Alan62 · 8th January 2006, 01:43 AM

Probably a just souvineir type knife,but does anyone recognize from where?

nechesh · 8th January 2006, 03:55 PM

I think it is an African souvineir knife, but this is not my area and i'm not sure what region of Africa it might come from.

Dom · 8th January 2006, 06:31 PM

Hi
the blade decor could be Mali or Niger, Sub-Saharian

à +

Dom

Loï bo Tuareg

Zan · 8th January 2006, 07:43 PM

Hi everybody,

I agree with Dom that it is probably a sub-saharean knife.
The scabbard looks Bambara to me (it is the dominant ethnic group of Mali, particularly around Bamako). I dont know from the picture if the blade is a traditional forged-one or simply made from spring steel, like a lot of the tourist-made knifes and swords from the region.
But for sure, this knife was crafted with a traditional aesthetic in mind.

I will post some pictures soon.

Sincerely,

Zan

Zan · 8th January 2006, 07:54 PM

This is a recently made knife from the small village of Sègué, Mali. In fact, it is was special order to the local blacksmith !

The blade as not been polished, but is very sharp. Most importantly, mens with a certain status in the village were wearing a similar knife still in 2003, so it is not a tourist-made knife.

The white stripes are realy made of plastic.

Zan

Zan · 8th January 2006, 07:59 PM

This one is from a Bambara village near Ségou. It was the personal knife of one man in that village.

If the scabbard is newly made, the blade is quite old. And there is again those plastic white stripes.

Zan

Alan62 · 9th January 2006, 12:34 AM

Thank You all very much.
I found the one I bought at an antique store for 20 dollars.
I felt like it was worth at least that much just because of how well made the scabbard is.

it looks like this ones handle is a bone that has been covered in leather,but I am not sure

Thanks Again for all the info
Alan

Freddy · 9th January 2006, 07:47 AM

This one is probably from the same area as Zan's knives. It has a wooden handle with similar decorations. The blade is functional, yet crudely made. It has a leather sheath of different shape (without any tassels).

I like these simple knives.

...and they are mostly cheap, too

Freddy

Radu Transylvanicus · 9th January 2006, 08:51 AM

This is a contemporary Dogon tribe knife from southern Mali, western Africa. Tourist market is flourishing with many of them ending in USA as souvenirs or “accent pieces”. Dogon people are more for famous for their skill in creating ceremonial masks than edged weaponry.

Zan · 10th January 2006, 01:04 AM

Hi,

Radu is perfectly right : it is a typical Dogon knife. This fascinating tribe limited to Mali is one of the only in Western Africa with preserved way of life, traditions and belief. Most still live in simple villages the same way their ancestors do.

Their cosmology and their masks' society is much interesting and known, but there is almost nothing about their edged weapons. I have visited a Dogon museum in Mali where there was a saif and a Manding sword... from their enemys. It is a pacific tribe, wich was looking for unatteinable cliff edges to settle yo avoid conflicts. But they do have some interesting traditionnal utilitarian knifes.

I will soon post two typical Dogon knifes.

Zan

Zan · 10th January 2006, 01:13 AM

This one was the personal knife of a seller in a small Dogon village. He had not a single knife to sell, so he sold is own.

Mens use to wear at least one of those tiny knifes. Older mens were seen with two or three of them, hanging from a leather bag. Each one has apparently is own utility.

It has the typical red and black triangular patterns on the scabbard, and a very simple double-edged blade (wich is now cleaned, don't worry!).

Zan

Zan · 10th January 2006, 01:31 AM

This much more bigger knife represents the women's one. The handle depicts a women in the distinctive Dogon's style. The blade is also double-edged and of local origin.

Womens use this kind of knife to prepare food. One night when I was in another village, our pork meat supper has been prepared using a similar knife. It is a very impressive utilitarian knife in the experienced hands

Sincerely,

Zan

Alan62 · 13th January 2006, 12:58 AM

Very Nice Knives Zan
Thank You for the information

Tim Simmons · 13th January 2006, 07:14 AM

Really nice!!!

8th January 2006, 01:43 AM	#1
Alan62 Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 164	Do you know what this is? Probably a just souvineir type knife,but does anyone recognize from where?

8th January 2006, 07:43 PM	#4
Zan Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montréal, Province of Québec, Canada Posts: 46	Souvenir knife ? Hi everybody, I agree with Dom that it is probably a sub-saharean knife. The scabbard looks Bambara to me (it is the dominant ethnic group of Mali, particularly around Bamako). I dont know from the picture if the blade is a traditional forged-one or simply made from spring steel, like a lot of the tourist-made knifes and swords from the region. But for sure, this knife was crafted with a traditional aesthetic in mind. I will post some pictures soon. Sincerely, Zan

8th January 2006, 07:54 PM	#5
Zan Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montréal, Province of Québec, Canada Posts: 46	Bambara knife This is a recently made knife from the small village of Sègué, Mali. In fact, it is was special order to the local blacksmith ! The blade as not been polished, but is very sharp. Most importantly, mens with a certain status in the village were wearing a similar knife still in 2003, so it is not a tourist-made knife. The white stripes are realy made of plastic. Zan Attached Images

8th January 2006, 07:59 PM	#6
Zan Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montréal, Province of Québec, Canada Posts: 46	Bambara knife 2 This one is from a Bambara village near Ségou. It was the personal knife of one man in that village. If the scabbard is newly made, the blade is quite old. And there is again those plastic white stripes. Zan Attached Images

9th January 2006, 08:51 AM	#9
Radu Transylvanicus Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: 2008-2010 Bali, 1998-2008 USA Posts: 271	This is a contemporary Dogon tribe knife from southern Mali, western Africa. Tourist market is flourishing with many of them ending in USA as souvenirs or “accent pieces”. Dogon people are more for famous for their skill in creating ceremonial masks than edged weaponry. Last edited by Radu Transylvanicus; 9th January 2006 at 11:58 AM.

8th January 2006, 03:55 PM	#2
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	I think it is an African souvineir knife, but this is not my area and i'm not sure what region of Africa it might come from.

8th January 2006, 06:31 PM	#3
Dom Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Paris (FR*) Cairo (EG) Posts: 1,142	Hi the blade decor could be Mali or Niger, Sub-Saharian à + Dom Loï bo Tuareg

9th January 2006, 12:34 AM	#7
Alan62 Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 164	Thank You all very much. I found the one I bought at an antique store for 20 dollars. I felt like it was worth at least that much just because of how well made the scabbard is. it looks like this ones handle is a bone that has been covered in leather,but I am not sure Thanks Again for all the info Alan

9th January 2006, 07:47 AM	#8
Freddy Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sint-Amandsberg (near Ghent, Belgium) Posts: 830	This one is probably from the same area as Zan's knives. It has a wooden handle with similar decorations. The blade is functional, yet crudely made. It has a leather sheath of different shape (without any tassels). I like these simple knives. ...and they are mostly cheap, too Freddy

10th January 2006, 01:04 AM	#10
Zan Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montréal, Province of Québec, Canada Posts: 46	Dogons Hi, Radu is perfectly right : it is a typical Dogon knife. This fascinating tribe limited to Mali is one of the only in Western Africa with preserved way of life, traditions and belief. Most still live in simple villages the same way their ancestors do. Their cosmology and their masks' society is much interesting and known, but there is almost nothing about their edged weapons. I have visited a Dogon museum in Mali where there was a saif and a Manding sword... from their enemys. It is a pacific tribe, wich was looking for unatteinable cliff edges to settle yo avoid conflicts. But they do have some interesting traditionnal utilitarian knifes. I will soon post two typical Dogon knifes. Zan

10th January 2006, 01:13 AM	#11
Zan Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montréal, Province of Québec, Canada Posts: 46	Small Dogon knife This one was the personal knife of a seller in a small Dogon village. He had not a single knife to sell, so he sold is own. Mens use to wear at least one of those tiny knifes. Older mens were seen with two or three of them, hanging from a leather bag. Each one has apparently is own utility. It has the typical red and black triangular patterns on the scabbard, and a very simple double-edged blade (wich is now cleaned, don't worry!). Zan Attached Images

10th January 2006, 01:31 AM	#12
Zan Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montréal, Province of Québec, Canada Posts: 46	Women's Dogon knife This much more bigger knife represents the women's one. The handle depicts a women in the distinctive Dogon's style. The blade is also double-edged and of local origin. Womens use this kind of knife to prepare food. One night when I was in another village, our pork meat supper has been prepared using a similar knife. It is a very impressive utilitarian knife in the experienced hands Sincerely, Zan Attached Images

13th January 2006, 12:58 AM	#13
Alan62 Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 164	Very Nice Knives Zan Thank You for the information

13th January 2006, 07:14 AM	#14
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,806	Really nice!!!