Nice Older Ovambo Dagger

[Lew]

Hi All

I picked this up in trade today. Seems like an older fine quality Ovambo dagger which I think are pretty rare? Let me know what you think.

[Flavio]

Hi Lew!!!

It's really nice!! the only thing that make me think are the rivets on the handle.. Never seen before, but from the patination it looks old :shrug:

Anyway, a really nice dagger, congrats!

Flavio

[Lew]

Flavio

I also never saw the use of rivets or small nails before but if someone wanted to fake a piece they went to a lot of trouble with all the carving in the wood? ;) I found a link to an older one so my guess is that mine is post WW2?

http://www.trocadero.com/stores/michaelcichontribalarts/items/960259/item960259.html

[Wodimi]

Hi Lew,
sorry to say, but I have great doubts if it is a real knife. There are so many points which are usual at this knife typ. It looks nice, that's no question, but possibly a tourist item. Also the blade looks on your picture not like an old blade from the Ovambo must look. Difficult to say what age it can have, only that it was produced without knowledge of the tradition.
Attached mine. The left one was collected in 1904, in the middle a Mbukushu knife and right another Ovambo with a little bit different handle.
Best
Wolf

[Lew]

Wolf

Thanks for the input. I don't think it's that old maybe 1950s? Looking at the construction someone went to a lot of work if this was a tourist piece. Oh well you win some you lose some. :shrug:

[katana]

Hi Lew,
I noticed there seems to be damage to the hilt ....possibly caused by 'movement' of the tang. Perhaps the rivets were a later repair (to secure the tang) perhaps suggesting the owner valued the knife as it 'was'. I would have thought it was easier to replace the hilt :shrug:

Regards David

[Lew]

Hi Lew,
I noticed there seems to be damage to the hilt ....possibly caused by 'movement' of the tang. Perhaps the rivets were a later repair (to secure the tang) perhaps suggesting the owner valued the knife as it 'was'. I would have thought it was easier to replace the hilt :shrug:

Regards David

David

That is just a defect or rough spot in the wood. There is a small copper strip at the top of the belt loop with four small pins in it? Like I said someone put in a lot of work on this dagger but it is probably mid 20th.