And what is this?

[Emanuel]

Greetings,

I'm intrigued by this Old African Sword: http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=015&item=250044262935&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1
The hilt is, to me, very strange. Is this type of hilt seen anywhere else?
Regards,
Emanuel

[katana]

Hi Emanual,
I followed this one, not certain whether it is African.....it certainly looks to be....but the hilt ,as you've pointed out, is unusual... could it be Middle Eastern ? The squared off tip is something I haven't seen on African swords of this type either????

[Tim Simmons]

Looks very much like one of the many European machete with West African finishing. I like the scabbard I assume that is furry skin on the bottom part.

[Lew]

Hi Emanual,
I followed this one, not certain whether it is African.....it certainly looks to be....but the hilt ,as you've pointed out, is unusual... could it be Middle Eastern ? The squared off tip is something I haven't seen on African swords of this type either????

That is a nice one tried to buy it from the seller after it did not sell the first time but he wouldn't take paypal only wanted payment in GBP hope you were the winner it's a nice piece.

Lew

[Mark]

Looks very much like one of the many European machete with West African finishing. I like the scabbard I assume that is furry skin on the bottom part.

Yeah, I was going to say it looks like a dolled-up cane knife (sugar cane chopper).

[Jim McDougall]

I agree this does seem to have a machete like blade, although not to familiar with squared point. Is that something peculiar to sugar cane knives or swords.
That hilt seems remarkably like the mysterious 'Berber' sabres with profiled blade tips!
Can anybody post one of those hilts?
Jim

[Rick]

One Berber hilt coming up. :D

[Emanuel]

Hello,

No, I didn't get it, but I seriously considered it. The seller's payment preferences put me off as well.
A long time ago, a nimcha-like sword came up for discussion, and its hilt had nail heads or studs much like this machete http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=144&highlight=zanzibar

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=815&stc=1

Emanuel

[Flavio]

Hi all! Yeah an european machete with local (african) handle and scabbard. If i'm not wrong (and this could be :D ) there is one of this among the sold items on Mr. Artzi's site.

[tom hyle]

It seems that in PI fist pommels with the thumb tucked in are a Katapunin and/or masonic symbol?