Unusual Ngbaka throwing knife

[Luc LEFEBVRE]

This is an unusual shape for the classic Ngbaka throwing knife, the "wing" is not horizontal, it gives a nice look to this TK.
The blade is not engraved but covered with burned palm oil, like some others Congo knive.
Luc

[Tim Simmons]

Hi Luc, I am fascinated by these black and white weapons. There is a member with a black and white Naga? doa. I will search for the thread. Can you show a close up of the blade? I am not convinced the black is from boiled oil, more from the black iron scale developed in forging. This also stops rust. I can understand oil as a dressing, but how dose it make a hard black surface on the metal.

[Lew]

Tim

I will test this theory out by rubbing some oil on a piece of scrap steel and heating it up on my grill. Will let you know how it turns out.


Lew

[Tim Simmons]

I think the black is iron scale as in this example.
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2863&highlight=naga
This is the only Asian weapon I have seen use the black as decoration. All the other I have seen come from Africa, Somali, Shona, Massai? and last but not least the Congo. There are many military knives that are black but I think that is for other reasons. I will post picks of a seme I have with some black as decoration.

[Luc LEFEBVRE]

Some close up.
Luc

[Luc LEFEBVRE]

Other blades with black surface.I think oil is used while forging at the end to protect from rust and some smiths use this black surface and work on it to decorate the blade.
Luc