Tabouka logo of the Vikingsword forum
 

Hi,

Is it possible to have more information about the tabouka used as a logo for our Forum? Hilt,pommel and blade look very interesting...

Best,
Kubur

Mounts are modern silver and leather work from Agadez, Niger.
Older European made trade blade with sun, moon and stars engraving.
(Usually these fancy high end mounts have been applied to decent older blades)

I'll work on getting some additional photos where you may see details.

Thank you very much Lee, I was thinking that the sword was Iain's collection...
Thank you for the photos too because I couldn't find this sword on the forum despite something similar here
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15241

Not mine! I focus on older mounts exclusively and actually most of my collection has been sold.

This one has a lovely trade blade with astral motifs, the same pattern turns up in kaskara as well fairly frequently.

Oh I see. Two questions from an ignorant, do you think that all the fancy & shiny mounts are recent? And do you think that the blade can be older than the 18th c.?
thanks

Yes and yes is the short answer.

These elaborate silver mounts are entirely new. This is in part due to the evolution of the takouba from a fighting sword to a part of traditional costume and cultural item.

Older (19th century and earlier) mounts often have a highly decorated brass plate or some engraving on the pommel but nothing on the level of the newer swords.

This blade, Lee would be best placed to date it, but given the form it could date to the late 17th century. Hard to say exactly from the one image.

However while this would be quite an old blade for takouba it isn't that unusual. Of the few swords I have retained in my collection one has a 14th century blade, one a 15th century and I've had and passed on blades ranging from the 16th-18th centuries.

While these are in the minority of most takoubas on the market they do exist!

This is how an older handle/pommel, from a "fighting" sword, should look like.
Ex Iain Norman collection ;-)

That one's even more unusual with the wire grip wrap. Only one I ever saw with that! :) Glad its in a good home now!