Interesting knife for ID Tlingit or African?
 

Who the heck knows!
In some ways it reminds me of the Tlingit knives and in other ways it looks African.
It's 56cm/22" overall. Diamond section blade (thick and sturdy) multiple single fullers. In quite a dry and rusty state, needs a clean badly.
Anyone know what it it?

A nice large and unusual piece.

Be conservative in cleaning, patina is preferred on African weapons.

Hi Gav

It IS definately African then?
The hilt bindings remind me of Mandinka work?

African for sure in my opinion. This pattern of leather wrapping over cloth is well known in the Cameroon/Nigeria border area. The incised line decoration is also consistent with pieces from this area and also shows up on Hausa arm daggers.

The pommel is certainly unusual, but I guess comes from the same school as the Tebu skullcrusher style.

Nice piece!

Thanks Iain.

I've never seen one quite like this before, so it had me a bit stumped.

No problem, I can't recall one exactly the same either, but I think the general style is pretty consistent with the region I mentioned. :)

I like it a lot, sometimes arm daggers from the region have quite wide blades but I like this slender profile - rather elegant.

Hi agree with Iain. African from the Nigeria/Cameroon border but it is quite interesting because I have never see this type of cap. The usual cap of the Tebou-Tedda is triangular. It could be an older form !!

Hi, fully agree with Iain and Mauro. Interesting and probably rare piece ! And let´s take one picture with simmilar blade (Tebu item, bud unfortunately polished, Gav...)

Regards
Martin

it reminds me
 

:-)

By form, it reminds me of two ends of a spear joined together and bound in th middle. It dont think it is as the splayed end looks too wide for a spear base...but...any movement in there???

Gav

Mauro, Iain, Martin, Gav,


Thanks chaps!
I've done some further digging in the archives using your advice:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...highlight=tebu
Remember this one of Davids?

No movement, definately one piece construction.

Yup, that style like David's piece is what I was thinking of generally. That style, with a more rounded pommel seems to be a distinct variant as well from the more triangular examples.