Another African knife
 

I found this one, hidden in a corner of an antiqueshop.

At first glance, it looks like a spear blade which has been converted into a dagger.
As usual, when I got home, I started looking through my books. I could only find a resembling weapon in the book 'Afrikanische Waffen' by Zirngibl and Fischer.
Their knife is attributed to the Saka tribe in Congo.

But in my other books, I found nothing similar.

So....who can help identifying this piece ? :confused:

Total length is 47 cm, with a hilt measuring 13,5 cm. Part of the handle is covered with iron binding.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...numan/Saka.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ka-detail1.jpg

No one has an idea ?

That's a pretty big blade for a knife. If the blade wasn't so pointed and the hilt less decorative I would say possibly Zulu. But it's just for fancy for them.

Look at the blade of this spear, cut in half then put together with some brass tube. Alas I was the mug who paid money for it. I will retrieve from the loft space {where the horrors lurk like in the exorcist} and take better pictures of the blade in the next day or two.

Tim is right it looks like a spear point.
But the handle ???
Luc

I have this heavy stabbing spear with simular blade. The blade is 51 cm long without the fitting; total lenght 158 cm. See 'Westerdijk' Groep 1, G (Nbaja) or H Ngbandi, Bati, Benge, Poto, Ngome en "Gens d'eau). I have no idee about the handle.

I agree to the fact that the blade of this knife looks like (or is) a spearblade.

Here is the pic which is shown in the book I mentioned when i started this thread.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...man/Saka-1.jpg


Some time ago, I started another thread concerning a converted spear head. Perhaps this was more frequently done than we think ?

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ghlight=freddy

This is an other spearblade with a knifehandle.

Spearblades were used as a means of currency. The owner could make spears or.....knives, daggers and swords.

Congoblades, I think your last pic shows such a currency blade.

Hello all,
I'm a new italian member of this forum. Be tolerant with my broken English.
I have a short dagger similar to the one of Freddy, but is only 21 cm long (blade is 12,8 cm.). I'm interested to its origin. Every help will be appreciated.
Thank You
Paolo

Welcome to the forum, Paolo

You have a very nice little knife. It's definitively African (and without any doubt from Congo), but I'm not sure of its exact origin (tribe).

The iron binding on the handle is indeed similar.

Don't be worried about the size of your dagger. A lot of miniature knives and daggers were made in Congo.

Here are two other small daggers from my collection.

The one on the left is a miniature dagger from the Saka-, Mongo- or Kutu-tribes. Total length : 27,5 cm. Length of blade : 14 cm

The second one comes from the Tshokwe-tribe and measures 23 cm (blade : 13 cm)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...elding1842.jpg

Thank you Freddy for your reply.
Merry Xmas
Paolo

OH FINALMENTE!!!!

At the end another italian here that loves african blades!!! Well in recent times i have started to love also other blades, but Africa is still my first love!!
PAOLO BENVENUTO!!
Well i have a little knive that shows an handle and a pommel identical to the one of yours, Paolo, but the blade is different. Now i haven't a pic but tomorrow i will post some. I don't remember the provenience (of course congo, but which tribe?) maybe tomorrow i will see some references.

ALLORA DI NUOVO BENVENUTO SPERO DI SCAMBIARE CON TE QUALCHE CHIACCHERA! CIAO
(sorry :p )

I have only few African blades, I like more other oriental edge weapons.
(DI DOVE SEI ? ASPETTO TUE NOTIZIE SULLA MIA POSTA. CIAO)
(sorry for italian message to Flavio)
Paolo

PM sent :)

For Freddy
Do you think that also if blade is so small, it might be originally a spearpoint ?
Paolo

For Flavio
I can't read your message (NORTON antivirus stops it). Send, please, it to my email account.
Paolo

Paolo, hai la ricezione di mails disattivata, quindi posso mandarti solamente PM. Dovresti entrare nel tuo profilo e riattivarla :)
Sorry guys we have a problem to how send mails :p

It's not the size that matters :D

Look at this thread I started some time ago. The piece I'm showing there is also a converted spearblade, but it's huge !

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ghlight=Freddy

Here is my little shaver (seems!). The blade is another thing but the handle... On books I have found nothing like this but on http://www.mambele.be/ (Mr. Poppe's site) there is this one

http://www.mambele.be/knife_detail.p...0230&rowno=129

very similar attributed to the tribes Ngombe, Doko, Ngbandi, Mbudja.

To sum up, my one might be a Congo's tribe (Ngombe, Doko, Ngbandi, Mbudja like http://www.mambele.be/knife_detail....=0230&rowno=129 ) dagger obtained by a little spearpoint.
Paolo