Age of an African blade is hard to tell. You must keep in mind that the conditions in some parts of Africa are far from perfect (moisture, etc...). So a weapon from the beginning of the 20th century can be quite old. Most African weapons in museums date from the end of the 19th century. A time when Africa was being 'discovered'. So is this old ? In African terms, yes.
It's no use comparing with, for example, a Japanese katana that can be centuries old.
You say that your sword blade has perhaps been 'overcleaned'. I wouldn't worry about that. Most African weapons we find here in Europe (Belgium) have a kind of dark patina. At first, I thought that this was the way it should be. Until....I read in a book that the warriors in some parts of Central Africa kept their swords and knives highly polished. They took real good care of their weapons, as any good soldier/warrior.
One some weapons (for example : spears) the blades are partially blackened, with polished edges . This was done to embellish the piece.
The quality of forging is something we need to look at more.
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