As asked on the other trumbash thread, I found the following.
From "In the Shade of the Acacia Tree: Memoirs of a Health Officer in Africa 1945-1959", Frank L. Lambrecht, 1991, p.31:
"...early visitors to Central Africa have described on the extraordinary variety and shapes of a weapon called 'trumbush' or'trombash'. It was apparently commonly used as a throwing knife during intertribal wars. It is probable that the more ornate ones depicted in the earlier books may have been knives intended for parade and symbols of authority rather than as combat weapons.
Gaetano Casati (1838-1902)in "Ten Years in Equatoria" mentions:
this is a weapon of command and distinction. The king upon sitting
down places it on a stool close by and waves it when he is gesticulating
during a long speech. It is astonishing to see how ambitious chiefs and
warriors are to possess the elegant and glittering trombash.
The blades of some of the old style war knives I received from Chief Karume show one or more HOLES . In the past each hole received a copper knob- the number of knobs corresponding with rank of bearer. "
It also notes that less elaborate wood handle versions (instead of the carved ivory of the parade examples) were carried by ordinary villagers. Rather than the elaborate status oriented character, these were multipurpose tools used by both men and women. Presumably they, like most such items, could of course serve as a weapon.
It would seem that as with many African weapons forms, especially throwing knives (of which these are regarded), there are many assumptions as to use and in this case, symbolism.
As it seems the holes, of various number, in these knives are typically vacant. It sounds like the ivory hilt versions were the 'parade' or ceremonial versions, and these should have had the copper plugs or knobs.
The more 'ordinary' wooden handled examples, in my view, may have sought to emulate the holes in the parade versions, however that may be a broad assumption. Since the Mangbetu are known for the practice of polygamy, this may account for how the notion for 'number of wives' came into play. Still, it seems more likely to have been more of a vestigial recognition of the rank or status holes in the parade versions, plausibly simply placed there because such style was rather established .
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