Few comments if I may:
AGE:
I have had the privilege to examine the one shown above and I really think it is an old one. Probably late 19 C. or very early 20 C. My reasons for the old dating are:
- The blade has a very shallow central rib. Later blades of similar daggers are usually flat.
- The horn handle is age worn and the patina on the spiked pommel is real.
- The general feeling of a real old item (This unfortunately I can not substantiate, but after so many years in the business, one develops the proper feeling of age).
- One exception though: The soft leather back may be later, added to cover a damaged or worn back.
BELT:
Most of the Billao will come with a soft leather belt, usually tooled with some geometrical design. The belt is diagonally sewn to the front side of the scabbard. The warrior in the photo referred to by Aurangzeb, has a very similar belt. See for example (A later, 20 C. piece in this case):
GRIP MATERIAL:
Water Buffalo horn is most common. Bone and Ivory are also seen from time to time. Rhino horn is very rare. I have seen only one with a Rhino horn grip. He grip spacers are made from a variety of materials: steel, brass, bone, ivory and Zinc. Later ones will come also with Aluminum spacers.
POMMEL SPIKES
Billao will come with either one central spike or three spikes. The three spikes ones are more common and are made of steel, or Zinc in the later ones, as properly mentioned above. The one prong pommels are less common, and in many cases are seen on the better specimens, with Ivory hilts. It is usually made of silver:
Or bone or ivory:
The reasons for this variations are not very clear. I have in my article drawer an article titled:
AFRICAN ARMS, SHIELDS & WEAPONS 1890 to 1940. There is no indication on when or where it was published or by whom, so I take the liberty to quote from this article few short sentences Regarding the Billao:
”… the top of the grip denotes the status of the warrior or the wearer. The single, more pointed cap ornamentation denotes a brave and courageous warrior who had killed and survived many battles; The 3 pronged cap is for a lower echelon warrior who had yet to achieve the same status…”