[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by blue lander

True - I'll start a new thread when it arrives. Doesn't really pertain to the matter and hand, I was just eager to show it off

Salaams blue lander~ If you feel it has the slightest relationship to Moroccan Berber or Tuareg weapons then give it an airing and see where it goes... Its an African sword after all but...how did it develop and from where?..

The first place to look is Forum Library where you will find two full pages on Mandingo...( Just type in Mandingo )Whilst it appears that the development of the hilt was an African tribal thing it certainly has similarities across the whole vast region but in terms of blades where they have been commonly imported Manding blades are predominantly French but some are German...as well as the home grown variety; Simply reflecting the dominant French presence in the region and the effects of the massive German trade in blades in the 19th C. into Africa ~

So lets have a look at the web where I just found a nice article at http://art-of-swords.tumblr.com/post...a-sword-common

Quote." The Mandingo Sword. The Mandingo is a sword common for the region of Africa. African swords were developed in different countries and different ethnic groups in Africa as war, hunting, cultural and ethical weapon and used. The actual name of the weapon is a expression of this type of weapon, with a particular ethnic group is assigned.

The Mandingo sword has a curved, single edged blade with and overall length of about 78 cm. The blade does not have a central ridge or hollow ground. This part of the sword is narrower in the middle and is slightly rounded. The booklet has no parry while the hilt is covered with wood and copper. The knob is designed as a ball.

These weapons are well known for their leather-work and the work applied to the scabbards. The iron work skills are less well developed. Many blades are taken from European weapons such as sabers and cutlasses. The beautiful leather work and the distinct discs and the guardless hilt, it is quite possible these may have diffused of course to other regions to the west.

While the Baule are a distinct tribal group to the west, it is important to observe that ‘Malinke’ is a variant term applied to the ‘Mandingo’ (also Manding, Mandin, Mande). In Fulani these weapons are called ‘kota’, this being the apparent term in Fulani for sword (probably generally applied).

In general, these remain primarily considered Mandingo weapons, and from regions in Mali. These were of course invariably mounted with European sabre blades of 19th century, and most typically French with the colonial presence there. Also, the Mandingo sword used by the ethnic groups of the Malinke and Mandingo".Unquote.

I suggest that this combined with Forum libraries superb details on Mandingo wraps this one up... Next ?

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.