Ditto. This type of sword, shaped like a certain type of spear blade usually called a lion spear in N America, but AFAIK actually associated with a certain rank in the militia, is used by the pastorial massai for trimming vegitation, as well as for violence/defence and butchery. The Massai are said to not work iron, but to buy it all from farming neighbor tribes and itinerate smiths. The Watutsi swords I've seen certainly seem pretty much identical, and I even see this sword falling into the same broad category/tradition as ilwoon, etc. (mine, at least, is notably flatter and thinner, though maintaining its midrib, in the last particularly broad 1/4 at the tip). The traditional red dye is (AFAIK) a Massai thing, and it sure does show the wear; I've seen ones with no dye; perhaps it was no dye left; the 1/2 denuded rawhide is interesting to see, anyway. Does the metal binder at the sheath tip happen to be a bent up coin with a hole punched thru its center?
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