North Africa has been a vast commercial entrepot well into ancient times, and the complex networks of caravan routes have been long established.
Colonization also adds to the complexity of trade, as may be expected, and the 19th century brought the French into large areas across the North African sphere.
The presence of French blades throughout these regions is of course also quite expected,as their military occupied vast areas through Morocco, Algeria and others in considerable degree.
It is always a much romanticized notion that native arms using military blades may have been 'captured' in combat, however in most cases weapons and their components were often sold or traded as they became surplus. There are always notions as well of exuberant Legionnaires trading off their weapons in enthusiastic times off duty, but these cases would be incidental.
As has been noted, this Manding sabre, appears yet again another example of industrious native innovation, and a 'blade' fashioned of old sheet steel or discarded scrap (as mentioned old vehicle springs, tools, various metal implements). This is a common phenomenon in native context in colonial regions, not just in Africa but in Asia and other spheres as well. Typically of course, there are sufficient supplies of extant old blades which have circulated for generations, if not even centuries, but availability is the key word.
In the Sudan, during the Condominium, there were considerable supplies of sheet steel entering the occupied regions. In Briggs (1965) there is even an illustration of the suppliers logo off center on a blade fashioned of this type steel . The metal fixtures on scabbards often still carried product logos off tins used for their metal.
In many native cultures, a sword is more a symbolic accoutrement of status, even effectively a rite of passage of sorts for young men, well into modern and even present times. It need not necessarily be a combative piece (though obviously preferred), but does require the traditional traits of the weapons used widely by the tribal groups.
As has been noted, typically there is considerable poverty among tribes, and innovation becomes rather an admirable solution as these people seek to preserve their tradition in any way possible, even using poor materials.
In my perspective, the term 'tourist' is far too cavalierly used, as these weapons are usually produced with ironically superior characteristics which duplicate authentic arms with intent to deceive. This example clearly does answer that criteria, but the leatherwork and hilt (which may be from an authentic older example) respond well to the purpose the sword was likely intended. ..a weapon to be worn by a tribesman following his traditions.
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