new kaskara

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by David R

I am happy with blades of either origin, so long as they are a decent piece. I do like the one I posted, a lot. It is surprisingly light and handy to wield by virtue of a good and well done distal taper, and a fair old edge to it as well.

47 years ago I worked on a dig in Shropshire with a very old veteran of the Sudan administration in the 1920's. He told me that the favourite ploy was to feint a strike down, and then backhand up into the inner thigh to hamstring or to cut the femoral artery.... He sat in on the native court where they decided on the blood money owed to a man who lost a leg to that blow. 9 black camels was the final award.
Strikes to the outside of the arm or leg counted as intent to wound, cuts to the inside arm or leg were adjudged to be intent to kill, and compensation graded accordingly. (RIP Max,we will never see your like again).

Thats a great story David! and a nice tribute to someone who sounds to have been a fascinating man. It is interesting that in many tribal societies there were indeed these kinds of compensatory matters handled by tribal courts.
My similar experience with one of the 'old guard' was with a British Brigadier who led one of the last British mounted cavalry charges in 1931 on the Khyber Plains. One treasures the moments they shared these amazing stories.....