Takouba/alguinar West Africa -marking conundrum

Jim McDougall · 22nd June 2025, 05:01 PM

Thank you Tim for responding, very much appreciated. Your takouba sounds like quite an anomaly! We know, through Lee Jones in his field work in the Sahara, that the 'aljuinar' was the unusual takouba version with curved blade.
It seems likely of course that while most Tuareg and other tribes favoring the takouba style cross hilts also favored DE broadsword blades, the prevalence of saber blades from colonial forces were used on occasion simply from availability.

The use of European blades, in this case what appears an 18th c hanger blade, and the curious mark, placed in location much in the manner of other such blades, prompted my query. Obviously while many of these 'aljuinar' takouba have blades from various sources, I have even seen MOLE from British sabers, this one seems earlier than the typical 19th century examples.

The double edge on your example is truly curious, perhaps the back was ground down in accord with the broadsword affinities of tribesmen?

22nd June 2025, 05:01 PM	#4
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,341	Thank you Tim for responding, very much appreciated. Your takouba sounds like quite an anomaly! We know, through Lee Jones in his field work in the Sahara, that the 'aljuinar' was the unusual takouba version with curved blade. It seems likely of course that while most Tuareg and other tribes favoring the takouba style cross hilts also favored DE broadsword blades, the prevalence of saber blades from colonial forces were used on occasion simply from availability. The use of European blades, in this case what appears an 18th c hanger blade, and the curious mark, placed in location much in the manner of other such blades, prompted my query. Obviously while many of these 'aljuinar' takouba have blades from various sources, I have even seen MOLE from British sabers, this one seems earlier than the typical 19th century examples. The double edge on your example is truly curious, perhaps the back was ground down in accord with the broadsword affinities of tribesmen?