A Massive and All Business Old Manding Sword

[werecow]

I've just acquired one of these with what seems like a (French?) cutlass blade (69 cm, 85 total including the grip; 3.5 cm wide at the base), so currently looking into them and thought I'd add my data point to an existing thread.

They are quite different from the typical Manding swords with the bolbous scabbards (although there is that common pommel "button") but as noted above seem to have a lot in common with the earlier Mende swords from Sierra Leone (particularly the "rondel" elements; see last pic, also here). Since this is an old thread, can anyone comment some more on known connections and the differences between regions maybe?

Rest of the pictures attached are the seller's pics.

Also any ideas about age are welcome. I suspect the blade is 19th c and as such probably older than the hilt but that is about the limit of my knowledge on these.