African (?) saber - help needed

roanoa · 9th September 2006, 09:55 PM

One more thing that came to mind. The scabbard is, I suppose, made of raw hide covered with thin red leather. Ethiopian swords are worn on the right side and the stiching is therefore on the left side which is the side close to the body. If this is the case, then I would believe that at least the scabbard is Ethiopian.

Michael Blalock · 13th September 2006, 03:45 PM

It looks like an Ethiopian sword that ended up in Sudan and got the typical Kaskara acid etching. There may have been other modifications at that point as well.

Tim Simmons · 13th September 2006, 05:37 PM

Ethiopia and the Sudan share a long modern international border in the 19th century this would have been much more fluid. The Mahdi had followers in what is to days Ethiopia. So where one influence ended and another started is splitting hairs really.

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9th September 2006, 09:55 PM	#1
roanoa Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 241	One more thing that came to mind. The scabbard is, I suppose, made of raw hide covered with thin red leather. Ethiopian swords are worn on the right side and the stiching is therefore on the left side which is the side close to the body. If this is the case, then I would believe that at least the scabbard is Ethiopian.

13th September 2006, 03:45 PM	#2
Michael Blalock Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: dc Posts: 271	It looks like an Ethiopian sword that ended up in Sudan and got the typical Kaskara acid etching. There may have been other modifications at that point as well.

13th September 2006, 05:37 PM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,854	Ethiopia and the Sudan share a long modern international border in the 19th century this would have been much more fluid. The Mahdi had followers in what is to days Ethiopia. So where one influence ended and another started is splitting hairs really.