an old basic butcher knife , with American Indian sheath ? TRADE FUR KNIFE ?...

[colin henshaw]

An interesting item, I like the "primitive" appearance, gives it great character. My guess is its from the Sahara/Sahel region, perhaps Tuareg. My reasonings are :-

a) The sheath looks like from that area being goatskin tanned on one side, the red colour is fairly common. The style of the flap leather extension(s) is similar to other sheaths from the area.
b) I have seen similar small triangular cutouts to the leather on Tuareg telek dagger sheaths and some Saharan swords.
c) The knotty wood hilt.
d) The riveted plates have a Sahara/Sahel "look".

I could be wrong of course, in which country did you find the piece ?

[francantolin]

Hello,

Thank you for your comments and especially Tim for the link of the anthropology site !

I got it in south of France,
so just to cross the mediterranean sea for arrive in Africa

it can be from north Africa
Sahel Area but I had time ago one of these knives with goat skin and it wasn't seewed this way, the leather was thicker and smell '' a little'' as
often,
not this one, don't seems made with the same skin, though but thin

Intersting too: the scabbard is made of an unique piece of leather, didn't saw that before.


The wooden hilt seems for me made with european wood like old european ''peasant'' knives ,axe handles more than wood usually used in Africa but maybe I'm wrong or it can have been modified in Africa from an european knife...

I found on the net, the Parfleche indian leather/containers made of
rawhide leather who can look like,
sure the red color is not the funniest one as we often find in Native American decorations/ornaments...

But maybe it can match, more than african for me, sure.

Another possibility:
it just can have been made by an european 70's hippie artist or something ...

I'll contact the museum and see what they can tell me.
Again Thank you Tim !

[francantolin]

the parflêche...