Identify this pair of weapons

Conogre · 1st March 2005, 06:10 AM

As always, thank you for the information Jim, and I've noted the Mossi/Fulani attributions...the takouba, like the kaskara is found over such a wide range that it's easy to erroneously focus on just one small area and thus leave oneself with built in blind spots.
Tom, the hilt is surprisingly comfortable in the hand as it's small enough that your palm just wraps around it, and yes, it's single edged, sharp on the outside of the curve widening to a thicker spine on the inside like a "real" dagger! **grin**
If you take Hal's comments about a "whirling dervish" style of fighting it's actually easy, as I said, to imagine this slicing without effort and yet having the potential for a return thrust, if delivered upward that would automatically slide right into the chest cavity, a "one-two" attack with awesome lethal potential that actually feels natural and probable, quite unusual for a ceremonial/tourist weapon.
Mike

tom hyle · 1st March 2005, 01:23 PM

Agreed that these, llike European butchering knives, are effective close-quarters weapons; they are fairly clearly meant for opening animals, and very capable of doing just that. The backhand thrust with that needle point is very nasty, too, though often ignored or else sneered at by "Westerners" who haven't felt its bite and often think the smallsword thrust the only kind or the only valid kind, whatever that's suposed to mean.....

1st March 2005, 06:10 AM	#1
Conogre Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Clearwater, Florida Posts: 371	As always, thank you for the information Jim, and I've noted the Mossi/Fulani attributions...the takouba, like the kaskara is found over such a wide range that it's easy to erroneously focus on just one small area and thus leave oneself with built in blind spots. Tom, the hilt is surprisingly comfortable in the hand as it's small enough that your palm just wraps around it, and yes, it's single edged, sharp on the outside of the curve widening to a thicker spine on the inside like a "real" dagger! grin If you take Hal's comments about a "whirling dervish" style of fighting it's actually easy, as I said, to imagine this slicing without effort and yet having the potential for a return thrust, if delivered upward that would automatically slide right into the chest cavity, a "one-two" attack with awesome lethal potential that actually feels natural and probable, quite unusual for a ceremonial/tourist weapon. Mike

1st March 2005, 01:23 PM	#2
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	Agreed that these, llike European butchering knives, are effective close-quarters weapons; they are fairly clearly meant for opening animals, and very capable of doing just that. The backhand thrust with that needle point is very nasty, too, though often ignored or else sneered at by "Westerners" who haven't felt its bite and often think the smallsword thrust the only kind or the only valid kind, whatever that's suposed to mean.....