The thin and the fat

Flavio · 31st March 2007, 04:41 PM

Hi all, here are two somali Bellawas. One (the thin one) it's a new purchase the other (the fat) it's already seen on the forum. The longer one shows the blade completly finished with signs of a stone or maybe a file.

Lew · 31st March 2007, 10:45 PM

Flavio

Very nice! It's getting harder to find good examples of Somali blades. Here are a few of mine the long one is almost a match of yours and it took me 3 years of hard looking to find it. Funny these style swords and daggers remind me of Norse scramasax.

Lew

Flavio · 1st April 2007, 12:26 AM

Hi Lew you're right the similarities are very strong with the scramasax blade

And I have also looked around for a while before to find a somali dagger with the longer an thin blade. I don't remember to have seen a picture with a somali man that dress this kind of dagger-short sword, do you have some references? thank you

roanoa · 1st April 2007, 03:00 AM

Ciao, Flavio. Here is a nice picture of a Somali warrior, circa 1890/1910. The short sword is, OF COURSE (....) covered by the robe, but the hilt is quite visible and unmistakable. I have seen quite a few similar pictures. This is one of the best, Enjoy and BUONA PASQUA. Roano

Flavio · 1st April 2007, 10:39 AM

Ciao caro Roano, thank you very much, it's a beautiful picture and for sure Lew also will love it (the hilt is identical to Lew's one) BUONA PASQUA ANCHE A TE

Here two pics from Spring's book: maybe the sketch shows a longer Bellawa?

Tim Simmons · 1st April 2007, 12:08 PM

Those spears are nice in the pic Roanoa post. Like some of the short fat knives, left black with iron scale and a sharp white edge. Very smart, great spears I need one to feel complete.

Flavio · 1st April 2007, 12:43 PM

Hi Tim, unfortunatly these spears are rather rare, even here in Italy there are few. Time ago I was so stupid to wait too much and a person that had SEVEN sold them before I was able to buy one

Flavio · 1st April 2007, 06:57 PM

Another nice picture from the Smithsonian site

31st March 2007, 04:41 PM	#1
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	The thin and the fat Hi all, here are two somali Bellawas. One (the thin one) it's a new purchase the other (the fat) it's already seen on the forum. The longer one shows the blade completly finished with signs of a stone or maybe a file. Attached Images

31st March 2007, 10:45 PM	#2
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Flavio Very nice! It's getting harder to find good examples of Somali blades. Here are a few of mine the long one is almost a match of yours and it took me 3 years of hard looking to find it. Funny these style swords and daggers remind me of Norse scramasax. Lew Attached Images Last edited by LOUIEBLADES; 31st March 2007 at 10:58 PM.

1st April 2007, 03:00 AM	#4
roanoa Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 230	Ciao, Flavio. Here is a nice picture of a Somali warrior, circa 1890/1910. The short sword is, OF COURSE (....) covered by the robe, but the hilt is quite visible and unmistakable. I have seen quite a few similar pictures. This is one of the best, Enjoy and BUONA PASQUA. Roano Attached Images

1st April 2007, 10:39 AM	#5
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Ciao caro Roano, thank you very much, it's a beautiful picture and for sure Lew also will love it (the hilt is identical to Lew's one) BUONA PASQUA ANCHE A TE Here two pics from Spring's book: maybe the sketch shows a longer Bellawa? Attached Images

1st April 2007, 06:57 PM	#8
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Another nice picture from the Smithsonian site Attached Images

1st April 2007, 12:26 AM	#3
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Hi Lew you're right the similarities are very strong with the scramasax blade And I have also looked around for a while before to find a somali dagger with the longer an thin blade. I don't remember to have seen a picture with a somali man that dress this kind of dagger-short sword, do you have some references? thank you

1st April 2007, 12:08 PM	#6
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,739	Those spears are nice in the pic Roanoa post. Like some of the short fat knives, left black with iron scale and a sharp white edge. Very smart, great spears I need one to feel complete.

1st April 2007, 12:43 PM	#7
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Hi Tim, unfortunatly these spears are rather rare, even here in Italy there are few. Time ago I was so stupid to wait too much and a person that had SEVEN sold them before I was able to buy one