- Nov 11, 2009
- 30,691
I don’t fully understand what I’m looking at but it’s different and i like it!!!
Is it one solid piece of metal?
It's solid, but I think the loop is probably forged separately from the blade. At least that was my impression, but the guy I bought one from says they're forged from one piece. Hence this edit.
They come in various shapes, but all have the loop handle. Used by the Tiv people in more-or-less central Africa, my understanding is that they are a backup weapon used by their archers, held in the hand not holding the bow, for use at close quarters should their position be overrun.
As I was not there at the time, this may be true; I merely pass on whay I've been told. They are attractive weapons for sure, with graceful blades and attention paid to pretty elegant ornamentation.
I've uploaded a couple closeups of the ornamentation; the pic with the goldish color in the grooves was a surprise. The whole handle was covered in thick black patinated rust. As you can see, a fair amount of time and effort was spent to make these things more than just tools. All the ones I've seen are like that, though I admit some of the blades are less than graceful. One I've seen is basically a circular disc, with a point. I really like both of mine, though.
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