Marc, Ed and Pertinax,
Thanks for your prompt replies and very helpful information. I appreciate the ID of these two knives. African knives and swords have not been a major focus for me. However, I do like both of them and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of both. The little Sudanese dagger is a very nice knife and looks to be reasonably old, perhaps late 19th C. The South African large knife/short sword is of interesting construction and good quality, as you noted. I think this one is early- to mid-20th C, and does not seem to have been used. Each was made as a weapon, and not simply decorative, tourist items or for ceremonial use.
Ian.
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