Quote:
Originally Posted by Edster
The silver blade inlays on a kaskara are new to me, impressive. That doesn't negate that an owner wanted to add them. Silver does have protective qualities. although usually added to the grip. The wavy lines may be to indicate snakes which were a protective talisman. The other inlays are likely symbolic as well. The central fullers don't look as sharp as would likely be in an imported trade blade. This could just be the lighting on the foto. Is the blade tapered in thickness? In the late 19th C. some Solingen blades were made with a blade mill, a small adjustable rolling mill that would quickly thin a red hot billet into a sword blade without anvil forging. In that case the blade would likely be the same thickness lengthwise. Local blades always had a forged distal taper. The blade tang appears to be penned to the wood grip piece. That would indicate a tang hole. I'm not sure if Sudanese made blades had that feature.
I agree the date was added later where a flower was removed and the blade smoothed. Have no idea for the meaning.
The cross guard is good quality likely forged in the early 20th c.
Best,
Ed
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Thanks Ed for the comments and the information you provided. I noted even thickness in some Ethiopian sword and I suspected that it was associated with a specail technique and you confirmed that was due to a blade mill. I checked the blade of the kaskara and it tapers to the point. However, when firstly I look at it, I was convinced of the opposite because the area close to the point is quite homogenous. The fullers in one side are quite well made but in the other side are not regular at all. One of the fullers is clearly irregular and with parts deeper and shallower along the lenght. It seems to be made locally but on the other side the blade is very well made and I would say it is not locally made. I do not know how to explain it. May be it is locally made and I am not able to establish it as I have not been able to establish the presence of a tang hole.