Sword identification

Jim McDougall · 6th April 2017, 04:44 PM

Badge, welcome to our forums! and thank you for posting this. As Teodor has specified, this sword is of a form that has been classified as from Sierre Leone and surrounding areas in West Africa. The blade appears to be of the trade blade category which came into West Africa in great volume, mostly from Solingen, from around 1840s onward (Burton, 1884). It sees many of these came into centers like Kano and were dispersed via Saharan trade routes.
The leather work in the scabbard appears to be of the style attributed to the Manding people of Mali, and well dispersed through these regions as well. The Manding were primary factors of trade in those regions through the 19th century .

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Switch to Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Threaded Mode

6th April 2017, 04:44 PM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,282	Badge, welcome to our forums! and thank you for posting this. As Teodor has specified, this sword is of a form that has been classified as from Sierre Leone and surrounding areas in West Africa. The blade appears to be of the trade blade category which came into West Africa in great volume, mostly from Solingen, from around 1840s onward (Burton, 1884). It sees many of these came into centers like Kano and were dispersed via Saharan trade routes. The leather work in the scabbard appears to be of the style attributed to the Manding people of Mali, and well dispersed through these regions as well. The Manding were primary factors of trade in those regions through the 19th century .