Wire bound dagger

[Tim Simmons]

There is little doubt that many of these are Mashona and related people. Lately I have been thinking about the many styles of these knives. I wonder at the foot print of the style and influences. Shona may have become one of those catch all collector terms like Manding and many others. Compere this Rwandan sword to the knife. The blades are very different in shape, both have one side black with iron scale decoration, but look at the projection on the scabbard. This feature the same form and decoration only the Rwandan one there is the use of charing can be seen on Shi? weapons Eastern Congo. Could there be some origin linking areas from present day Zimbabwe through Zambia and Eastern Congo to Rwanda. Is this feature found in Tanzania? or is that were the seme takes over?