kaskara sword travelling through Sahara

Edster · 16th June 2023, 01:40 PM

Exceptional Kaskara. The grip is of the Hadendawa style and the cross guard is called Sennar, both likely from the Kassala sword market in Eastern Sudan. The blade is pattern welded (? is that the term), but the wide & deep finely made fuller isn't a Kassala or even Sudan style.The blade was likely crafted in Ethiopia. Interesting that it was trafficed to the Tuareg without any cultural related changes. Perhaps a memento.

Best,
Ed

francantolin · 16th June 2023, 06:47 PM

Thank's a lot for your reply Ed !
I don't really know if the blade is pattern welded but we can see an interesting steel structure and succesive sharpenings when I zoom with my camera

Here a picture of the majestic and friendly Tuareg who previously owned the sword,
He was walking with his dromedarys ($) between Djanet and the Tassili,
close to Libya and Niger frontiers.

David R · 16th June 2023, 09:43 PM

You can get a similar pattern from a water quench of a variety of steels, not just pattern welded. Nice sword and a good and high class example of the type.

16th June 2023, 06:47 PM	#2
francantolin Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 829	Thank's a lot for your reply Ed ! I don't really know if the blade is pattern welded but we can see an interesting steel structure and succesive sharpenings when I zoom with my camera Here a picture of the majestic and friendly Tuareg who previously owned the sword, He was walking with his dromedarys ($) between Djanet and the Tassili, close to Libya and Niger frontiers. Attached Images

16th June 2023, 01:40 PM	#1
Edster Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 400	Exceptional Kaskara. The grip is of the Hadendawa style and the cross guard is called Sennar, both likely from the Kassala sword market in Eastern Sudan. The blade is pattern welded (? is that the term), but the wide & deep finely made fuller isn't a Kassala or even Sudan style.The blade was likely crafted in Ethiopia. Interesting that it was trafficed to the Tuareg without any cultural related changes. Perhaps a memento. Best, Ed

16th June 2023, 09:43 PM	#3
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,053	You can get a similar pattern from a water quench of a variety of steels, not just pattern welded. Nice sword and a good and high class example of the type.