Saka (?), Kusu (?) knife for pleasure and maybe comments

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by colin henshaw

Regarding the black surface often to be found on the iron of Congo weapons - I read somewhere that this was applied deliberately by the Africans using soot ? as a kind of preservative. Does anyone know about this ?

Salaams Colin Henshaw... I continue to search... but as a completely oblique point here is some soot detail...

In Zimbabwe, among the Shona soot was used a seed preservative. What happened was that after harvest, farmers, especially women who had acquired skills of identifying good seed varieties would collect grain and maize cobs that they would tie and hang inside their kitchens. As smoke
wafted from the hearth, it would coat the grains. In this manner, the grains were protected from grain borers and rats because of the bitter test that would result from the soot. By employing this method, the people ensured that they could use the seed even after two or three seasons.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.