African bush knives

A

Amos Iron Wolf

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Encouraged by a thread in the Wilderness Survival forum, I did a search for bushmen bows. I came a across a series of photos of a hunt in Nambia. Naturally, I started looking close at the photos to see what knives they were using. In the linked photo it looks like the fellow is using an Okapi to take care of lunch. Onyx by the way.

http://www.phototravels.net/namibia/nbp3/namibia-bushmanland-hunter-p-50.html

If you look at the other photos you can see a knife or two. Nothing in great detail though.

Anyone have pics of usage by various peoples in Africa of common use knives there? Or pics of the knives themselves?

I think it would be interesting to see what is being used in a place where knives are used for the basics such as food and shelter on a daily basis.
 
Oryx, not Onyx as I misspelled. From what I've been reading the Bushmen are hunter-gatherers in the Kalihari (sp?) area. There are also called San. I'm not sure of the guy's spelling on the name either. I just mentally made it Nambia, but don't really know.

I did come across an interesting site, and forgot to bookmark it, that showed a basic, fixed blade knife that was made of forged iron. The blade was heat inserted into the wood of the handle.
 
Years ago I saw a documentary on the San Bushmen, back when they were still hunter-gatherers on the Kalahari. They took down a giraffe with spears. I remember one of them butchering the carcass with something about the size and shape of a 12” Randall Arkansas Toothpick.
 
Amos Iron Wolf said:
Anyone have pics of usage by various peoples in Africa of common use knives there? Or pics of the knives themselves?
Click to expand...

I have a couple of knives that friends have brought me from Africa after missionary trips, I will try to get pic's taken and post them.
 
Amos Iron Wolf said:
I think it would be interesting to see what is being used in a place where knives are used for the basics such as food and shelter on a daily basis.
Click to expand...

I watched a program the other night called 'Tribe'
It was about this chap staying with native people in Ethiopia.
I noticed one of the tribesmen was using an Opinel to make a
harpoon to catch croc's. They later used the Opinel to cut up a small
croc for cooking. The Opi did a darn good job of it too :thumbup:
 
jacknife said:
I watched a program the other night called 'Tribe'
It was about this chap staying with native people in Ethiopia.
I noticed one of the tribesmen was using an Opinel to make a
harpoon to catch croc's. They later used the Opinel to cut up a small
croc for cooking. The Opi did a darn good job of it too :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Lol, then you remember the fellow that popped in here and stated how we were crazy if we thought Opinels, Moras, and SAKs were real knives. :D

Always interesting how the aboriginal types go about their business with the simplest of tools and live in a harsh environment. They grow up learning how and keep perfecting those skills as a matter of daily life. Then we see our big packing lists of "essentials" when we go "outback." ;)
 
Amos Iron Wolf said:
Lol, then you remember the fellow that popped in here and stated how we were crazy if we thought Opinels, Moras, and SAKs were real knives. :D
Click to expand...

Yes I do remember him :)

I've seen an Australian aboriginal using an Opi on a television program too.
I expect they use what they can get, and that's probably going to be something cheap like the Opi ( I guess in these primitive cultures it might be the other way around and the Opi users are seen as rich and avant-garde :) ) Another time they had skinning knives, looked like those you might get from Old Hickory, a few were using them, perhaps they bought/traded for them in bulk?

Good thread Amos. Interesting subject.:thumbup:
 
Saw some tribesmen in a documentary today using long large knives to scrape out honey-combs up a tree, they didn't seem to mind the stings:D

They were also hewing fallen trees with small but very effective hatchets, all their gear was simple but clearly razor sharp. What do they hone with?Bet they haven't got belt sanders or sharpmakers out there:D Sometimes I think we are over-fond of must have gadgets and get burdened by them.
 
I saw a program about that Hoodia cactus and it showed the Kalahari Bushmen cutting pieces of them with an Okapi.
 
Believe it or not, the simple machete is used all over Africa. I would not be shocked if the knives were made in China, but inexpensive, practical cutlery is the norm on that continent.
 
I've seen bicycle based sharpeners in Latin America, nearly identical to the guy's setup in the afrigadget video.
 
Shecky thanks for the info, pretty cool to see the human mind at work;)

AIW cool topic choice, can't wait for the pictures!
 
Amos Iron Wolf said:
Encouraged by a thread in the Wilderness Survival forum, I did a search for bushmen bows. I came a across a series of photos of a hunt in Nambia. Naturally, I started looking close at the photos to see what knives they were using. In the linked photo it looks like the fellow is using an Okapi to take care of lunch. Onyx by the way.
Click to expand...

Yup , that is IMHO , an Okapi 907e , if you blow the picture up a bit you can see the ring

jacknife said:
Yes I do remember him :)

I've seen an Australian aboriginal using an Opi on a television program too.
I expect they use what they can get, and that's probably going to be something cheap like the Opi ( I guess in these primitive cultures it might be the other way around and the Opi users are seen as rich and avant-garde :) )
Click to expand...


This Aboriginal uses Okapis and Opinels . I have spent a number of years on different missions and communities , and never felt that having a knife made any difference , before I learned to make do with improvised cutting tools tho , I was regarded as something lower than a primitive however ....

the "primitive" folk I know regard people who havent the ability or skill to make their own gear if they cant buy it to be "primitive"

tho I can only speak for what I know , and that is far from representative of the whole of the "primitive" peoples .
 
I've seen Okapis and Douk-Douks as foldng cutlery. Go to www.Okapi-knives.com and click on "knives"- The 124 sheath knfe is popular, as I've seen seen similar cataloged for the African trade for many years.

As far as larger knives, Martindale machetes had a good foot hold, but I've heard Chinese machetes are making in roads into Africa. They seem to like spear point models and the turned up snouted models we call pangas.
 
willgoy said:
Saw some tribesmen in a documentary today using long large knives to scrape out honey-combs up a tree, they didn't seem to mind the stings:D

They were also hewing fallen trees with small but very effective hatchets, all their gear was simple but clearly razor sharp. What do they hone with?Bet they haven't got belt sanders or sharpmakers out there:D Sometimes I think we are over-fond of must have gadgets and get burdened by them.[/QUOTE]

I like gadgets as much as the next guy but I do think there is a danger of growing dependent on the tech and forgetting how to use our wits.

Frank
Click to expand...
 
Haggis said:
True SilverFoxKnows, I'm working on taking Jackknife's informative article on sharpening seriously. Took along an old scrap full width cow hide though; couldn't find the heart to try it on my Chippiwas:D http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=479411
Click to expand...

As of late I've been using emery boards for most of my sharpening. The rough grits make short work of thinning out the edge. I find it easier to keep a consistant angle than with the sandpaper & a mousepad trick. Cheap, portable, easily replaced. Even I can get a decent convex edge with them and I'm no sharpening guru. I still use the fine sticks on the Sharpmaker but I tend to use 'em freehand anymore.

Frank
 
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