Sword and Scabbard

This is a sword made by a kikuyu smith for maasai.This is a digging knife made by the blacksmith, it is finished and oiled ready for use. The midrib is fashioned by hammering the red hot knife over the groove on the stone anvil or an old bit of railway line. The handle is put on the knife by first making a hole in the handle picking up red hot tang of the knife and then hammering it home (tip of knife on anvil).The red colour is obtained by boiling the roots of the "Olngeriadus" (maasai name) tree.