Antique sword/knife - possibly Persian

Seeking info on this weapon... thinking it might be Persian? it is 25" long. Wondering what it is actually... a sword? knife? dagger? and era... thanks...

 

North East Africa, possibly Sudan, Somalia, Yemen region. That's just my opinion. The most interesting thing is that the handle may be rhino horn, and thus very valuable in the right place, and possibly a right liability depending on where you live.

 

thanks for your reply... !! what would you call it? a dagger? is there a way to determine rhino horn over some other kind?

 

I'd call it a "camel-head-hilt machete." Looks like tourist-grade. Rhino horn is thought to be a powerful aphrodisiac, so if a suitable human guinea-pig is available, grind a small amount of the horn into fine powder, put it in the guinea-pig's tea, and watch for any unusually amorous behavior within about 40 min. after consuming the tea.

 

If you can find an end, the end grain may look like this. Rhino horn is in fact a mass of hair bonded together.

The picture is about 2 times life size.

 

alas, I have not been able to find a suitable volunteer for the tea.

Thanks for the picture AF. I will investigate further.