African swords

The khopesh ('; also vocalized khepesh') is an Egyptian sickle-shaped sword that developed from battle axes. The sword style originated in Western Asia during the Bronze Age and was introduced in the Second Intermediate Period. The khopesh'' became more common in the New Kingdom, and is often depicted with kings in statues and murals.

A shotel () is a curved sword originating from northern Ethiopia and Southern-central Eritrea. The curve on the blade varies from the Persian shamshir, adopting an almost semicircular shape. The blade is often double-edged with a diamond cross-section and about in total length. Nearly universal is a three-piece rhinoceros horn hilt with no guard, identical to that of the jile or jambiya, though wood and later bakelite examples have been observed. The shotel was typically carried in a close fitting leather scabbard which was sometimes decorated with precious metals.

A nimcha () is a single-handed sword from North Africa, especially used in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. It is classified as a type of scimitar or saif. Becoming popular in north Africa during the 16th century, surviving nimcha are usually from the late 18th century onward and are notable for often using older blades. Stylistically they often bore Arabian type handles with tugrah inscribed on the blade.

The flyssa, known locally as ajenoui (Kabyle: ajenoui or uturam), is a traditional bladed weapon of Algeria produced and used during the 19th century and earlier. It originates from the Kabyle Iflissen Lebhar tribal confederacy.

thumb|right|A Malian man drawing a highly decorated takouba - the leather covered crossguard is evident, as is the fullering of the blade and tooling of the leather scabbard. Takoba (also takuba or takouba) is a sword that is used across the western Sahel and among ethnic groups such as the Tuareg, the Hausa, and the Fulani. It usually measures about one meter in length. Takoba blades are straight and double edged with a pronounced tapering from the guard towards the tip; they can exhibit several notable features, including three or more hand-ground fuller grooves and a rounded point.

alt=|thumb|A Sudanese Kaskara Sword with scabbard thumb|Kaskara sword and wooden handle, Tropenmuseum, Netherlands. The kaskara is a type of traditional sword, which is characteristic of Sudan, Chad, and Eritrea. The blade of the kaskara was usually about a yard long, double edged and with a spatulate tip. While most surviving examples are from the 19th century, the type is believed to have originated around the early 14th century, and may represent a localized survival of the straight, double-edged medieval Arab sword. The kaskara was worn horizontally across the back or between the upper ar

A billao (), also known as a bilaawe, is a horn-hilted Somali shortsword or long dagger depending on blade length. It served most notably as a close-quarters weapon in the Dervish State, at the turn of the 20th century, as well as Northern Sultanates around that same time period.

An afena (Twi to mean sword) is an Akan sword, originally meant for warfare but also forming part of Akan heraldry. The foremost example of an afena is the Mponponsuo (meaning "responsibility"), which belonged to Opoku Ware II. It has survived to the present day because it is still occasionally used in ceremonies, such as the Akwasidae Festival.

A cimpaba (sometimes tshimphaaba or chimpaba) is a sword from the Woyo of the Democratic Republic of Congo. thumb|180px|Cimpaba