Seme (dagger)

The Seme (also Sime ) is the traditional sword slashing the Masai in Kenya.

History

The Seme was developed by the Maasai as a weapon and tool.

Description

The Seme has a sheet-like, double-edged blade with a central ridge. The blade is narrow at the tang (handle ) and is used to tip wide. The book has no crossguard and no knob. The handle is made of wood, metal wire or rawhide. The blade length is about 40 cm, the width at the widest point approximately 5 cm and the total length about 60 cm. There are variants of Seme that are much longer. Their blade length is up to 70 cm, the widest point is about 5 inches wide, the total length of about 90 cm. The sheaths are made of untanned leather.