East African Turkano/Karamoja Ngigolio Finger Knife

These semicircular shaped blades with a iron ring loop secured by copper or iron wire are a specialized tool made of hand hammered iron or steel used by the Turkana and Karamojong peoples in northeastern Uganda and northwestern Kenya, also found in Sudan, Tanzania and elsewhere. They were used for close quarters defense (easily concealed within the palm) and daily tasks such as cutting meat. 
 
We found this in our grandmother’s vintage jewelry collection. We believe she bought this when on the African continent during a world tour in the 1934-1935 or inherited it from the Burr sisters, her aunts, who famously did a car rally from Cairo to Johannesburg as single women.
 
Ours comes with silk like strap on which are a few engraved beads. The blade and ring appear to be a lightweight metal, either iron or steel, with copper wire wrapped below the ring. It could use a polishing but is otherwise in good condition.
 
Blade and ring: H 2 15/16” x W 2 1/8” x D 1/4” (ring thickness)
Approx. 0.6 oz (17g)
 
Disclaimer: We have tried to make sure colors shown in photos are representative of the real colors of each item. We have tried to identify all imperfections in descriptions, but we may have missed some. If you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know.