It was my love and understanding of world weapons and culture that sparked a desire for me to properly understand African weapons and culture. My somewhat tenacious studies of African arms have been strenuous, enduring six years. The radical complexity that one encounters involving African weapons are not encountered with weapons from many other cultures. This is spawned from the flux of artistically expressive ceremonial weapons commonly seen in most publications (books or the internet) and auction houses rather than functional examples. African weapons can be separated into three basic categories: functional utility, functional expressive, and ceremonial weapons. When understanding African weapons you need a proper analysis of African culture as well as the particular culture from which the weapon derives, even if you lack the money and/or the time to travel to one or more African museums. This is the approach that must be taken to better understand the weapons of any culture. It is also the best way to know whether you are looking at a ceremonial example or a functional one made for combat. Africans had a great deal of national pride which naturally produced a great love of state identity. This prompted African blacksmiths and other aristocrats, at times, to create amazingly expressive functional weapons alongside ceremonial examples. The functional examples, no matter how expressive, in no way parted from functionality. In fact, functionality is the base from which culture derives.

Ceremonial weapons were never overlooked in my studies. In many cases the ceremonial version of a weapon is the only representation left because of internal changes in state and warfare. These weapons can be articulated stories, much like tall tales; most Africans did not see writing as the only legitimate way of preserving stories. They heavily relied on historians (griots in Mende) to pass down important stories through tales, songs and dances. These historians were highly trained and had their own intricate hierocracies. The ceremonial weapons of Africa in my studies have been seen as if they are historians (griots) telling me their tales of yore without orthodox details; profile and distal tapers. There's a pathway to each blade that a blacksmith embarks on in order to achieve a proper shape. Through these pathways the smith achieves what is known as profile and distal tapers. Distal taper refers to the measure of thickness along a blade's length. This greatly effects the handling characteristics of a blade and, therefore, must be fashioned to suit the intended function of that blade. Profile taper is the measure of a blade's width along its length, and is also formed according to the blade's intended use. Once this is achieved, the smith now holds in his hands a functional weapon. This is not restricted to any particular culture; this is the culture of the blacksmith. These proper profile and distal tapers are to be found on all functional weapons. Weapons made to be used in a ceremonial nature, in Africa, most often increase their profile tapers and greatly reduce their distal tapers.

By the mid 19th century, close quarter weapons in much of Africa had taken a back seat in such a way that most were ceremonial and their carbon content as well as their distal and profile tapers did not need to be suitable for battle. Much like factory made stainless steel U.S. Marine sabers today. There are many who do not understand this fact and promote ceremonial examples as swords made for combat. This fuels the misconception that Africans had poor quality steel. However, it is now (more than ever) evident that Africans (in the old war sense) had major steel producing industries in key places throughout the continent. These industries produced outstanding high carbon steel which was distributed via trade routes throughout Africa.