African blade?

To be more precise what I meant in the centered vs offset discussion is that a particular style of knife will never vary, not that one ethnic group might not use both designs for various purposes. And perhaps never is indeed an overstatement.
But the facon is a style of knife with the blade centered; as is the kindjal; one would not generally (I'll say generally rather than never) see a facon or kindjal with an offset blade; that is part of the definition of the item; if the blade were offset, it would have a different name.
But certainly a particular ethnicity might well use both types for various uses, and might likely have different names depending on the style and use.
I find the study of knives of the world to be endlessly fascinating....like baskets, because the end use is very similar world-wide, one finds designs from various places may end up being quite similar, and that doesn't take into account normal transmission of styles; Middle Eastern Moorish to Spain and thence to South America, for example.
But I would agree with AJ and Komo that this is likely "South American. Either gaucho or gaúcho (Argentina/Uruguay or Brazil)"

 

Any thoughts on age of this blade and sheath? it seems well worn to me...how about rarity?

 

Age and rarity....I'm sure others will have opinions....a rough guess to age: not more than 40 years old (1977 or later). Rarity....is this of souvenir quality or made for use? I don't see a maker's name, and would expect better-made using blades to be marked....how sharp is it - choose one:
a) you could shave with it
b) you could cut a steak with it, but it would take some sawing
c) it is so dull you couldn't cut a steak - or yourself - no matter how you tried.

What I'm thinking is that a very sharp knife is very possibly made to be used locally, and such a knife would be less common than a dull souvenir knife from that part of the world.
This doesn't seem to me to be the type of knife made to be exported for use; so either for local use, or souvenir, whether local or export. If it is rather dull that would tend to point toward souvenir-quality, thus likely somewhat more common.
What do others think?

 

I have some crappy tourist blades...that are very sharp.
If in fact the sheath...which is ho hum at the best , is original to the blade then 80's maybe 90's......if not , then the blade may date back to the 70's....it's just not fine enough to be carried by a local though.....
Rare....not at all !

 

Yes; I was probably not very clear. I have some souvenir knives that my parents got in the middle east around 1960; they are so dull, and made in such a way that they probably could not ever be properly sharpened; thus proving they were made only for souvenir sale.
But indeed, the opposite is not true.
My thinking was that if the pictured knife were appallingly dull, even to the point of not being capable of being sharpened, it would likely prove it was never intended to be a usable knife.
If it were very sharp, then I'd want to think a little more about what that might indicate. But I wouldn't think it was particularly rare, in any case.

 

the way in which it looks to be ground....sharp or not....tourist item.