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Originally Posted by Tim Simmons
Nice. I have seen longer ones with cane like halft and knurled socket, you have spears from A-Z  . |
Tim,
I am aware of another similar modern type ethnographic spear. I have heard them refered to as askari spears. This would seem to indicate they are from German East Africa. But they are not. They are spears made for native troops in South Africa during WWII. There is a picture of a Soldier carrying one of these spears while guarding an airfield at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Askari. I know where a couple of them are are but prefer to wait for better examples. These ones have been cleaned with a wire wheel and look like it.
There are two different patterns of them. I don't know how good they would be on the battle field but they were definitely made for the parade ground. There is a groove in the butt. When the spear is at shoulder arms your thumb fits squarely into this groove. Then not only is your fore arm parallel to the deck, all blades in the rank and file are turned at the same angle.
These spears all have wood hafts. The ones that I have seen with cane or rattan hafts were lances and were not what I would call ethnographic. These asakari and SAPS spears are definitely culturally based.
Although my spear collecting is "pure" Zulu, I am quickly coming to the conclusion that there may be no such thing. Zulu's did make there own spears. But there was no hesitation on their part to pick up the other guys weapons left on the battlefield and use them.