May i query again on this lance?

tom hyle · 12th May 2006, 09:23 PM

Could we get any sort of answer on the question of crossbars? I see no sign at all? Their absence would not rule out an European hunting spear; only some types for large dangerous game had them, and many such were also habitually used for killing men. The shape of the blade, the heavy construction of the socket, the apparent welding of the socket to the blade (?), and the multiple holes for nails or rivets are all pretty typical. Atypical and most interesting is that the blade seems to be made up of two plates welded to each other along an overlap at the center of the blade. This is generally considered a Bantu (Central African) technique/design, and is often echoed in the offset cross section of Bantu blades, formed by this method or more homogenous. It has one common cognate that I know in Europe; in the DE kinzhals with the offset fullers.
Small nails are fairly common, BTW, on old tools, and where the wood is sound, they are often quite effective, even difficult to withdraw when trying.
Attached dangly crossbars in the 1600s could be ivory etc. were flat, and attached by a flat ribbon, thru a flat tunnel, shich crosses thr\uu not the center of the spear, but off to the side.
Spears of such sort tend to have large parrallel sided blades not much like this.

12th May 2006, 09:23 PM	#12
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	Could we get any sort of answer on the question of crossbars? I see no sign at all? Their absence would not rule out an European hunting spear; only some types for large dangerous game had them, and many such were also habitually used for killing men. The shape of the blade, the heavy construction of the socket, the apparent welding of the socket to the blade (?), and the multiple holes for nails or rivets are all pretty typical. Atypical and most interesting is that the blade seems to be made up of two plates welded to each other along an overlap at the center of the blade. This is generally considered a Bantu (Central African) technique/design, and is often echoed in the offset cross section of Bantu blades, formed by this method or more homogenous. It has one common cognate that I know in Europe; in the DE kinzhals with the offset fullers. Small nails are fairly common, BTW, on old tools, and where the wood is sound, they are often quite effective, even difficult to withdraw when trying. Attached dangly crossbars in the 1600s could be ivory etc. were flat, and attached by a flat ribbon, thru a flat tunnel, shich crosses thr\uu not the center of the spear, but off to the side. Spears of such sort tend to have large parrallel sided blades not much like this.