african spear

Freddy · 9th December 2005, 05:24 PM

You're quite right. The braided collar is for securing the blade to the shaft. A South African spear blade has a tang which goes into the shaft. The collar prevents the wood from splitting. Besides being practical, I think it also enhances the beauty of the weapon.

Your spear seems to be a good old specimen. On newer spears (and also on axes) the collar is often made of braided electrical wire. Not that these are no good, but they are younger.

Your spear is a throwing spear, as was already mentioned. That's probably why it has such a light blade. I had a look around on the internet and the word 'assegai' was mostly used for a stabbing spear. These had larger heads and were heavier.

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9th December 2005, 05:24 PM	#5
Freddy Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sint-Amandsberg (near Ghent, Belgium) Posts: 830	You're quite right. The braided collar is for securing the blade to the shaft. A South African spear blade has a tang which goes into the shaft. The collar prevents the wood from splitting. Besides being practical, I think it also enhances the beauty of the weapon. Your spear seems to be a good old specimen. On newer spears (and also on axes) the collar is often made of braided electrical wire. Not that these are no good, but they are younger. Your spear is a throwing spear, as was already mentioned. That's probably why it has such a light blade. I had a look around on the internet and the word 'assegai' was mostly used for a stabbing spear. These had larger heads and were heavier.