African Arms

[Lew]

Originally Posted by nKante

I found this site last year. I am very impressed with his work. As someone who broke his first 'authentic' Congo spear, I would rather use a well crafted reproduction. I think he is filling a nice niche, trying to link the past with the present. There is not alot of mainstream info out there, and I think his work would shed some light on how things were done.

Nkante

First thing what were you doing with the spear that made it break?You said his work would shed light on how things were done? As far as forging the blade ? I am sure he uses heavier stock high carbon tool steel and if he uses a gas forge than it wouldn't be the way things were done. He does nice work but to me these are African weapons on steroids using .250 thick stock. There are so older African weapons on the market today that I can pick up an old spear and use it against soft home made targets. Throwing these types of old spears into wooden targets are not what they were designed for. Remember people who lived in the Congo basically ran around in a loin cloth so any type of metalic weapon whether steel or even copper could be very deadly. As far as I know there is no established form of an African martial arts weapons system other than some stick fighting forms?