Knobkerries

[Conogre]

First off, yes, contemporary war clubs are still being made today by native craftsmen for actual use all over Africa and not for the tourist trade, as a gentleman named Gordon Crawford in Swaziland had sent me several photos of a quite elderly carver doing exactly that out in the remote bush.
By the way, these were often used as missles/trowing sticks for hunting small game and fowl as well as for hand-to-hand combat, and some of the lighter ones may well have been made with that in mind, although they are also used in ritual combat and in coming of age rites by many tribes as well, often accompanied by small wooden shields that are almost identical to the Australian aboriginal types that most are familiar with.
Of the four shown, (L to R) the two round headed are Zulu, called "Iwisa", while the other two are Swazi and called "Lingedla", decidedly parrot headed in shape and with a depression in the top and bottom that was kept packed with animal fat to prevent splitting when not in use.
As you can see, the larger one has beem cut down slightly and I actually use it as a cane, since running is no longer an option!**grin**
Surprisingly, it's been admitted to both courthouses and airports and the guards actually told what is is, only to recieve admirable comments and then be returned to me, although it's definitely lethal, far moreso than a baseball bat that was often favored by gangster elements.....apparently, it has to be steel before they realize it's deadly!