Any African spear experts ?

28 November 2018, 05:06

ALF

No expert but I know something about African spears.
Mostly two types Functional and then "currency spears"

Many of the spears one sees for sale in African curio stores in the USA ( example the store in La Jolla) are in fact from central and West Afica and many are actually currency spears. The Kasai province in the DRC a popular source for Kuba cloth, chairs ,tables and off course Kuba currency spears these are quite commonly encountered in curio stores

Some spears are distinct in shape by tribe like the spears of the Samburu and Maasai whilst others are generic, some like the fishing spears of the Lozi ( descendants of the Luba Kingdom ) share a common theme.

Over the years I have managed to collect a small collection of spears from parts of Southern and central Africa including knives and wrist knives from the Turkana.

There was a guy in Hoedspruit South Africa who owned a curio store Monsoon Gallery and he had what must be one of the most complete and extensive collections of spears and bows and arrows from various parts of Africa. I sometimes wonder what happened to his collection ....

There is a book African Arms and armour that deals with examples of spears shields and armour found in Africa, many of the examples now found in museums

28 November 2018, 05:15

JTEX

quote:
There was a guy in Hoedspruit South Africa who owned a curio store Monsoon Gallery and he had what must be one of the most complete and extensive collections of spears and bows and arrows from various parts of Africa. I sometimes wonder what happened to his collection ....

I believe the guy you are talking about is still there and going strong. Englishman, older, white hair?

I visited with him for over an hour last year admiring his collection, the man was a wealth of knowledge and very pleasant to visit with.

.

28 November 2018, 07:14

ALF

John and Calli Williams of Hoedspruit.
I think he now lives somewhere in the Cape

28 November 2018, 12:38

gunslinger55

Ok good info thanks yes some are currency spears I think. Kuba possibly. Most are quite old .a samburru one s well and some others . Looking forward to learning more and getting some sheildsto match

quote:
Originally posted by ALF:
No expert but I know something about African spears.
Mostly two types Functional and then "currency spears"

Many of the spears one sees for sale in African curio stores in the USA ( example the store in La Jolla) are in fact from central and West Afica and many are actually currency spears. The Kasai province in the DRC a popular source for Kuba cloth, chairs ,tables and off course Kuba currency spears these are quite commonly encountered in curio stores

Some spears are distinct in shape by tribe like the spears of the Samburu and Maasai whilst others are generic, some like the fishing spears of the Lozi ( descendants of the Luba Kingdom ) share a common theme.

Over the years I have managed to collect a small collection of spears from parts of Southern and central Africa including knives and wrist knives from the Turkana.

There was a guy in Hoedspruit South Africa who owned a curio store Monsoon Gallery and he had what must be one of the most complete and extensive collections of spears and bows and arrows from various parts of Africa. I sometimes wonder what happened to his collection ....

There is a book African Arms and armour that deals with examples of spears shields and armour found in Africa, many of the examples now found in museums

28 November 2018, 19:14

MJines

Jim with African Sporting Creations might be a resource.

African Sporting Creations

29 November 2018, 03:53

BaxterB

Very cool Spears. Has anyone ever seen a Maasai forge? I’d love to see what tools they used to process the steel and make the blades.

29 November 2018, 17:14

gunslinger55

Yes I looked at their spears and the internet search spears arriving today for closer examination. Got a pretty smoking deal on the 5 as apparently according to source Africana sales are in the decline

29 November 2018, 18:00

fulvio

Not sure what spear collecting has got to do with African Big Game Hunting.

Shouldn't this interesting conversation fall into the "Other Topics" forum and its "Miscellaneous Topics" section? ..... just wondering

29 November 2018, 19:02

ALF

quote:
Not sure what spear collecting has got to do with African Big Game Hunting.

Absolutely everything !
The heading of the forum is African HUNTING and not African SHOOTING!

Hunting comprises a total experience ! It encompasses an awareness of the whole experience related to the activity of the pursuit of hunt-able animals in a specific geographic area.

As such the hunt often referred to as the SAFARI is a total experience which encompasses interaction of the hunter with not only the animals hunted but other people ,indigenous and other, their cultures and their environment.

Some collect trophies and memorabilia related to this experience. Which may include curios etc.

An example of this Jim Shockey's newly opened private museum which showcases a huge collection of not only trophies but various curios and artefacts collected whilst hunting all over the world. He has for instance a collection of primitive stone / flint arrow heads collected whilst hunting in the USA.

29 November 2018, 20:44

gunslinger55

I looked for a section but didn’t see any end thought it was appropriate here. I agree trophies are more than just animals

30 November 2018, 01:00

Dutch44

It' appropriate. Hell, Capstick stuck a cape buff with one...or so he wrote.

01 December 2018, 01:08

McKay

I like em. Bought a few from the Maasai when I hunted there a decade ago. After seeing Jines link I wish I would have bought a crate of them and sent them home.

03 December 2018, 08:20

gunslinger55

Africans have been hunting with spears for eons

04 December 2018, 06:23

gunslinger55

Anyone know good tips for hanging or displaying them? Brackets wall mounts etc?

04 December 2018, 11:08

fulvio

quote:
Originally posted by gunslinger55:
Africans have been hunting with spears for eons

Most have since upgraded through stages: from home-made muzzle loaders to AK-47s and scoped rifles.

The Maasai have long since stopped spearing cattle-raiding lions and upgraded to more efficient means of eradication of this "pest" through deployment of poisons.

Spears therefore are in today's world viewed more as cultural memorabilia than what they were originally intended for.

04 December 2018, 11:41

ALF

Masai ( young Moran spear) / Samburu with Ostrich feather pom pom / Kuba currency spear(DRC)

05 December 2018, 23:41

Atkinson

I can ususally tell if they are old or tourist speers..I have a number of old spears and some tourist speers also, I have a very aged bow and quiver, and the arrow points still have poison on them apparently still active after all those years..I sealed the quiver that has a top with tape and have a warning on it...

The touist speers are pretty easy to identigy as they are crude, the old stuff is class..Im no expert but can identify old from new I think.
Not mush information out there and hard to learn anything specific...

There are a number of people in Africa that can identify a spear to the proper tribe with a picture of presented to them. I can do that to some extent most of the time.