Jim,
Good subject. Battle spears are used more often than kaskara, but are often neglected in our presentations and discussions.
Typically, mounted fighters either camel or horse riders carried 3 or 4 javelins to use first and then swords for close contact usually while on foot.
Northern Beja, mostly Beni Amir continued to use spars while southern groups transitioned to the kaskara. See the attached pic of Beja spear maker from Kassala via my Sword & Knife Makers paper and the extracted text.
The short spear is still made by O'Haj Mohammad Din, my informant's uncle. He and his
son are the only remaining producers of the traditional weapon of the Beja. While the
sword has replaced it as the culturally reinforced large weapon of choice, the spear is
still preferred by the tough, steely-eyed Beni Amir who roam the hilly wastes of northern
Eritrea to the east of Kassala.
Unlike the long shaft broad leaf or spade shaped spear of the mounted Baggara of
Western Sudan, the Beja spear is designed for use by pedestrians. The wooden shafts
are about a meter long and steel spear points are attached to each end. The narrow
killing blade is about 20 inches, tapering from two inches to a sword tip. It has a center
reinforcing rib. The other end is an 18 inch long round piece formed by forging and
welding a rod in a pointed tapered spiral.
Informants say that the flat blade is used if one wants to kill an animal and the piercing
round end is used if only wounding is the goal. It appears to me that this weapon is
lethal at both ends. The length and balance of the spear makes it easy to carry, an aid
in walking and highly effective for thrusting, short range throwing and in defense of a
sword attack.
Also, we had a good discussion some years before on spears.
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=17792
Most of the spears on the card with barbs are fishing spears. Spears you want to stick people with shouldn't remain in the target, but be withdrawn.
Regards,
Ed