Thanks Timo and Neil!
Yes I have seen the various names listed in 長鎗法選 but I wasn't sure what the English names are... for example I doubt a wood dealer in my area would know what a cow pound wood is... hell I don't know either. So I was hoping someone could point me to their english names or the scientific names. Large bamboo doesn't grow much around here, and long bamboo poles and shipping can be expensive... but it may be worth it cause as you noted, they are naturally tapered.
I'm a bit confused. I have heard of a 白蜡杆, which is apparently used for spears and poles/staves. However, I have seen that translated as Chinese ash,
and as white waxwood. Fraxinus/ash does usually make for quality spearshafts... but so does thick enough waxwood apparently (I've only ever seen flimsy wushu ones being sold, sadly). 白蜡 literally translated to white wax... but
here they say it's ash.
For now I have a 7' ash pole which I can painstakingly taper with a knife if I so choose.
Anyone know of a good source of quality waxwood poles?
I have never seen an antique chinese spear with a butt-spike or butt-cap either, but I would imagine they existed...
Hmm, so would the tassels be a newer Qing dynasty innovation?
I wouldn't rule that out... I mean, Chinese cold weaponry did not stop developing in the Qing, in fact I think there were interesting shifts, such as the big popularity of double blades (double jian, double dao, butterfly swords), the innovation of the ox-tail saber, and the widespread use of the da-dao as an official weapon, symbol of Chinese nationalism, and a symbol of the older days of the Ming dynasty, etc.