Iklwa!

kronckew · 31st August 2014, 08:16 AM

it wasn't

the vendor is in the UK, tho it must have been a while ago he collected it and brought it back here. like most places, the good old pieces were snapped up by collectors like us, and are very hard to find in their original source areas. we, effectively, cut our own throats.

while it used to be common practice, the modern western armies no longer allow battle trophies to be acquired - it's a court martial offence in the US. still happens tho, further depleting original sources with provenance.

even here, it's hard to find good pieces, but you get lucky occasionally. someone selling grandpa's collection who has no interest in it and just wants to get rid of the (to him) junk. had a new neighbour who, when i first visited them, saw he had a beautiful well patinated zulu knobkerrie mounted over the living room/kitchen door.he found it in his granny's attic when she passed and liked it, but had no idea what it was until i told him. probably could have got it off him for a few pounds, but that wouldn't have been neighbourly. i fear a lot of good stuff was just discarded during house clearances, lost during ww2 bombing, and turned in to the police for destruction during police weapons amnesties.

kronckew · 1st September 2014, 10:41 AM

just got a message on the 'spilati' club - it's 19 in.(48 cm.) long.

kronckew · 5th September 2014, 03:13 PM

the iklwa arrived. beautiful, tight. no major damage other than age, nice patina on the sharp blade, some light pitting, blade is of a shallow diamond x-section. tip is rounded and sharp.

wire wrap is solid and undamaged. it is a combination of braided bands of brass and steel wire, the steel now black with age. you can see where the ends of the wire were inserted into tiny holes in the wood at the starting end of the braids, braided towards the point and the bitter ends hidden under the last few turns as they reached the far end.

some evidence there may have been two more bands spaced along the haft, two pale band areas about an inch or so wide in the darker wood patina. the wood is a heavy 'assegai wood', a dogwood variant and similar to ironwood.

i'll take some pictures later & add them here.

31st August 2014, 08:16 AM	#1
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,238	it wasn't the vendor is in the UK, tho it must have been a while ago he collected it and brought it back here. like most places, the good old pieces were snapped up by collectors like us, and are very hard to find in their original source areas. we, effectively, cut our own throats. while it used to be common practice, the modern western armies no longer allow battle trophies to be acquired - it's a court martial offence in the US. still happens tho, further depleting original sources with provenance. even here, it's hard to find good pieces, but you get lucky occasionally. someone selling grandpa's collection who has no interest in it and just wants to get rid of the (to him) junk. had a new neighbour who, when i first visited them, saw he had a beautiful well patinated zulu knobkerrie mounted over the living room/kitchen door.he found it in his granny's attic when she passed and liked it, but had no idea what it was until i told him. probably could have got it off him for a few pounds, but that wouldn't have been neighbourly. i fear a lot of good stuff was just discarded during house clearances, lost during ww2 bombing, and turned in to the police for destruction during police weapons amnesties. Last edited by kronckew; 31st August 2014 at 08:49 AM.

1st September 2014, 10:41 AM	#2
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,238	just got a message on the 'spilati' club - it's 19 in.(48 cm.) long.

5th September 2014, 03:13 PM	#3
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,238	the iklwa arrived. beautiful, tight. no major damage other than age, nice patina on the sharp blade, some light pitting, blade is of a shallow diamond x-section. tip is rounded and sharp. wire wrap is solid and undamaged. it is a combination of braided bands of brass and steel wire, the steel now black with age. you can see where the ends of the wire were inserted into tiny holes in the wood at the starting end of the braids, braided towards the point and the bitter ends hidden under the last few turns as they reached the far end. some evidence there may have been two more bands spaced along the haft, two pale band areas about an inch or so wide in the darker wood patina. the wood is a heavy 'assegai wood', a dogwood variant and similar to ironwood. i'll take some pictures later & add them here.