Atlanta Cutlery's Zulu Iklwa Spear
Jun 19, 2009 2:08:03 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2009 2:08:03 GMT
ZULU IKLWA SPEAR
(Atlanta Cutlery)
Price: $49.95
INTRODUCTION AND HISTORICAL OVERVIEW:[/u]
Every since seeing the movie Shaka Zulu I have always wanted one of the short type stabbing spears used by him and his elite Zulu troops. So when I went to MRL/A.C. Store and showroom in Conyers, Ga I asked to look at one out of curiosity. As soon as I laid eyes on it and held it I knew I had to buy it. I had expected it to be some piece of shoddy cheap crap, but it is a deadly, functional Zulu Short spear! I bought it there at the showroom store and took it home with me. All the way back to central Alabama I kept casting my eyes over at it as is lay against the passenger seat, point downwards on the floor. I even hefted it a bit a couple of times. That would have looked good to a State Trooper. I can hear him now, It’s not enough that people keep cell phones glued to their ears while driving, here goes a guy with a stupid smile on his face riding along with a spear!
So, this is the famed Zulu “Iklwa” spear, offered by Atlanta Cutlery, made famous by Shaka Zulu in the movie of that name. According to the movie Shaka developed the short stabbing spear and the special fighting tactics to use it which made it and his forces decidedly deadly. I am unsure of if he really developed that spear, but the real life Shaka Zulu lived in Africa in the 1800s I think and forged a large and powerful empire in south central Africa I believe. It took years of fighting with British Colonial troops to finally break the back of Zulu power. The famous battle of “Rourkes Riff” (spelling unsure) comes to mind. It is designed as a hand held stabbing and close combat spear but can be thrown.
I have seen some originals and pics, and there are various variations in design and construction, but the short length and big powerful spearhead are the hallmark of this type of spear. Below is a pic of an actual one from Africa.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS:
I unwrapped it at Atlanta Cutlery’s showroom store. It was wrapped in plastic and then enclosed in a cardboard “sheath”. I was excited when I saw the wooden handle sticking out. When I brought it into the light of day and wielded it I was amazed at the quality of construction, the big steel head, and how balanced it was. It felt perfect for close up fighting. The people at MRL/AC are a friendly, great bunch of people. They will get anything you want out of the storage area and let you open it and inspect it. I have also ordered several things over the years. Customer service is great in my opinion.
STASTISTICS:
Blade Length: 13 1/8”
Blade Thickness: 3/16”
Blade Width: 2 ½”
OA Spearhead length: 19 ½” (this is from where the neck or headshaft ends at the wire wrapping on the handle/shaft to the point).
Handle/Shaft Length: 30 1/8” (includes wire wrapped area)
Overall Length: 50” (from point to butt)
Guard Width: N/A
POB (Point of Balance): More or less in center of brass wire wrapping, about 22” from point.
COP (Center of Percussion): It being a spear, the point is the COP I suppose. Although the edges of the blade can be sharpened and it can be swung to cut and slice.
Weight: I have no scales but the website says it weighs 2lbs 8oz.
COMPONANTS:
The Blade: The blade of this spear is awesome. The head’s 6”shaft or socket goes from 1 ¼” to abt ¾” from which the blade swells out to 2 ½” and then goes to a deadly sharp point. The widest point is 10 5/8” from the point and abt 3 1/8” from neck of socket. The blade is very solid and it and the socket and whole one-piece head assembly very solid and sturdy…, and deadly!
The Handle: The handle, or shaft, is made of some sort of very hard wood stained a dark reddish brown stain. A section of the shaft, beginning where the wood disappears into the socket and extending 4 ½” is wrapped very tightly and sturdily with heavy brass wire. Each end of the wire disappears into a hole in the shaft. The wire is probably 1/16” thick. In the middle of this is the POB and feels perfect in the hand for either throwing or that deadly upward stab the Zulus perfected with it.
The Guard: N/A
The Pommel/Butt: There are no fittings on this model. The shaft butt ends abruptly and is flat on the end. I have seen some with pointed steel butt spikes.
The Scabbard: N/A
HANDLING CHARACTORISTICS:
This short Zulu “Iklwa” spear is in my opinion superbly balanced for both throwing, stabbing and any sort of close combat. It is just the right weight to me (I am 313lbs and 6’ 1”), it is not too light nor too heavy. One could carry this all day long and wield it comfortably. I am no expert but I believe it is a great representation of the average Zulu Short Stabbing Spear.
TEST CUTTING:
I have not test cut or stabbed much of anything with this. The edges of the spearhead’s blade are not sharp, but could easily be sharpened. But the few things I have stabbed with it, boxes, milk jugs, etc., were totally skewered through easily. Once I stabbed an ethofoam deer archery target. It struck with a nice “thunk” and went in a good several inches. I did not want to ruin my archery target so I did no more stabs.
CONCLUSIONS:
This spear is perfect for what it was intended: Picture yourself; It is stifling host and dusty. You are advancing against your enemy. You both have shields covered in cowhide, he with his long spear up over his shoulder, ready for a thrust or throw. You close hunkered over, your shield tight against your left shoulder, your Iklwa held at the ready, down low, point angled upwards. Suddenly when within two or three feet you rush in, bending over, and at the moment of impact, all in one motion, you slam your shield into his in an upward motion as you begin to stand up, and as you knock him back and knock his shield upwards and out of the way for a split second, you use that deadly upward stab the Zulus perfected with it. Before he can react, back up, or anything, eight or ten inches of your spearhead is imbedded into his heart and lung, maybe even something like his pancreas. Because you don’t just stab. As you come up, you stab at an upward angle, the point entering below the ribs, piercing upwards through pancreas, heart, and lung….!!
Forgive the narrative, I could not resist. But yes, I would recommend this weapon to any lover of spears. It is perfect for what it was designed for. The only thing I might change, if anything, would be to carve the butt into a more pointed end and add a pointed butt spike. But then again, that might take off of the good balance of it.
PROS:
Perfect weight and balance. Large, beautiful wide bladed tempered high carbon steel spear head. Perfect for throwing, stabbing, or any sort of close combat.
CONS:
The edge could be sharpened if one wanted it that way and as I said, a narrow, pointed butt spike might work. Other than that, it is perfect.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
The bottom line is this, it is one finely made spear, well balanced, not too heavy or light, awesome business end, etc.. As I said, I would recommend this weapon to my own brother, friend, or any real spear lover. It is a beautiful, functional, and awesome combat ready piece of history. And for $49.95, you just can not beat it!!
I have nothing negative to say about it.
(Atlanta Cutlery)
Price: $49.95
INTRODUCTION AND HISTORICAL OVERVIEW:[/u]
Every since seeing the movie Shaka Zulu I have always wanted one of the short type stabbing spears used by him and his elite Zulu troops. So when I went to MRL/A.C. Store and showroom in Conyers, Ga I asked to look at one out of curiosity. As soon as I laid eyes on it and held it I knew I had to buy it. I had expected it to be some piece of shoddy cheap crap, but it is a deadly, functional Zulu Short spear! I bought it there at the showroom store and took it home with me. All the way back to central Alabama I kept casting my eyes over at it as is lay against the passenger seat, point downwards on the floor. I even hefted it a bit a couple of times. That would have looked good to a State Trooper. I can hear him now, It’s not enough that people keep cell phones glued to their ears while driving, here goes a guy with a stupid smile on his face riding along with a spear!
So, this is the famed Zulu “Iklwa” spear, offered by Atlanta Cutlery, made famous by Shaka Zulu in the movie of that name. According to the movie Shaka developed the short stabbing spear and the special fighting tactics to use it which made it and his forces decidedly deadly. I am unsure of if he really developed that spear, but the real life Shaka Zulu lived in Africa in the 1800s I think and forged a large and powerful empire in south central Africa I believe. It took years of fighting with British Colonial troops to finally break the back of Zulu power. The famous battle of “Rourkes Riff” (spelling unsure) comes to mind. It is designed as a hand held stabbing and close combat spear but can be thrown.
I have seen some originals and pics, and there are various variations in design and construction, but the short length and big powerful spearhead are the hallmark of this type of spear. Below is a pic of an actual one from Africa.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS:
I unwrapped it at Atlanta Cutlery’s showroom store. It was wrapped in plastic and then enclosed in a cardboard “sheath”. I was excited when I saw the wooden handle sticking out. When I brought it into the light of day and wielded it I was amazed at the quality of construction, the big steel head, and how balanced it was. It felt perfect for close up fighting. The people at MRL/AC are a friendly, great bunch of people. They will get anything you want out of the storage area and let you open it and inspect it. I have also ordered several things over the years. Customer service is great in my opinion.
STASTISTICS:
Blade Length: 13 1/8”
Blade Thickness: 3/16”
Blade Width: 2 ½”
OA Spearhead length: 19 ½” (this is from where the neck or headshaft ends at the wire wrapping on the handle/shaft to the point).
Handle/Shaft Length: 30 1/8” (includes wire wrapped area)
Overall Length: 50” (from point to butt)
Guard Width: N/A
POB (Point of Balance): More or less in center of brass wire wrapping, about 22” from point.
COP (Center of Percussion): It being a spear, the point is the COP I suppose. Although the edges of the blade can be sharpened and it can be swung to cut and slice.
Weight: I have no scales but the website says it weighs 2lbs 8oz.
COMPONANTS:
The Blade: The blade of this spear is awesome. The head’s 6”shaft or socket goes from 1 ¼” to abt ¾” from which the blade swells out to 2 ½” and then goes to a deadly sharp point. The widest point is 10 5/8” from the point and abt 3 1/8” from neck of socket. The blade is very solid and it and the socket and whole one-piece head assembly very solid and sturdy…, and deadly!
The Handle: The handle, or shaft, is made of some sort of very hard wood stained a dark reddish brown stain. A section of the shaft, beginning where the wood disappears into the socket and extending 4 ½” is wrapped very tightly and sturdily with heavy brass wire. Each end of the wire disappears into a hole in the shaft. The wire is probably 1/16” thick. In the middle of this is the POB and feels perfect in the hand for either throwing or that deadly upward stab the Zulus perfected with it.
The Guard: N/A
The Pommel/Butt: There are no fittings on this model. The shaft butt ends abruptly and is flat on the end. I have seen some with pointed steel butt spikes.
The Scabbard: N/A
HANDLING CHARACTORISTICS:
This short Zulu “Iklwa” spear is in my opinion superbly balanced for both throwing, stabbing and any sort of close combat. It is just the right weight to me (I am 313lbs and 6’ 1”), it is not too light nor too heavy. One could carry this all day long and wield it comfortably. I am no expert but I believe it is a great representation of the average Zulu Short Stabbing Spear.
TEST CUTTING:
I have not test cut or stabbed much of anything with this. The edges of the spearhead’s blade are not sharp, but could easily be sharpened. But the few things I have stabbed with it, boxes, milk jugs, etc., were totally skewered through easily. Once I stabbed an ethofoam deer archery target. It struck with a nice “thunk” and went in a good several inches. I did not want to ruin my archery target so I did no more stabs.
CONCLUSIONS:
This spear is perfect for what it was intended: Picture yourself; It is stifling host and dusty. You are advancing against your enemy. You both have shields covered in cowhide, he with his long spear up over his shoulder, ready for a thrust or throw. You close hunkered over, your shield tight against your left shoulder, your Iklwa held at the ready, down low, point angled upwards. Suddenly when within two or three feet you rush in, bending over, and at the moment of impact, all in one motion, you slam your shield into his in an upward motion as you begin to stand up, and as you knock him back and knock his shield upwards and out of the way for a split second, you use that deadly upward stab the Zulus perfected with it. Before he can react, back up, or anything, eight or ten inches of your spearhead is imbedded into his heart and lung, maybe even something like his pancreas. Because you don’t just stab. As you come up, you stab at an upward angle, the point entering below the ribs, piercing upwards through pancreas, heart, and lung….!!
Forgive the narrative, I could not resist. But yes, I would recommend this weapon to any lover of spears. It is perfect for what it was designed for. The only thing I might change, if anything, would be to carve the butt into a more pointed end and add a pointed butt spike. But then again, that might take off of the good balance of it.
PROS:
Perfect weight and balance. Large, beautiful wide bladed tempered high carbon steel spear head. Perfect for throwing, stabbing, or any sort of close combat.
CONS:
The edge could be sharpened if one wanted it that way and as I said, a narrow, pointed butt spike might work. Other than that, it is perfect.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
The bottom line is this, it is one finely made spear, well balanced, not too heavy or light, awesome business end, etc.. As I said, I would recommend this weapon to my own brother, friend, or any real spear lover. It is a beautiful, functional, and awesome combat ready piece of history. And for $49.95, you just can not beat it!!
I have nothing negative to say about it.