Assagai Blade of the African Warrior. By Paul Kirchner

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Posts : 42 Join date : 2010-11-05 Location : Texas

Does anyone know if the traditional assegai (or iklwa) blade used by the Zulu always had a tang, which was inserted into the wood of the handle, or could it have used a socket which fit over it? I found a blade in the shape of an assegai in New Orleans of all places, but it has a socket. I want to know if that is of a more modern period, or possibly unique to another geographical area.

Thanks

Hi Diancast.
Most certainly it is the Tang when dealing with the zulu nation before and during the period of 1879 . I dont know if they
have reverted to the socket , most certainly the socket was adopted in other cultures but I dont know by whom.
Cheers 90th. Salute

Cheers 90th. Salute

I would back up 90th on that. The tang was heated and burned into the haft. It was then secured by a water soaked leather sleeve and force dried causing the leather to shrink and secure the blade to the haft.

Cheers

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