Antique African Spear Tip

Just a sneak peek of one of my current projects! I picked up this antique spear head from an antique shop a while back; the booth I got it from was leased by an archaeology student who deals in antiquities to make a bit of extra money. He didn't know the exact tribe, but his best educated guess on its origin was somewhere in Africa, dated most likely to the latter half of the 19th century. I asked a few friends who have studied antique weaponry more than I have, and their best guesses were either Maasai or Zulu origins.

I also consulted a museum curator, who suggested that since the rust doesn't look like it's actively corroding the metal, that I shouldn't try to clean it.

So what am I going to do with it? Exactly what I thought when I first saw it--make a really fucking awesome ritual knife with it. I've been plotting this for months, and I've been designing this thing in my mind detail by detail. Sure, I could leave it just as a pretty old antiquity sitting on a shelf to gather dust, even though it's far from museum quality.

But there is a grand tradition throughout cultures worldwide of repurposing weaponry, including broken weapons. I'm most familiar with medieval European weaponry--a broken longsword, for example, could be reforged into a short sword or large dagger. Surely others have done the same in other places and other times.

So I am choosing to follow in this tradition. This won't be a blade for war, though; it's too old. Rather, it will be something of magic and ritual, memories of the blood it once shed, but also a rebirth in peace.

This week, it's going to become a reality. Expect pictures in a few days.

Note: You may use these photos as stock, with the condition that you give me credit for the photos themselves--and show me what you made