I need help with a Zulu

I am currently working on a regular style sword and everything is going well so I have a bit of experience in weopen crafting, but I dont know how to make a zule, I figure its kind of like a shorter glaive, but all the tutorials on making a glaive I dont understand, so, please help a noob

Okay, I have to ask, what is this Zulu you are talking about??? I know 'Zulu' African tribe, fought the British. Used a short shafted spear in a sword like fashion. It had a long stabbing, slashing blade and in a pinch could be thrown like a jav. I also like their cowhide shields.

(I have a handful of Zulu war miniatures, some Brits and a bunch of Zulus)

yeah thats the one, I couldnt remember what the correct name was, but I remember people would just call it a zulu, but the correct name is an Ilkwa, named afted the sound it makes when it kills some one, but yes it is the short spear like weapon you mentioned

Assegai I believe that is the name of the Zulu spear. You can do a google image search to make sure.

yep thats the one, any ideas on how to make it

Okay, the correct term is "iklwa" that is the Zulu term for the shortened Assegai (african spear) that they used in hand to hand combat. The name is suppose to represent the sound the blade makes when it is pulled from a body it has impaled.

The iklwa seems to have been about 50" with a 19" blade. You would need a 48" fiberglass or sch 80 pvc pole. It would have to be at least 3/4 inch thick or more to keep down the flex. You would basically build it like a javelin because the Zulu's would carry several iklwa and throw some before closing in close combat. The head would be a javy head. ball of foam over a base of blue foam mat. But the rest of the blade, about 15" or so would be built like a sword. 3 layers of blue foam dapped on edge with one layer on the sides, reenforced with a little duct tape.

Now, in dagorhir, swords can't be thrown as javelin's, and Javelin's can't be swung to strike with the 'courtesy' cusion's like a sword. So the Iklwa would be an experimental type weapon and I couldn't be sure if it would be approved. Kurn is the officer who is responsible for experimental weapons so if you have a chance to talk with him. discuss it and maybe he can explain or draw up a design for ya that might be approved to be used as you envision. If so, let me know, I'll add one to my Norse Arsenal, Raven's inc.

Konradr

thanks I will be surre ot contact him, It will be a while before I could take it to dag, because I am in wyoming till the 17th of august

Boy, a bunch of you guys are away for the summer. Afraid of the heat? Maybe there's a local group near you that you can practice with. Check it out on the web. If not dag look for a belegarth group they fight the same rules as we do.

Oops, I had my history wrong. I just dug out my Osprey book on Zulu Warriors so let me correct my history lesson from before. The Iklwa was invented by Shaka Zulu as a heavy bladed, short, but stout hafted Stabbing spear. It was not meant to be thrown. In Shaka's day, he discouraged throwing spears. Later during Dingane's reign and about the time that more white men appeared with firearms, the throwing spear came back into vogue and the warriors would carry one or two to throw before closing into close combat with the Iklwa.

The classic Iklwa was 48 inches long. The blade was 18 inches and the haft 30. Later generations shortend it abit with 14 inch blades.

So looks like you could take a 48" fiberglass or PVC core and make a sword with a stabby tip on the last 14 to 18 inches of it. Sword being like 3 layers of closed cell foam (walmart camp mat) with about 2 inches of open cell on the tip in between the last two layers (chopped up nerf ball works good) Cloth cover, voila. Not a throwing weapon, a stab and slash weapon. I don't know if you need anymore courtesy padding other than the sword blade, it not being a red or smashing weapon. Once again the finer details would require someone with more expert knowledge.

Konradr

thanks for all your help
The closest dag group is about an hours drive on the highway away from were I live, up in cheyenne we do have the SCA, but I have no real armor so I cant do that

48" would be considered Red. You can only have 1/3 of the total length unpadded for handle space.

K-

hey this is how it turned out

https://s172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/hero_of_tyme/

I wasnt quite able to make a stabbing tip so, I made a 22 inch sword blade a 28inch handle, personally I dont think it meets standerds, but I am kind of proud of myself, I am going to take to the ren fair in colorado tomarrow.


one more thing, would this be an o.kay shield, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9ixHvXuCWE
The core is made of cardboard

I haven't personally used a cardboard cored shield, but from what I have heard they can stand up reasonably well, especially when you cross the 'grain' like in the video. DON'T use pipe insulation for the edges, though. It just breaks down too fast. Cut strips of camp pad/military/EVA and run them around the edge, usually 3 thicknesses make it safe for our use. It has to be padded like a striking surface since we allow bashing with it.

I cannot tell you whether the Ilkwa passes or not, having not seen it. However, I can tell you that having duct tape on the surface of the weapon is a big no no. You should use a fitted cover.

The shield. It's fine to use cardboard as a core. Make sure that it is a very stout cardboard. Never use pipe insulation for shield edges.

K-

I fixed the cover with a big blue sock so there is no need to worry about that, as for the shield thanks for the help.

I just needed to know because over here in Cheyenne we have frontier days and I am going to be selling foam boffers (just a foam noodle and a pvc/fiberglass core) and I was wondering if the shield would be any good