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Hello,

I have a spear brought back from the Okavango River Delta, Botswana. I just inquiring about its value. Thank you

It is a pretty crude spear. I don't see it bringing much, though I wouldn't be surprised if you found the "right buyer" willing to pay something for it. To me it looks like a wall hanger.

What if it's a genuine hand forged spear? It may be crude, but that may add to the value. You'd need an expert to evaluate it.

That is junk.

How do you tell?

"That is junk" and your expert opinion is based on????

the same as youall.. looking at pictures That means nothing

If you think it is the realdeal buy it and go kill a LION with it.

Gunjack;
Top of the morning to you sir, I hope that this second last Sunday of the first month of 2020 finds you well, warm and dry.

With the understanding that I am basing my answer off of looking at your photos and an increasingly foggy memory, I would offer the following thoughts.

When we were in rural Kenya in 1975 we saw similar spear heads and complete spears with shafts for sale in the local market place. I want to say we also saw some in a couple of the shops in Nairobi as well - again though 1975 was a couple days ago and there's been a couple lifetimes in between so I can't be certain of that.

Anyway I don't recall that anything was what we considered "expensive" at that time in Kenya - other than factory ammunition - which was all one was able to possess by the way - but that's another tangent for another day.

For reasons that escape me at this juncture, I didn't pick up a spear head when I was there and upon returning home to the Saskatchewan prairies, immediately regretted it.

When a couple family members went of an extended tour of Europe, the Middle East and Africa a couple years after that and asked what I'd like them to bring me home I suggested a spear head from east Africa.

They returned with not one, but 2 different spear heads for me, one which looks very much like yours and one a barbed unit which I've tried spearing carp with and believe it's for fishing.

Oh, lastly when we were on the Masai Mara hunting near the Rift Valley in Kenya, we bumped into a young Masai chap herding cattle and he carried a spear which to my untrained eye looked absolutely identical to the one I now own and the one in your photos. He was, we were assured by the local who was guiding us - ready, willing and able to kill whatever was pestering his cattle with it.

Personally I'd have preferred the Model 70 in .458 Win Mag which the chap we were with had and although we didn't see any lions, we did absolutely hear them every night through the tent walls.

It's interesting how some things blur with time and how some things stick with you. As I look out the window at the deep snow in our southern BC yard, I can still hear that hoarse sawing growl of the lion in the Kenyan night.

Thanks kindly for the walk down memory lane this morning sir and letting me share it.

As far as the value of your spear, I can't begin to guess - sorry. My spears aren't for sale since to this semi-old guy they're priceless. They are magically able to take me back 45 years into a place and time that I'd imagine is as vanished as the rural Saskatchewan of my youth.

All the best to you and yours sir.

Dwayne

What if it is a genuine hand forged spear, who hand forged it? That would probably matter to someone looking to pay good money for a spear! I am not arguing if or if not it was genuinely hand forged. It is crude and as I suspect similar to the ones BC30cal posted. As BC30cal stated it isn't for sale because it has meaning to him. as I originally posted you may well find that guy! However overall it is what it is, and if you like it go kill stuff with it, if you love it hang it on your wall, and if you are looking to make money off of it I wish you the best.

I am not saying it is junk. Besides one mans junk is another mans treasure.

Not trying to be a smart ass or piss on your parade, but to me, that looks like it was made for the tourist trade.

Thank you for all the information. I am putting together a insurance rider and would like to include this. Unaware of its actual worth. I wanted to protect it the best way I could.

FWIW:
In African villages,every axe, spear, or club are hand made by the local inhabitants. And yes, they are crude by our standards. Remember, these folks make do with what is available to them. The spear heads, and axes I've seen were nothing more than tools to get the job done. The most used material for these items are discarded automobile springs. As previously mentioned by BC30, and MCH, they, for the most part, are wall hangers. The items I accumulated in Zambia, and Zimbabwe have very little monetary value to most folks. They are priceless to me. One item in particular: A small axe. A crop raiding ele had been terrorizing the local farmers, and had to be terminated. While we were in the recovery process of the ele, a local farmer presented me with his"tshapu" axe. (Ironically, three days previously, I had offered this same farmer $20 for the axe, and he refused.) I couldn't buy the axe, but he was so grateful, he was willing to give the axe to me. I accepted his gift, and in return, I gave him $20 for assisting in the recovery of the ele.

I have two Masai lion killing spears. They are not tourist items. An American bought them both for $10.00 in the 1960s. The Masai rolled up the bill, put it in a cigarette wrapper, and stuffed the wrapper in his ear lobe.

I would not sell them for $10,000.

The photo you posted does not look like a cheap spear made only for the tourist trade. Too finished.

As for what it's worth, who knows? There are sites on the Internet that sell African spears, Zulu shields, etc. Try googling them. At a rough guess, I'd guess a couple of hundred dollars. Only a guess.

Googling the value of African spears comes up with anything from $39 to $1000, depending on the spear, vintage, genuine or something produced for tourists.

so you think buying a spear from a third world country is a good idea.. think about it these people are so poor that they don't know what toilet paper is and you are willing to put your life on the line with a spear you paid $10.00 for … I will stop here if youall don't get my drift there is no point of saying anymore.. have at it...

If you're referring to me, I you are off base. First, I'm not the one who bought the spears. Second, it was a transaction between a willing buyer and a willing seller. That's called free enterprise.