Original Item: One of a Kind. One must remember that Great Britain's greatest stand is considered by many to be at RORKE'S DRIFT in 1879, when about 120 troopers held off over 4,000 Zulu Warriors. This is the subject of the great movie ZULU staring Michael Caine. In truth the day before this action, the British forces had half the Regiment wiped out by these same Zulu Warriors and the Country was in need of some Great Success.

The Zulu war lasted less than 12 months, and every one at the time was shocked by the abilities of the African Natives. Here we have great example of a ZULU WAR CLUB, commonly referred to as a Knobkierie. This example long pre-dates the 1879 war, and maybe goes back to SHAKA ZULU a great ZULU King from around 1820. In 1879 Great Britain wasted no time in avenging the terrible loss of the 24th Regiment of Foot, and completely routed all ZULULAND, including the Capitol of ULUNDI.

Here we have this truly wonderful old War Club, apparently taken in ULUNDI at the end of 1879 by a British Soldier. Measuring 29" in overall length, the ball itself is a nice 2 3/4" across, a smaller example for a fast hit. There is a very old paper label, probably from a regimental museum, attached to the haft:-

The Zulu war was a great Patriotic period in British History, and many Museums especially Regimental museums were started to commemorate the Campaign. 

An incredible piece of Zulu Wars Memorabilia, ready to display!

A Knobkierie, also spelled knobkerrie, knopkierie or knobkerry, is a form of club used mainly in Southern and Eastern Africa. Typically they have a large knob at one end and can be used for throwing at animals in hunting or for clubbing an enemy's head. The knobkierie is carved from a branch thick enough for the knob, with the rest being whittled down to create the shaft.

The name derives from the Afrikaans word knop, meaning knot or ball and the Nama (one of the Khoekhoe languages) word kierie, meaning cane or walking stick. The name has been extended to similar weapons used by the natives of Australia, the Pacific islands and other places.

Knobkieries were an indispensable weapon of war, particularly among southern Nguni tribes such as the Zulu (as the iwisa) and the Xhosa. Knobkieries was occasionally used during World War I. The weapon also being carried by British soldiers in Siegfried Sassoon's fictionalized autobiography.