Excellent topic Marcus!!!
In "African Arms and Armour", Christopher Spring noted the characteristically western propensity to try to explain the use and dynamics of every curious and unusual weapon found in ethnographica. I do not recall offhand the details of that reference, but wanted to note it here as the discussion develops.
As far as I recall, it does seem that there were a degree of these which were actually used as weapons, and much as with thrown spears, they were somewhat expendable in initial 'shock action' in combat.
Despite that notable use, it also seems that in tribal warfare, the pitched battle was not always inevitable at the outset, and often fearsome looking weapons were brandished as adversaries faced off.
I think as Marcus suggests, a great course for discussion would be, examples we have determined were indeed used as weapons and thrown and which were dynamically improbable as projectiles.
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