Making a simple spear

[bacpacker]

MIT, Maybe, make your cut and shape it right away and harden it slowly a good distance to the hottest part of the fire. it'll harden, just more slowly. You got me thinking talking about the old ways of doing things.

I will do trying to find some info on this topic. I can see good things to use this info for.

[mitunnelrat]

All good ideas. Thank you.

[Evolver]

Don't give up on your spear and this is just a suggestion but you could give knapping local found stone for a point and lashing a try.

[mitunnelrat]

Oh, I haven't given up on it, but chances are good this one will end up as a short spear before I lash a point to it.

I figured it'd be worth working on the most basic form until I can't get it wrong, and progress in complexity from there. Make sense?

[Evolver]

Oh, I haven't given up on it, but chances are good this one will end up as a short spear before I lash a point to it.

I figured it'd be worth working on the most basic form until I can't get it wrong, and progress in complexity from there. Make sense?

Yup... and I admire that!!!

[Grumpy Old Man]

BTTT. Where are you at now with your efforts MITR? Inquiring minds want to know. And we want more content, I hear tell.

[mitunnelrat]

All I can say is there's been a distinct lack of effort. I have it tucked away in my closet, was OBE at work, and "out of sight, out of mind" came into effect.

[bobbyjoewright]

"Who here's made spears - besides Grumpy, lol ? "
In Response to this question from the original post"

1. Me. I have made many spears for fun and looks (once you make a spear you have to try it out!) If you're not hung up on "traditional" or "rustic" I can tell you about one of the best home made spears by far.
2. Go to your local hardware store and pick up a hoe handle, preferably a straight one, not tapered or bulb-ed on one end. Make sure it is pre-drilled for a hoe head. Take your handle to the nail section and ask about spike nails in the 3/8 to half in range. Find one at least 8-10" long that fits snugly in the end of the hoe handle.
3. When you get it home gently (don't split the handle) drive the nail in until about 1/2" from bottoming out. You can premeasure that depth with a pencil or other small probe and mark your nail so you don't overdrive it. Once in place, using a small drill bit, maybe 1/8", drill 3 holes through the wood, the nail and the wood again, about an inch apart.
4. Using stiff wire, I used electric fence wire, wrap the end of the handle holding the wire tightly. As you get to a pre-drilled hole, thread the wire thru and continue wrapping. The wire keeps the handle from splitting and threading thru the holes keeps the spike from driving deeper. Finish by going through the final hole several times with the wire and snip it off.
5. Use a hack saw cut the head off the spike. Then using a bench grinder taper the cut off end to a point like a pencil.

When using the spear if you find the handle is too heavy (usually not a problem with heavy spike nails but often a problem with a blade) cut off an appropriate amount of handle to ease the problem.

This spear is inexpensive, very sturdy, very deadly and a heck of a lot of fun to throw! It should give hours of fun, especially as you get more accurate. You can make a dart board from 2 sheets of plywood and challenge friends to play giant darts. It's all good fun but it is a deadly serious weapon.

If you're interested I have made more traditional and decorative spears, but these are the best.

As a side note : If you do much outdoor cooking on the ground with cast iron, bending the spear tip into an "L" using a vise turns you spear into an excellent tool for lifting pots and lids with out burning your self.

Bobbyjoewright

[bacpacker]

Excellent first post and idea as well.

Welcome to the forum.

[bobbyjoewright]

Thanks bacpacker