Bamboo Fishing Spear

[Mistwalker]

Since a neighbor gave me some bamboo I thought I’d see what all I can make with it. First thing I made was a fishing spear.

First thing I did was whittle off the end just shy of a ring on the larger end, and then tied some string very tightly around the shaft at the second joint from that end, and then split it lengthwise in quarters down to the string and started shaping the tines.

Then I whittled a somewhat conical shaped piece of sycamore limb, placed it between the tines, and drove it down to the joint to spread the tines, and then tied it in place with some braided line.

Then I cut a joint out of another stalk and made it into a ring to use as a spreader and tine support.

I cut flat spots on it for the tines to sit on.

and notches inside to hold the string in place.

 

[Mistwalker]

next I whittled some notches in the tines to hold the string in place. And then put the ring in between the tines and tied it in place. Now I’m wishing I was back in Florida for a day or three.

Here are a couple of shots of my oldest playing with (before I finished it) it to give some perspective…she’s 5 feet 2 inches tall.

 

[Shotgun]

Man that's cool.

 

[TheGame]

Wow, I wish I could make a spear like that. Where I go at the river I see carp frequently and I love to spearfish for them. I use regular sharpened sticks for spears though, nothing that good looking. Awesome job :thumbup:

 

[Mistwalker]

Wow, I wish I could make a spear like that. Where I go at the river I see carp frequently and I love to spearfish for them. I use regular sharpened sticks for spears though, nothing that good looking. Awesome job :thumbup:

Thanks, Glad you like it. They're not hard to make...just a bit tedious at times

 

[myright]

That's awesome. I wish I had the patience and imagination to make something like that. Good work and thanks for posting. The next pics I want to see is of a fish on the end of it

 

[Carolina River Rat]

Sweet! Now you're required to go spear a fish and post pics.

 

[tknife]

Now that is just plain cool. You did a great job on that.

 

[on_the_edge]

Good job. You went above and beyond what I was expecting, and probably what would be good enough to get by. I don't think anyone will accuse you of doing it half-heartedly.

 

[tonym]

Great Job M.W!

I never worked with Bamboo; Does it have to be fire hardened?

 

[RescueRiley]

Nice Job Man... 5 stars

 

[eomeo]

That is a hell of a spear! Does it fit in your truck... maybe put it on the roof rack? Gotta give that beast a workout.

 

[dawsonbob]

That's really cool, mistwalker. A person can look at diagrams in books to get an idea of how to shape a pronged spear, but step-by-step photos take it to a new level. You make it very understandable.

 

[InfidelShootist]

Nice job on the spear.
Growing up spearfishing in Florida I prefer and used the metal version of what you made over even my fancy spearguns.
That design keeps fish on the spear.
Now you could attach some sugical tubing and go all the way.

 

[Mistwalker]

Thanks all, glad you like the project, it was fun to do and not all that difficult...just a bit tedious at times whittling on the tines. I am planning on making a couple more smaller ones in a different configuration.

That's awesome. I wish I had the patience and imagination to make something like that. Good work and thanks for posting. The next pics I want to see is of a fish on the end of it

Sweet! Now you're required to go spear a fish and post pics.

That is a hell of a spear! Does it fit in your truck... maybe put it on the roof rack? Gotta give that beast a workout.

There in lies a problem...first of all I don't believe spear fishing is legal here for recreational purposes...I'll have to look into it and see. I learned to make these as a kid in living in Florida. I wouldn't have a problem with doing it to survive but not sure I want to risk it just to demonstrate it.

Actually no....I'd have to trim it to get it into the bed of my truck...my truck's not a full sized pick up.

Great Job M.W!

I never worked with Bamboo; Does it have to be fire hardened?

I think I will fire harden it, but so far I have just let it dry naturally to see how it acts. This bamboo is a little different than what I had around me in Florida.

 

[CWL]

Does it have to be fire hardened?

Yes it does. Remember that bamboo is considered a type of grass and green bamboo has a high moisture content.

 

[TheGame]

There in lies a problem...first of all I don't believe spear fishing is legal here for recreational purposes.

*Cough* Special trip to Florida just to show us it with a fish on it *Cough*

Sorry, did I say something?

 

[1Tracker]

Yes, very nice pictorial on how to make a fishing spear, thank you for taking your time to share it. I'm curious about the Made in China small knife you were using. It bears a bit of a resemblance to what Koster has put out for us in the WSS Neck knife. What steel is that knife? I also noticed you used a larger knife too.

Hope you did not Bear yourself while doing it and have to be whisked off to a hotel, ahem, hospital for a few days!

 

[Mistwalker]

Yes, very nice pictorial on how to make a fishing spear, thank you for taking your time to share it. I'm curious about the Made in China small knife you were using. It bears a bit of a resemblance to what Koster has put out for us in the WSS Neck knife. What steel is that knife? I also noticed you used a larger knife too.

Hope you did not Bear yourself while doing it and have to be whisked off to a hotel, ahem, hospital for a few days!

Thanks, as of yet I am fine. The larger knife is the Becker BK7, and the smaller one is the Becker BK13, both made by Ka-Bar and came together but the little one is imported and made from a stainless steel listed as 3CR13, while the BK7 is U.S. made from Ka-Bar's 1095 CV steel. There is more on both knives here... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=642010

 

[texastonydobbs]

Looks Great , you did an excellent job bro !
bamboo can splitter and the splits can be razor sharp themselves !