BF Survival Harpoon?

DaleW

DaleW

Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
2,194
Anyone interested in getting a survival harpoon built for forumites? After fiddling with frog gigs and aluminum spikes, I'd really like to see a 6"-ish spike with a barb and short cutting edge on the tip that could be used for lashing to a pole for spearing fish and small game. It would be great if the tip could be used like a bird and trout knife. I assume (as dangerous as that can be) that this is something that could be made from scraps from other knife-building projects. It should fit in a cigar tube for a sheath. I'm thinking smaller and lighter than the Hoffman Harpoon with a curved cutting edge and a lot more barb. Carbon steel would work, but stainless would be my preference.

Any knife makers out there interested?
 
I'd be in for that. Like to see a design/prototype, but I've always liked the design of the Hoffman Harpoon.
 
Sure! I have a Hoffman Harpoon, it's great...

Maybe a BF harpoon even a little smaller than you describe to fit in a mini PSK as part of fishing gear?

Then we would have large and medium Hoffmans and a small BF...

:D :D :D
 
Here's a rough sketch of my idea. I drew it 5-5/8" long so it can be gripped to use while cutting and maximize surface for lashing. It needs to be simple. Like I said stainless would be nice, but after thinking about it, the blade needs to withstand hitting a rocky stream or lake bottom without breaking. It really doesn't need much edge retention to be used as a spear-- flexibility is more important. The bottom side of the barb should not be sharp to lessen the possibility of it pulling out easily. Note that the bottom "paddle" is the same width as the barb for ease of cutting the blank. One edge of the straight portion should have a good sharp right angle for sparking a firesteel.

This is my first sketch ever of a blade, please forgive!
 
Very interested. Like my old bird/fish knife and haven't speared fish since I was a kid using a stick split and held open with a pebble and lashed tight to keep it from splitting. Got a few bullheads that way.
 
This is a good project and one I'd be interested in as well. I wonder if one of the wide hacksaw or bowsaw blades would be too thin for the project. Seems like you could WECSOK it (Wile E. Coyote School of Knifesmithin):D

ROCK6
 
I'm down for something like this. Would you skeletonize the handle to allow paracord wrap and lashing?
 
dale-- it does sound like a good idea....:thumbup: i have a hoffman harpoon, i love it.... it's a cool little addition to any pack or PSK....

i might be in depending on the price....:D
 
ilbruche said:
I'm down for something like this. Would you skeletonize the handle to allow paracord wrap and lashing?
Click to expand...

Yup, just a plain chunk of steel, with a lanyard hole and some knotches for paracord as others suggested. The idea is spearpoint first, cutting tool second. My plan is to have something that you could cut a flat on the end of a stick and lash the point to it. The paracord wrap becomes the lashing material.
 
Thomas Linton said:
No interest here. Maybe if I was inta' hunting with a spear. For a PSK, I would prefer a frog gig.
Click to expand...

I have a frog gig and they are effective, cheap, and light enough, but they pack lousy-- the socket is the problem. If someone made one with a flat tang, it would be a winner.

Maybe I need to play with some forks-- seriously! Frog gigs have the barb formed by cuttin a burr and folding it out a bit-- no big machine work there. I could take a three tine stainless fork, barb the outer tines and leave the center one straight. Flatten the body of the fork a bit and pare down the handle. Sharpen up the tines and go to work. I can buy all I want at a thrft store for $0.29 each. Hmmmmm....
 
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