Hoffman Harpoon !

I always find those little things appealing, but at the same time...

Here are just 25 easy steps to make something basically equivalent to spending three minutes carving down the tip of a good straight pole into a sharp, barbed point that won't wreck your blade when you bounce it off a rock by accident?

You know I do like his tensioned lashing method though, that's handy!
 
Anyone who likes that, will probably love this. It's a DIY job that costs $2 :) There is a thread on it somewhere here. It was originally posted on Armas Blancas (a Spanish forum) by Canis Vulpes, and he passed it along to Klippe.




~CanDo
 
Seems like overkill for a harpoon that size. This technique might be more appropriate for lashing a bowie for hunting boar or something. For frogs and fish, I'd probably find a thin sapling, and just lash it to the side.
 
Evolute said:
That's basically the same method I suggest, here... http://www.swampratknifeworks.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=001621#000006 ...and elsewhere. It works well. No need to tie the cord to a tree. Just step on the cord to keep it under tension while you roll it around the knife handle, to get the tension.
Click to expand...

Also good...never had a problem just holding things in my hands and pulling the cord taut as I went, but then I've never tried to lash something really sharp to the end of a stick - moving your arm around the blade fifty times seems like a real recipe for disaster!
 
I have a cold spear assegai I use for a hiking staff,I think I paid $30 for it. A bushman knife will make a fair spear too,for about $20. Very expensive solution in search of an answer.
 
Thats a neat technique for tensioning the paracord. It might be a little overboard for the blade but I would rather it be overkill then stuck in the side of a animal that is running away to die somewhere I can't find it.

I like the hoffman harpoon but can't justify the price, the spade bit make a little more sense. I think I might break down one day and make one.
 
cool article...:thumbup: that's about how i do it... i love my harpoon.... i think it's a great peice of kit... it is a bit over priced... but well worth it...:D
 
I like how he uses the large Hoffman harpoon to make a spear out of the small! One thing that gets to me about these tutorials is that they never mention that this IS NOT how the harpoon was designed! It was designed as a gaff so that the harpoon comes out at an angle back toward the users hand and is used in a sweeping motion thus saving the tip.
I own the small harpoon and am looking forward to using it this spring/summer. It is very thick and I had to do a lot of reprofiling to get it ready for my standards. Actually it is one two of TOPS offerings that I am interested in (Pasayten being the other).
 
Kris,

So let me get this right, the harpoon was designed to be a "barb" on the harpoon? Like it was a big fish hook.
 
knife, gaff, spear or gig.. these things are just flat out cool...:D i love it.. i would not hesitate to use this as a spear if needs be....

i also had to put a good edge on it, the factory edge was not that great at all...:thumbdn:
IMG_1684.jpg
 
orrey45 said:
Kris,

So let me get this right, the harpoon was designed to be a "barb" on the harpoon? Like it was a big fish hook.
Click to expand...

As far as I have read- more or less. Think of a check mark. The long portion is the shaft and one affixes the H. Harpoon as if it was the short part of the check mark. This means you would sweep it to catch prey and it would be thus stuck against the shaft and steel, instead of just using the barb on the knife to hold your prey. Clear as mud right. (although both ways are probably effective).
 
harpoon.jpg

Here is the way I intened it to be used. The cord wrap has enough tension to hold it in place if it hits flesh, fur or scales. If you hit a hard target such as a rock, it should slide back instead of snapping. I would also suggest running a cord from the lanyard hole back up the shaft to your wrist. (you don't want to throw it into a lake without a method of retriving it.)
Those were my intentions but if you find another way to use it, go for it. Even though I don't "suggest" you use it as a spear, I will admit that I have killed more than one tree with it (along with one snake and one rabbit to date). I wanted to "gig" a big catfish but Bass Pro chased me out of their store!
I have also skinned out a few deer with it but most of the use has been around a campfire cutting up dinner.
 
very cool terrill....:thumbup: these things rock....:D i think i want to get a mini-harpoon now...
 
Thank you sir, I just got one of the mini's myself and have not had the chance to try it out yet. But it is down right cute!
 
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