Homemade Spear

Bobthebrewer

Bobthebrewer

Joined
Dec 15, 2021
Messages
590
I had been wanting to make a spear recently that was inspired by the Zulu Iklwa. It is certainly not an Iklwa but it was fun to put together. I purchased a Hewing spear head so it could be used to both cut and thrust and a Greek spear butt (looks cool and balances it spear head but not sure how smart it is to have such a pointed end on a short spear). The spearhead is 19” long and the entire piece is 50” long. Truly idle hands are the devil’s workshop but it was a lot of fun.IMG_2565.jpeg
 
Bobthebrewer said:
Was actually going for a short handle, you might prove to be correct but I wanted to try it and see how it handles with such a short length
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Do you throw it like a spear or like a knife, with a flip? I'd maybe add a tassel to it? A Sparkly one

Kinda reminds me of lawn darts? As a kid we had them. Fun almost killing each other....lol
:D
 
Tell us about the construction! What did you use to taper your tiny shaft? what kind of cross pins did you use? I have 2 hickory spears I like a lot, I train with them as well for stability and warmups etc. They are full sized though, one was straightened over a charcoal fire and hardened last summer, the other one will get straightened over the fire as soon as it gets warmer. I clamp them into angle iron and i got a big cinderblock firepit in the backyard thats a big rectangle lol.

One head is from wulflund, the other is from museum replicas. the second one came out much better and the bark is still on the sapling i dried and hardened.
 
I started with a red oak staff from a martial arts company, my next door neighbor had a lathe and a functional measuring device which allowed me to form both the head and the butt to fit with good tolerances so filled the sockets nicely. We then used JB weld epoxy when we fit the spearhead and butt to the wood. After it set I had purchased a 3/16th in diameter metal rod. We cut it to length and drilled the holes provided by the manufacturer. We ran the rod through the drilled holes and then welded the pins to the metal. Sanded it down and it was good to go. My neighbor had the idea of using the 3/16th pin as I didn’t want a Frankenstein’s monster nut and bolt look and it worked really well. Looked smooth but had functional strength.
 
Bobthebrewer said:
I started with a red oak staff from a martial arts company, my next door neighbor had a lathe and a functional measuring device which allowed me to form both the head and the butt to fit with good tolerances so filled the sockets nicely. We then used JB weld epoxy when we fit the spearhead and butt to the wood. After it set I had purchased a 3/16th in diameter metal rod. We cut it to length and drilled the holes provided by the manufacturer. We ran the rod through the drilled holes and then welded the pins to the metal. Sanded it down and it was good to go. My neighbor had the idea of using the 3/16th pin as I didn’t want a Frankenstein’s monster nut and bolt look and it worked really well. Looked smooth but had functional strength.
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solid, if your welds ever crack on that thin steel, i've had an easy time using hardware store nails of the right thickness, cut them so they stick out both sides about 3/16"-1/4" and peen them over easily with a ball peen hammer. they form nice round peens on both sides mechanically secure. You might really enjoy a full length shaft!
 
Pretty cool, you’ve got skills my friend. Don’t think I’ve ever seen such a short spear before. It really does look like a dart. Reminds me of a Sabot round. Brought me back to my Army days as a tank gunner.

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Bobthebrewer said:
Was actually going for a short handle, you might prove to be correct but I wanted to try it and see how it handles with such a short length
Click to expand...
ya maybe right, but pic it looks like nothing to really to hold on to with 2 hands and have any real ability to apply proper force......but pics can be misleading and I maybe way wrong. if ya do any testing with it post us up a video.....thanks.
 
As far as I know, that particular spear was not used like a European spear. This was used one handed and the other hand held a large hide shield. It was quite effective in its day. Traditional ones would be longer, but not by much.
 
SharpBits said:
As far as I know, that particular spear was not used like a European spear. This was used one handed and the other hand held a large hide shield. It was quite effective in its day. Traditional ones would be longer, but not by much.
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good point hadn't considered one handed use, but still feel more length would give more use to it and still apply more force.........
 
Two brewers walked into a tavern:

Which one drank a Dragon-Unicorn martini while carving out with a knife he made, a Dinosaur Breast to eat?

Which one has a fantastic spear?

🤔
 
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