OT: Satori's Poboy Spear (One Small Pic)

Dave Rishar

Dave Rishar

Joined
Oct 25, 2004
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3,178
I picked up a CS Bushman some time ago as a trunk knife. I know, I know, a khuk would serve far better, but for those few times that I'm at base there are vehicle searches. The folks performing the searches are mostly friends of mine (we work together frequently) and while they'd probably let a Bushman slide, the khuk would not go down so easily. Regardless, I got a good deal on it and it seemed like a good idea at the time.

It didn't strike me as a particularly good knife. The handle was uncomfortable and would no doubt give me a thrashing if I did any chopping with it. The edge was "shaving sharp," but only due to the prominent wire edge. (Not complaining - when I buy a knife it's under the assumption that I'm going to put a better than factory edge on it anyway, thanks to the Convex Mafia.) The edge also seemed a bit too thick. It gave me the impression of a garden trowel with one edge sharpened. I was a bit underwhelmed.

I spent some time scratching my head over this. My original idea was to try to use it as a thrower until I threw out my arm or broke it...then I remembered, the handle was designed to accept a staff to make it a spear. I just happened to have a nearly new rake handle with a broken ferrule kicking around. I removed the ferrule, performed a test fit, and everything suddenly made sense.

I now had a 3/4 scale spear. :)

I'm not much of a spear guy but having spent a bit of time playing with them I'm coming around. The use seems amazingly intuitive (genetic memory?), throwing them is easier than knives and 'hawks, and the idea of having the sharp and pointy bit several feet away from me is pleasing. I'm used to the non-throwers as being considerably heavier and longer and the throwers being more neutrally balanced. This little guy seems to bridge the gap pretty well.

I haven't done any extensive throwing yet but this setup is very light - too light for me, actually, which is why I haven't extensively thrown it...I hate injuring myself like that. (Or any other way, actually.) I can really launch this thing though, and with the point-heavy balance you can arc them in like the larger spears.

Here's a pic for scale. The grinning moron to the right is 6'1" but the camera's perspective is tricky...the point is actually an inch or two below my - err, the grinning moron's - head.

spear.jpg


The tip is a bit easy to lose in the clutter. While it would be easy enough to write this off as a shameless display of most of my collection, the truth is that my tripod broke and I had to set the camera on my workbench, making this the easiest solution.

CS seems to have a reasonable warranty on this item. If it holds up gracefully enough I'll purchase a couple more and make another spear or two. A spear for under $30? Sounds good to me.

I don't have to work this weekend and the recyclables have been piling up. If the weather holds, I'm looking forward to doing a bit of cutting with this, as well as a few other new additions. It should be a good time.
 
I have one too, in my trucks "may need" box. Have never used it.

Can you beat the hell out of it, and report in detail as usual?

Notice if you strike it with a metal object, it rings like a bell. Don't know why.

A spear is an ancient and useful item even today, just a tad unusual, which makes a walking stick/CS Bushman a good emergency item, IMHO. I always thought of it as a belt knife you could team up.


Ad Astra

if you like that, see the Assengi or Zulu spearhead- Mean-a$$.
 
Satori, you have an enviable collection.
(I envy it because my collection is in Texas and I cant even look at it)

About that spear - and this is just my little 2 cents - Spears really arent for throwing. Javelins are. The designs are different and the purposes are different.
IF you are going to test it, try using it as a spear was meant: Thrusting.
Try to thrust it through some tuff stuff.
I bet it would go through an inch of plywood with a strong grip.
You could also cut with it in that configuration, like a glaive or naginata.
Throwing it will probably break off the point or snap the shaft, though.
When used for cutting and thrusting, a spear is an awesome weapon and is more than a match for a sword.
Many great swordsmen were killed by spearmen of mediocre skill.
 
I gave my own Bushman spear knife away when I discovered khuks.

Never had a chance to imbed it chest deep in a Gembok.




munk
 
I have an assegai with the short shaft. If there is a bump in the night that thing is a great confidence booster. It is WICKED! :eek: 26" of razor sharp edge can enter every room before I do. 37" overall with a hand carved shaft.

I like your insect display. :)
 
I had one break on me under light use. Didn't even have the stress of leverage from a haft. It not's bad to mess around with for the price but it's not something that I would trust for serious use.
 
I've always been a fan of the CS bushman. I have one that i just beat the living $#^% out of. I read where someone of the forums tested it to failure on a dare. It took a good beating before it finally died. Not bad for 15 bucks or so. I think of it as more of a bayonet than a real using knife. AA and I must think alike. I always thought that a CS bushman strapped to the side of a pack with a walking stick fashioned to accept its socket would make a formitable tool/weapon when the SHTF. I could see a spear coming in handy 100 times more than a big heavy knife when on a hike. Especially if you were ever to encounter a "b-word":D
I think one of those big brown "b-words" would use the spear to pick it's teeth, but maybe it would help even the odds against a smaller black one.

Sat, i still love that gun stock club.

Jake
 
I always figured if I got 'stranded' in the wilderness, I could make a better spear with a better knife.

This would be an HI project I would enjoy seeing.



munk
 
Danny,

I gave one of these to Bud Malstrom with a 4' shaft to mount it on.

What Danny said about thrusting. Be sure your haft is splinter-free, then work on thrusts. Email or PM if you want more info.

John
 
When you squash bugs on the wall, how do you get them to line up nice like that so you can draw rectangles around them?

;)

Good stuff and thanks!

.
 
Cool bug collection, not a bad sharp pointy thingy collection either :D
What's the really large bug at the bottom?
 
Ragnar has a spear head for $30. I was looking at the shovel handles at Home Depot for candidates. But SWMBO is afraid to let me run around the house with a spear. I don't know why ;)

Frank

P.S. Can you tell us more about the gunstock war club?
 
Thanks all for the comments and advice.

I'm inclined to agree with the part about throwing, but what the heck...it was inexpensive and is easily replaced. Plus I want to see if CS is serious about their warranty. ("You stuck it on a rake handle and did what with it?")

Splinters should not be a problem...yet. The shaft is undamaged and nearly new; it has a very smooth finish with a heavy coat of varnish over it. After I've had my way with it for a bit things may (and probably will) change.

The large insect at the bottom is one big-ass stick bug. It's labelled, "Family Phasmatidae." It is nearly as long as my forearm. I don't know much about insects in general...I found these at a gift shop in Singapore some time back and as they were very inexpensive and just plain cool, I picked up a few and shipped them home. Surprisingly, most of them made the trip intact. I hope I didn't break any laws. My favorite is that monster beetle ("Eupatorus Gracilicornus") in the top box; this thing could probably take my cat on and win.

The rifle stock club is the MRL model. It's quite a bit lighter than it looks and the wood didn't look half bad after a few coats of linseed oil. The blade seems to be carbon steel. (A pleasant surprise.) It's only secured with a single pin, though, and the very first hard blow I delivered with it knocked it out of line. I filled the channel under it with epoxy but have not gone "live" with it since. I'm not sure how one of these was properly used but between the shape and the blade it seems to offer a lot of possibilities. I suspect that DIJ could have a bit of fun with one. Now that the produce section at the grocery store is starting to fill up again I'm hoping to smash some melons in the near future.

As for Ragnar's spear heads...one is on the way to me as I write this. I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a proper shaft during my wanderings. Hopefully there's a keeper out there with my name on it.
 
Satori said:
I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a proper shaft during my wanderings. Hopefully there's a keeper out there with my name on it.
Click to expand...

Sounds similar to what my ex-wife said on her way out... :eek:

;)

.
 
war club thoughts - its made to punch holes in humans, so id select a similar target. I have looked at a few in museums and their blades were very stout and not too long, usually, about 4 inches at the most.
Sometimes the blades were pretty wide.
Its just a "wooden arm" that stabs the opponent with more force and safety than doing it with your real arm.
I bet it doesnt take much of a swing at all to put that blade through some thick leather and 1/4 inch plywood. (to simulate a head or chest shot)
If you can make a new club out of thicker, heavier wood that might be better.
SOAK it in oil, and maybe cut the blade down to 3" or 4".

Thats all just ninja-theorizing. If you do swing it hard at something hard, please wear your glasses and maybe a helmet. Those things create a lot of force with little effort.
 
I'm amazed that we made it this far before a shaft joke sprang up. Good stuff, Nasty. :)

DIJ - insightful as always. If that blade comes loose again I'll shorten it.
 
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