Something different, a surprize for you

Dale Baxter

Dale Baxter

Joined
Sep 16, 2003
Messages
171
I am not sure where I should be posting? Forgive me if I am posting in the wrong forum.
I have never seen a spear posted here before, so I thought it would be a bit of a surprize.

Here is a 7" Chinese spear I named Guan-Yin (The goddess of mercy).
Her head is hand forged 1095 carbon steel and is 10" long.
The Dragons Beard is hand knotted horse hair and is secured in place with coxcombing and a turks head knot. The silver band represents wealth and the pattern represents family and unity.
The hand scribed plate has the Chinese symbol for courage and warrior symbols.
The staff is waxwood with a 800 grit finish and has been waxed to allow friction free movement while wielding the spear.

This is my first attempt at such a powerful weapon and the owner (a respected marshal artist) says it feels like an extension of his arm, which puts pride in my heart.

guan-yin.JPG

Please give me your feelings on this piece, I wish to learn from your comments.

Thanks,

Dale Baxter
Dale Baxter custom Knives
 
I'm no spear expert but that thing looks absolutely awesome to me. Great work Dale! I like to see it when guys try something real different - and pull it off this well.

Roger
 
great looking spear...i'd love to handle one of these. i too have been looking for someone who can do spears. a Moro spear is what we use for training it would be interesting to see someone reproduce such a spear. how much for something like this?

beautiful piece. i'd like to see a picture of the shaft please if possible.
please PM me at ekim60618@yahoo.com
 
Dale

That's wonderful work!! I bet it was very challenging to make. How did you craft the haft, the piece that fits to the shaft?

Dave
 
Thank you for your kind words.

The whole concept evolved from a cheap practice spear used for demonstrations by the customer.
He told me he felt that the tools should equal the skill of the user, I agreed. He sent me the spear in a 8' long PVC tube. I opened the tube and removed the spear and almost laughed, the spear head was badly made and had a serious chance of injuring someone because of it's cheap construction. At that time I felt that I needed to do something.

I spent hours researching traditional Chinese spears looking for inspiration. Design, construction, weight and balance were all equal factors and needed to be addressed evenly.
I chose the Simi-leaf shape for the blade because I could offer a traditional profile and keep the spear strong, the fancy knot work is actually a functional part of the spear, it's job is to prevent the spear from being removed after penetrating flesh. The dragons beard was hand knotted in strands of ten hairs, the knots hold the hair in place under the knot work. The silver ring and the scribed plate are displays of wealth and were not typical of traditional spears used in battle (you probably figured that one out yourself).

Construction began with forging a 1" round bar into a dagger shape, which was interesting because I could not have a centerline because the blade is actually oval shaped. The socket (which is medium carbon steel tubing) was heated while the spear head was chilled in dry ice, the two were pressed together and then brazed into place.
The waxwood shaft was formed using an additional piece of the socket tube in a hand drill to give me 100% contact inside the socket (pine tar glue was brushed over both pieced before being pressed together)

I feel that the next spear will be made a little different (lessons learned), but this was my first and I truly believe her to be a fine weapon.

Thanks again,

Dale Baxter
www.baxterknives.com
 
Dale, it's great! You are always on the edge. :)
 
That looks like a fine piece of weaponry!
Where exactly does the head join the socket? Is it at the silver ring?

You say the next spear would be done differently. What would you do different?
 
It's so wonderful to be appreciated for the hard work I have done and I truly thank you all.

Darby, Call me!

The head and scocket meet just below the silver ring. The head was pressed 1.20" into the scocket and feathered smooth. The silver ring is set into a groove.

Dale Baxter
Dale Baxter Custom Knives
 
Congratulayions for the great work!
It is a really well executed version of a weapon we seldomly see.
 
A beautiful and unique piece of work. Did the customer specify the spear haft material? White wax wood from Northern China is the traditional material for Chinese spears.

Cheers
Andrew
 
You posted this in exactly the right place for my liking.

I can appreciate everything that went into this. Obviously, so does your client.

GREAT!!

Coop
 
The spear was forged and designed around the customers wax wood staff.
Keeping the staff allowed the transition from one spear to another less frustrating and lengthy.
I feel, and always have felt that what I do is a team effort and the customer requested certain things that I incorporated into a Mao style spear. I feel that the pictures destroy the work I have done, but the spear has found it's way through my bad photography. Maybe when I am rich and famous I can have my work photographed by the pros! Hahaha

Thanks,
Dale Baxter
www.baxterknives.com
 
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