Spears

C

Celtic Archer

Joined
Jan 8, 2006
Messages
28
Hi all. I lurk quite a bit but don't post much.

I've been meaning to make up a spear head for use on pigs for some time. I'm going to have a little time here soon and will be finally getting around to it. I'd like to make something a little differrent than the standard narrow leaf type.

Definately socket headed and would also like to incorporate a crossguard or reverse barb type structure behind the head to prevent and angry half dead pig from coming up the spear (I've seen it! :eek:).

I'm sure some of you guys have made some impressive spear points. Lets see them. Give me some ideas/inspiration.
 
I've made 2 spears so far, I don't have pics on this computer. Both were forged from 5160, one was more of a functional ceremonial spear for a Native American customer the other was for pig hunting.

I drifted a hole so the barbs were about 6" back from the base of the spear and the shaft of the spear socketed through the barbs. The spear shaft was turned from an osage board into a 1 1/4" diameter shaft that tapered to 7/8" at each end. The shaft was take down, I had a machinist make up a take down like a pool cue out of stainless, the spear head and barbs were bolted into a stainless retainer and the foot of the spear had a stainless ferrule/but cap on it. The customer wanted it to be a take down model so he could keep it behind the seat of his truck.

I was somewhat fearful of the tapering directing all of the force into the shaft take down but he assured me that it was common on other models he'd seen. I did have him sign a liability waiver. If it'd been up to me he'd have a 3" shaft 4' long but he didn't like that. He's taken several hogs and 1 deer with it and is happy and has other people wanting similar hunting spears. I just don't like making them.

The ceremonial spear was a lot cooler and more fun, it's fully functional but I was able to be more artistic. A Native American customer of mine uses it to mark her and her family's spot at their tribal gatherings. She plunks it into the ground and her father hangs his regalia on it. The spear head is 9" about 3" wide about midpoint, the shaft is a fairly straight piece of osage the shaft head is held on with rawhide and the shaft is trimmed with deer hide and antler buttons and tips from a deer I shot with a flatbow I made. This was a requirement she placed on me that any animal products used on the spear had to be from an animal I took cleanly. I engraved her symbol into the blade, it's some sort of star/moon thingy, my stamp is on the shaft of the spear.

I enjoyed both of them, the ceremonial spear was a lot more interesting because it was more artistic and there was a lot of spiritual aspects of it. The hunting spear was interesting from the technical and catastrophic results from a failure on any part of the spear. I bow hunt hawgs so I'm well aware of the risks involved.

I'll look on my old computer for pictures, I never printed them out, I guess I should to put in my scrapbook for shows.

Will
formerly known as badbamaump
 
Celtic, a guy asked if I could make a new pig spear for him a couple of years ago. He had forged his current one from an old crow bar about 25 years before. All that time he had tried in vain to have more made for his mates with no luck. He works with elite race horses and apparently forging a spear is too much for most farriers.

These guys really know what they are doing so I hope to pass on some tips that will help. They hunt from horse back or quad bike with dogs and only carry thier spear and a bloody big sticking knife. Very feral.

1. make it heavy, at least 10mm cross section to resist bending and maximise penetration. These guys use 3/4" galvanised water pipe for their handles. They don't stuff around.

2. tip no more than 8 inches to minimise harm to dogs. Too long and the blade tip will come out the other side, not good for Fido.

3. Cross guard absolutelly a must. I used 8mm thick 2 1/2" square plates welded to the spear.

The stock I used was 1" spring steel round bar that good mate Shawn McIntyre forged down to rough shape. I did the final grind and turned the tang down to fit inside the water pipe, Shawn did the heat treat. Final dimentions were 7 1/2'' blade, 8" tang, with the plate seated and welded to the base of the spear head which is still 1" diameter. To date we have made six and will probably do more. Happy hunting mate.

peter
 
Thanks for the replys.

Will.
I chase pigs with a longbow too. The area I hunt is archery only, no guns allowed. I was wanting to carry a short strong spear during blood trailing. A not quite dead, angry pig at the end of the trail will make you want to do that..lol I got charged in Nov in that situation. I put a second arrow in him and kicked him in the nose and kept from getting bit/hooked/cut. But it was still a tense situation and my first thought when he got up and ran at me was "I should really have a spear for this". Turned out fine, but if I had slipped and fell or something it could have turned really bad.

Del Raso
That sounds awsome. I would LOVE to chase pigs from horseback. I grew up on and around horses. However the area I'm in is way too thick to be able to do that.

Pipe for a shaft sounds like it would be heavy to the point of unwieldy. I have an 1 1/4" oak dowel to use for my shaft. for the cross guard I was going to take 2 peices of 1/2" round about 4" long and turn it to a point, weld to the socket 90 degrees to the blade and angled towards the spear point.
 
Celtic,
Going along Del Raso's idea, perhaps a 3-4 foot section of conduit, you could forge the shaft of the spear to slide in and secure either with a press fit or a single small through pin or bolt. I'd probably add a small "foot" to help with the balance and to be able to plant the spear.

My .45 is for when I get charged now but when I was younger I've been known to throw my bow down and climb a tree lol.

Will
formerly known as badbamaump
 
I like checking out the albums at MyArmory for inspiration. (This is the first page of 8, for the hafted weapons. Several interesting original spears there.) At least you might get some ideas about construction/attaching the shaft, etc.
 
I wouldn't use oak for the shaft, neither would I use conduit, I would use a good bowstave wood like ash, osage, or yew, something springy and make it thick, and use a straight section of thin trunk so that your grain is continuous from one end to the other. Oak has good strength, but in torsion or shear I find it tends to split (which is why I like it for firewood and making charcoal) If my life was in danger at the handle end I would want the security of a long socketed join between the head and shaft. There are lots of photos of medieval boar spears in some of the sword books and museums.

-Page
 
I haven't made a spear in 45 years, but here is how I did it back then:
Take a piece of 3/4" to 1" round stock. Forge the blade in the shape desired, tapering back about 3" past the blade. Cut the stock about 10 inches from that point. Start flattening and flaring the metal until the tang is a fan shaped piece about 10" long and 4" wide st the base (it sticks out like wings) and 8" wide at the top. Using a drift or mandrel (forged from a piece of 1" round stock), start rolling this into the cone shape of the socket. With a little luck and a bit of work, you can make a nice socket. You can weld it with your stick or gas welder ,forge weld it, or rivet it. Once welded up, use the socket drift to shape the socket to final taper. Cut the end off to make a nice throat.
It worked good enough for us kids to go into the woods and play Watusi.
Stacy
 
That tutorial is great, your spearhead looks a whole lot nicer than the one I made last year out of a crowbar. Most of the historical boar spears I have seen though were a long metal shaft with a spear head on the end, a toggle bar about a foot back from the point and a hand-and a half sword hilt. I'm not sure if this was an adaptation so that the nobility could carry them like swords and deploy them quickly if necessary, and if that was a social rather than functional adaptation as I am sure that the Norse winged spearhead would be equally effective.

hmmmmmmmmmmm . . .

-Page
 
thanks


if you want to see some ... check out herman historica ...

http://www.hermann-historica.com/

go to auction 53 and check out the pole arms section.... theres a pic of some boar spears...

i've seen some with wings both welded and riveted.... or a toggle bar thats riveted, held by chain, or a winged screw.... several didn't have anything..


good luck making one... and please post it up.. i'd love to see more spears

Greg
 
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