What primitive survival weapon would you build first?

peripatew

peripatew

Joined
Jul 31, 2007
Messages
1,421
Ever since the post a few weeks back about slings, I've been addicted to them. And on the slinging.org's forum, they had a poll on favorite primitive survival weapons.

So, what would be your first choice as a weapon? Knives don't count! If you were to make something, what would it be?

If I was good with a sling, I might build one. My knowledge of primitive weapons is pretty basic, so I think I might go for a staff/spear, or maybe some type of throwing stick. I came across this today, and I thought it looks pretty mean:
Throwing%20Star%20(4).JPG

This image gallery has some great pictures. A bow out of bamboo that looks interesting.

Here is what the poll options are, and the current results:

Hand Thrown Rock 1 (1.5%)
Sharpened stick for spearing 10 (15.8%)
Throwing Stick (Rabbit Stick) 15 (23.8%)
Javellin 1 (1.5%)
Sling 14 (22.2%)
Atlatl & Darts 1 (1.5%)
Bow 14 (22.2%)
Club 7 (11.1%)
 
A combination fish spear/trap. Our lakes around here are loaded with trout and the streams feeding the lakes make easy stabbins' for fish spears. I have practiced alot and gotten good with them. It's as fun as fly fishing and darn near as productive.
 
A Spear with a point on each end, maybe one with a rock style point, and the other end fire hardend wood point.

Your friend at the post Donald S.
 
One of man's oldest tools is the spear. Early examples are not preserved in the fossils record as they probably had fire hardened points. Give a boy a stick and he will use it instinctively as a spear.
They make good walking sticks, levers, clubs (in a pinch), extend your reach, make good stabbing tools for killing animals large and small. A bundle of light spears with different specalized tips can extend your kit to fishing, small game, and protection from large animals.

So first chip a blade

Then I would make several spears.

Next I would whittle a throwing stick.

After I got some food in me I would take on the longer task of making decent bow and arrows.
 
In my area a throwing stick would be number one. In area's where large predators lurk a stocky stabbing spear would top the list.
 
A spear, (without my knife tied to the end :rolleyes:)
 
I would definitely go for a staff which could be used for a spear or club. I would also suggest the atlatl, which is easier to make than a bow and easier to use effectively than a sling. If you made a robust atlatl, you could also use it as a close contact club.
 
On the subject of using a knife for a spearpoint:

In the desert, just to prove I could do it, I killed a javelina once with a spear made from a 9" Western W49 Bowie tied to the end of a century plant stalk. That's not an undertaking for the light hearted, and I usually use a .308.

I find that a lot of people assume that spears are always thrown, and that's not necessarily the case. It's essentially a stabbing tool but it puts your reach further out. Once you actually try spearing a living creature, you find out just how much better a knife on the end of a pole is vs the end of a sharpened stick. It penetrates things like a ribcage a lot easier. If your knife is a Mora, don't worry about it. But if it's a 9" bowie, or a 6" SRK, then it's a doable option.

You can make a stone tip, but that takes time and skill. In parts of the Sonora, your best source of substantial food protein is often the javelina, but they get kind of mean when you try and kill one. IMHO, even a .22LR pistol beats a spear.

If you have to kill or defend yourself from a mean creature, doesn't necessarily have to be large, you want to keep it at a distance as much as possible. I have a couple of steel lance tips that are about a foot long that work great for spearing things with. Those are double edged and less expensive to use than a good knife.

Natives and even our own ancestors used a wide variety of spears to put food on the table for a long time.

One thing I can say is that I know first hand why the boar spears that they used to use for hunting had a large, wide guard at the base of the blade. A pissed off javelina or it's distant cousin, the feral pig, if it can, will sometimes try and run up the pole to get you after it's been speared. They can be pretty mean.
 
mrostov said:
On the subject of using a knife for a spearpoint:

I find that a lot of people assume that spears are always thrown, and that's not necessarily the case. It's essentially a stabbing tool but it puts your reach further out. Once you actually try spearing a living creature, you find out just how much better a knife on the end of a pole is vs the end of a sharpened stick. It penetrates things like a ribcage a lot easier.

If you have to kill or defend yourself from a mean creature, doesn't necessarily have to be large, you want to keep it at a distance as much as possible...

Natives and even our own ancestors used a wide variety of spears to put food on the table for a long time...

One thing I can say is that I know first hand why the boar spears that they used to use for hunting had a large, wide guard at the base of the blade. A pissed off javelina or it's distant cousin, the feral pig, if it can, will sometimes try and run up the pole to get you after it's been speared. They can be pretty mean.
Click to expand...

Spears are lethal. I think if you are carrying a second blade, you could go that way. I wouldn't use my only blade for that though.

Here are some thoughts:

http://www.donrearic.com/brewer.html
 
Hey, it's been a while since I've seen a Brewer. Those were pretty cool. Something of a collectors item now. One Spanish language site I was reading mentioned that they are now going for the $500 to $1000 price range. It was a pretty well thought out design. Like the Jungle King by Aitor, there are a lot of pot metal cheap imitations floating around.

You know, IMHO, one of the best made 'survival' knives of the 80's was the Western survival knife. The copies I handled were an extremely well designed and though out tool.
 
:::GREEDY BASTARD:::

You broker a deal to sell that Brewer, sheath, working compass butt cap and the spear attachment for a grand and I'll buy you an Ontario RAT. :D

The survival kit was old and trashed. I have the box and original small manual as well.
 
I often carry the smaller Bushman in my trapping kit; more for a skinner, but it would be easy to attach (I taped over a wood screw in the handle) to an imporvised spear. Of course, I too would be hesitant to use my only knife as a spear head unless it was as much a controlled environment as I could make it to avoid catastrophic loss or damage to my only knife (luckily, my mini Bushman is a backup anyways:))

For the first primative weapon, a spear gives you stand off and more reach both for self defense and ambush attacks. In the right environment, they are easy to aquire, easy enough to master the basics and also provide a means of support as a third-leg when traveling.

Second would have to be a couple of decent (and well practiced) throwing sticks. They could be used as a club in an emergency, but give you a little range for hunting and after enough practice, you can actually get quite accurate.

If I had time to construct and practice, an Atlatl with a few short spears or bow and small bundle of arrows would help extend the power and accuracy of your ranged weapons. Time is always the biggest factor, hence the simplicity to cut and trim a staff with sharpened tip and carve out a few throwing sticks is much more effective and efficient.

Good post BTW,

ROCK6
 
for me , Id go for a throwing club first then a spear or boomerang

spears do not need to be complicated , some "real" spears :
Picture261.jpg


some have a point and barb made by just lashing a hardwood spike or piece of fencing wire across the tip at an angle .
 
Rocks
Club
throwing stick/club
apache throwing star
staff
spear-stabbing and thowing


I could do well with a walking stick/spear for defense, 2-3 throwing sticks/clubs, and maybe an apache throwing star.

More complicated are bow, spear thrower, and crossbow, slings, and staff sling.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top