Spear points / heads

the thrust < pun > of this thread is not ad-hoc whittled sharp or fire hardened points , or even " clovis pattern " spear heads , but having pre made spear points made of metal , c/w the whipping required to make a spear from a staff in just seconds

in the interests of ecconomy , weight saving and simplicity - i am not suggesting huge elaborate spear heads rivaling medieval polearms - but just a very simple design , that can be made from sheet steel or thin-wall tube with basic tools

with an overall length of < 200mm and weight of < 100 gms a set of 3 would slide into a BoB / survival pack

barbs - would be optional , as would hardening [ but at least basic water / carbon hardening to the edge / tip , would be reccommended ]

like i say - i am envisioning a very basic design - with a rudimentary edge / blade - the can be re-dressed with the file of a multi tool as required

WHY ?

1 - efficiency of manufacture [ in the feild ]

2 - efficiency of operation - this is the most important , spear hunting / fishing etc is not easy - and you want a spear that will penetrate and disable - not one that will be deflected or leave a fleshound on an escaping prey

plus - if its needed to defend yourself [ a 6 foot stand-off is always usefull ] - you want to draw blood - not tickle your attacker

Design -

bellow are 2 sesign templates - the first made of 2 mm sheet steel , the second thin wall steel tubing



both can be made in minuites with basic tools - sharpened and embellished with barbs [ usefull for spear fishing ] , holes or notches to enhance the grip of whipping and secure them to the shaft

there you have it simple - easy to construct spearpoints - that allow effective and efficient spears to be constructed as needed .

thoughts , improvements , critiscisms ?

Why not use a section of 3/4 pipe about 6ins long and cut at an obtuse angle. You could improve the design by drilling holes in the sides to allo for fastenings/ screws. Just find a shaft, whittle the end so the pipe will partially fit over it then fasten it on. This design will add extra weight to the end of the spear, is easily sharpened and hardened and should take no more than 10 mins to manufacture. It could also be used as a fishing weight or using a section of wire through holes it could be used as a tripod support for camp fire, water butt etc

Very simple, and effective. Perhaps a small notch at the bottom to act as a guide channel for a 550 cord wrap. It would help secure the head to the pole and when is more 550 cord ever a bad thing? Cool post man.

Make four different heads for different roles. Make four spears and carry them over the shoulder or one at a time for specific tasks, but pre produced spear tips is a great idea.

Fishing needs barbed tips, killing a boar or other animals doesnt, in fact its counter productive as you may need repeated strikes.

I went on a weeks bush / survival course, and this very topic came up. We even had to get into the water to test our kit out, which showed us just how pre planning and preperation prevents piss poor performance.