I bought an angle grinder so I could make a spear head out of a hardened steel edging blade. I plan on cutting the basic shape using a cutoff wheel.

Any advice??


Thanks.

BH63

If you know enough about the steel you could anneal it, shape, quench harden and temper. Might ask on I Forge Iron or one of the other blacksmithing forums.

My son has been knapping arrow heads + spear points for quite some time.After teaching himself he applied to take a course at U.T. The prof saw his work + told him don't waste your money;you're already better than me. I have seen him pick up a broken beer bottle + in no time have it looking like an obsidian point.We are also fortunate to live in an area that is rich with Quartz/limestone deposits that make the best points;the Indians would travel from all over to come here for them.

BH63--Just go to Atlanta Cutlery and buy one. It will be a LOT less expensive and better made than what you will be able to do with an angle grinder and a vacuum cleaner blower. Trust me on this one.

Randy, I have some flint nodules I picked up while looking for my great-great grandmother's grave south of Comanche. You have some wonderful knapping material in the Hill Country.

Thanks for all the advice. I came close to buying a handmade spear point in Zimbabwe, but the fool wanted $145.00 USD for it. Even though he came down to what I had originally planned on paying (about $20.00), I didn't buy it, just on principle.

I have already started on the basic shape of the spear point and it seems to be looking like a spear head. I bought a edger blade on sale for $3.00 bucks and it has the basic size I wanted. Just a matter of making it look like a spear point and then grinding the edges. It is hardened steel so should not require any tempering (I hope).

BH63

Might be too brittle, I'd have it hardness tested or take a piece of the trimmed material and try and bend it in a padded vise jaw (with eye protection). You may need to temper it back some, but it should work just fine.

There was an episode of Forged in Fire on the History Channel that featured making an "ilxwa" (sp)? After watching "Zulu" about 40 times I can see how that would be a devastating weapon in hand to hand combat. Some of the old African adventurers described how he Zulus would kill hippos and rhinos with the stabbing spear.It may have taken a complete impi to get the job done but the Zulus did not care how any casualties it took to obey the King's orders.

Hey, Jerry, I've watched "Zulu" that many times, too. I think the word is ixlwa, and is said to mimic the sound of the short spear being withdrawn from the deceased.

Bill, you are correct sir. If I make it back to RSA I will try to find one even if I must settle for a reproduction and a shield. Jerry Hoover

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
Randy, I have some flint nodules I picked up while looking for my great-great grandmother's grave south of Comanche. You have some wonderful knapping material in the Hill Country.

Democrat Cemetery?

I'm just about finished with the spearhead. I been working on it off and on. All it needs now is the final sharpening and attachment to a shaft.

I found that I could use a cut-off tool to outline the spearhead. After cutting about halfway through I could snap the pieces off using a big pair of pliers.

Once I got the basic shape, I switched to an metal grinder wheel and rough sharpened the blade part.

I used a bench grinder to square off the tangs.

The edges are sharp enough to cut skin as they are now. I plan on honing them down with a stone to finish them off and make them smoother and sharper.

Should work out pretty good.

As for tempering them, the edges got pretty hot when I was using the cut-off tool, and I am hoping that heat was enough to temper them somewhat.

I post a pic when I am finished (provided I figure out how).

Using the Angle Grinder was a lot of fun. I went to HF and bought a cheap welder's apron, with gloves and face shield. I moved everything that was flammable away from the work area and had at it.

Might make another one with a larger spearhead in the future. Lot of fun making this one.

BH63

I bought a 6 ft hardwood handle for use as the spear shaft. It cost less than $5.00 at Home Depot. Total cost for materials is < than $8.00.

I started sawing a channel through the center of the small end. I will finish it using a multi-tool. I then will epoxy the tang into the channel, drill a small hole in the larger end, and then epoxy in a small roller pin to keep the spearhead from pulling off the shaft. I will then wrap the end with parachute cord and then expoxy over the cord.

Should be perfect for spearing dog-sized critters (i.e. neighbors pitbull)LOL.

BH63

quote:

I found that I could use a cut-off tool to outline the spearhead. After cutting about halfway through I could snap the pieces off using a big pair of pliers.

Zip disc in a side grinder can do some very artistic work.

Grizz

^
Although I am not very artistic, I can see where someone with the gift could make some really nice looking designs with the tool.

BH63

Well I bought a belt sander (looks like I am getting hooked) and finished off the shaft. All I need to do now is sand down the rest of the shaft to get rid of the varnish. Apply a good coat of linseed oil to everything.

I am going to wait for warmer weather before using epoxy to glue the head in. I want to let everything dry thoroughly and then I will wrap the tang with parachute cord, and then epoxy over the wrap. Then a final sharpening and I will have my first spear. I have already started thinking about making a second spear, something big enough to skewer a lion.

BH63

There are knots you can use that tighten with a crushing effect. A "surgeons suture" is one my uncle taught me. But I think the ideal tool is wet rawhide as it tightens, glues, and hardens like concrete as it dries.

Thanks. I actually have a cape buffalo tail that has been tanned. I guess, I could slice that in a long strip and use that.

I had planned on just using a standard whipping wrap, like you do when whipping the ends of a rope to keep it from fraying.

I also have an old lawnmower blade, that I am thinking about using to make a larger spearhead.


BH63

The late Tony Barnes of TWin Falls would take a green bottle, beer bottle I think, and knap it into the most beautiful of points..Those bottle heads are as sharp as a razor..He also made points for surgeons tools, apparently Obsidian surgeon knives are considered the best..He made some spears and he made his points for his stick and string primative hunting bow arrows..He actually hunted with his bow, and built some awesome flintlocks, not to mention his Sako L-461 pistols..

BTW I have a most primitive metal spears from Africa, and the workmanship is awesome, not to mention a bow and arrows with quiver, and the poison is still on the tips. The poison looks like tar stuff and Ive been advised its still potent?? I sealed the quiver, its a Namibian San artifact bow and arrow set. Really old neat stuff. out of a cave, Museum quality.

I also have some later Spears that came out of the Market in Dar es Salaam, more modern built by the Masai probably during the Mau Mau and/or Uhuru era..

I have a complete Masai wardrobe, cow apron robe and all the trinkets, I met 3 Masai traveling across country, I had stayed in the truck while my hunter and his PH went for buffalo. they stopped and I gave them some bottles of water.. We bartered and I got the whole wardrope for $20. and two left with clothes and one totally naked!! The PH saw them later in the day and told me he was 3 Masai and one was naked..I showed him my catch..Ill never live that down.

Im no collector but this kind of stuff always interested me.

^Too funny!

An old man I know used-to find star pickets and bash them into shape with a rock over a fire. He killed buffalo with his spears.

I,ve seen films of Africans patiently pounding scrap metal into spear heads and arrow heads.

Pretty impressive!

Everything is finished but for the final epoxying. Turned out okay IMO

I will post a pic once I figure it out.

Thanks for all the advice.

BH63

BuffHunter63,
You have probably seen the Cold Steel spears and spear points. $40-$60 EBay.
Some are copies of the Zulu stabbing spear. They are carbon steel which I like for resharpening.

I bought a 3 pack of 10" S&W throwing knives yesterday. I figure I can turn one of them into a spearhead with a little work with the angle grinder and bench grinder.

Pretty hard steel, but if it works out, I will make a short stabbing spear as well.

BH63

No pictures yet was looking forward to seeing it.

No picture...no spear.


A pic would be nice.

Both spears are complete (except for some final honing).

I will take a couple of pics and when I figure out how to post them, I will.

I epoxied both heads to slots cut in the shaft, and then I drilled a hole in which I expoxied a roller pin. This should keep the head from ever pulling out of the shaft.

I took some mil spec cord (slightly smaller diameter than para cord), and wrapped the tang and shaft completely. I then put epoxy over the wrappings in order to protect the cord from wear and hopefully to make it slide in and out easier if I ever run the spear in past the head.

I am pleased with how everything turned out, although I did make a few mistakes (mostly cosmetic).

Not counting the bench grinder, the angle grinder, and the sander (LOL), each spear probably cost me less than $15.00 each.

The biggest expense was $25.00 for 3 throwing knives, one of which I used for the second spear.

I have a heavy duty styrofoam target (made for broadheads), so I plan on setting it up in my backyard and practicing throwing.

I will try and get the pics posted within the week, or early next week (getting the boat and camper ready for the 4th).

BH63

I uploaded the photo of the spearheads to Photo Bucket, but the app keeps freezing up (ads popping up everywhere), when I try to resize the picture to meet AR guidelines.

To hell with it.

BH63

Finally resized the photo at home.

As you can see, I got kind of sloppy putting the wrappings on the black spearhead, and smeared a little epoxy on the left spearhead.

Regardless they are both very functional. The sides are sharp enough to slice cordage very easily, and I have yet to put them on a whetstone.

I expoxied in a roller pin perpendicular to the tang slot to ensure the spearheads will not pull off the shaft when pulling the spear out of something.

I wouldn't want to go after a bear with one, but I think either one would be effective for deer-sized game.

BH63

Photobucket strikes again!

Can't see it!?!

It was there for a couple of weeks. Honest!

I am glad that was the only pic I put on photobucket.

BH63

www.imgur.com/ Best photo hosting I've ever used and it's free with NO spamming/advert's. Cheers, LDK

Just bought the makings of another spearhead. I am in Thailand and at a local market, I saw a farm tool that consists of a tapered end to insert a handle and a flat knife like end about 18 inches long.

In its original form it fares out from about 3 inches to about 5 inches and is sharpened on only one side.

I figure I can shape it into a long tapered spearhead of about 18 inches and about 3 inches at its widest part.

The thing only cost 6 bucks so after I shape it, I should be able to put a handle on with little effort.

Estimated cost for materials, less than $15 bucks.

Should give me something to do once I get back stateside.

BH63

The Ixlwa is a Zula short stabbing spear, Its pronounced the same as the sucking sound when you pull the blade out of the lungs of an upright creature. I have an old original one in my spear collection..The spears you buy today in Africa are cheap tinny metal made for the tourist trade, The good ones are still out there at the markets, but they keep them out of sight until they know they have a real collector, You will have to ask for the real ones..along with Ivory horns, Spears, knives and Gemsbok spears..I could have bought a beautiful pink Ivory flute about a foot long and 3nches in diameter for $750, but it wouldn't pass muster in the airports the Afrians would have confiscated it, and the USA would call fish and Wildlife, so I passed, I regreat passing on it now, it would have been worth the risk to smuggled it..Lord only knows how much it was worth, it dated back into the early 1800s..The spears in the photograph look to be topnotch quality and very early..

In Bulawayo I went to the market looking for a spearhead. This was in 2016. One vendor promised to have one for me tomorrow.

We went back and he had found an old leaf rear axle spring out of a truck and had it ground down into the shape of a spearhead.

It must have weighted 20 lbs. I felt kind of obligated to buy it since he had went to so much trouble, so I asked him how much. He replied with a straight face $150.00 US.

I just shook my head and returned to the truck. As we were leaving, he ran after us shouting $25.00!, $25.00!

I guess he thought I was some kind of rich, fool.

BH63

While on safari in the late 1990's, we spotted a group of poachers on the tribal land. Our government game guard and PH's immediately stopped the vehicle and started loading weapons. They told me to either stay with the vehicle or load up and go with them, anti poaching. I dropped in a couple rounds in the 450/400 and took off running after the group. After a couple hundred yards chase, the game guard fired a round a the fleeing figures, who dropped a dead wart hog carried on a pole, and other sundries. The poachers scattered and disappeared in the bush but we confiscated their gear including a slightly bent, bloody spear which had evidently dispatched the wart hog. I was presented the spear for my participation in anti poaching and also given a bag containing lead balls and home made black powder for a ragged old muzzleloader the game guard claimed. The spear has a fairly soft steel point about 10" long with a tang, used for attachment to a type of cane pole. A steel ferrule strengthens the attachment point.

^
Now that's a story for your grandkids.

Turned out great for you.

I would have probably stayed in the vehicle, because I would hate to think how much trouble and expense would be involved if I had to shoot one of the poachers!

Still, that spear had to be a great souvenir and a nice memory for your old age.

BH63

While in Thailand last December, I bought a cutting tool, that is about 14" long and rather wedge shaped.

My next spear project will involved shaping and sharpening that into a spear point. I bought a heavier shaft for this project as the implement already has a tapered tang for inserting the shaft.

BH63

BH:
IF you just want them for looking at they're fine.
IF you want to use them to stick things with they should be hardened. It's real easy to do.

You can check how hard metal is with a file. IF it'll cut easy, it's soft. IF it won't cut at all, it's very hard and possibly can be brittle.

Get a bucket of water, just tap water is fine, don't have to be "cold". Use a propane torch and get the edge bright pink to orange. Let it cool til it starts to darken a bit then quench til cold in the water.

IF it's bright red, yellow when it's quenched it will be brittle. I like it to be just going to pink. I've had a lot of practice making rock drills and chisels etc.

Don't see where you're located. But, if around oil fields, sucker rod is some of the best tool steel ever made.

I've made rock chisels/drills with an inch wide half radius cutting edge quenched when just cooling down to pink. Some have drilled thru 20" of poured concrete and never had to be touched up.

I also like to harden the heads so they won't mushroom hammering on them. That can be easily too hard. Wait til almost all of the pink has cooled out, then quench it. Like that, the hammer heads will be dented but, the chisel head will never mushroom.

Have fun, there's a lot to learn blacksmithing metal.

George