Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: bjrogg on December 31, 2021, 08:05:32 am

Title: A pair of Spears.
Post by: bjrogg on December 31, 2021, 08:05:32 am

I’ve been wanting to make something like these for a long time. I was never happy with my earlier attempts. I think I fixed that with these two.

White point is some chert I got from trade with Patrick. It was the first point I knapped in 2021.
I knew right away I wanted to make a nice lance with it.

The obsidian is probably going to be the last point I knap from 2021.

I halfted both to red osier fore shafts with pitch glue and sinew.

I put my Bjrogg markings on the obsidian shaft, but it was just to bright. I was looking for a older look. I “aged” it by fire and stain. It gave it the look I was after. But my markings are still on it so when I stick it in that woolly mammoth my markings are still on it and my family will get a bigger portion to take back to our cave.

The main shafts are maple saplings I collected several years ago for this purpose.

I straightened them best I could and decorated them with some wild turkey tail feathers. I stripped the feathers similarly to how I would for a Cherokee two fletch arrow.

I made some “beads” from scraps of Cain. I used artificial sinew to string them together. The rest of the sinew is white tail back sinew.

I “aged” the maple main shafts similar to the way it did the fore shafts.

I’m very happy with the results. Can’t wait to go after those woolly mammoths.

Bjrogg

Title: Re: A pair of Spears.
Post by: M2A on December 31, 2021, 09:27:15 am

Good stuff BJ. Been considering trying to work on some arrows with foreshafts. Might have to give it a go after seeing your work here.
Mike     

Title: Re: A pair of Spears.
Post by: bjrogg on December 31, 2021, 09:45:58 am

Would love to see them Mike.

I’ve done arrows many times. In fact the second and third arrow I ever made were removable fore shafts. I normally don’t anymore. They are more work. Usually hard to get to fly  right. And arrows aren’t that hard to carry. They are pretty cool though and you can make different heads for them.

I think I spear like this, a fore shaft is much more practical. I can see carrying one main shaft and a brain tanned pouch full of replacement fore shafts. Extra ammo without dragging a lot of handle around.

Bjrogg

Thanks for looking

Title: Re: A pair of Spears.
Post by: Trapper Rob on December 31, 2021, 09:57:12 am

BJ those look nice

Title: Re: A pair of Spears.
Post by: bjrogg on December 31, 2021, 10:01:29 am

Thanks Rob. They probably deserve some better pictures. Hard to take good pictures of them. Especially in my messy corner of the shop.

Bjrogg

Title: Re: A pair of Spears.
Post by: Allyn T on January 02, 2022, 03:18:57 pm

Very cool, I dig it

Title: Re: A pair of Spears.
Post by: bjrogg on January 02, 2022, 06:53:30 pm

Thanks Allyn. I dig it to.lol.  Been awhile since I said that.

Bjrogg

Title: Re: A pair of Spears.
Post by: Pat B on January 04, 2022, 11:53:15 am

Cool spears, BJ. How did you hollow the main shaft to accept the foreshaft?

Title: Re: A pair of Spears.
Post by: Parnell on January 04, 2022, 02:03:32 pm

Very cool project!

Title: Re: A pair of Spears.
Post by: bjrogg on January 04, 2022, 02:23:57 pm

Thanks Pat. I used a hand drill. A cordless electric one.

First thing I did was wrap shaft good and tight with sinew. Let it dry a few days and tighten up good. I did this to keep it from splitting.

Then I used about about a 5/16 bit and drilled as straight and centered as I could. Then I took about as big of a bit as I dared and drilled in about 1”.

Then I drilled about 3/8 bit in about 2”.

Then I used a rat tail file to clean it up. Have to keep knocking dust out or it gets packed in back of hole. If it does just run 5/16 drill all the way in again.

The fore shafts I file a tapper to fit tight in the socket.

Thanks Steve. I got a couple more projects I’m tinkering with to.

Bjrogg

Bjrogg

Title: Re: A pair of Spears.
Post by: WhistlingBadger on January 04, 2022, 06:36:01 pm

Great looking pointy sticks, BJ!  But dang, it's hard to draw a mammoth tag these days.

Title: Re: A pair of Spears.
Post by: Hawkdancer on January 05, 2022, 05:37:21 pm

Real nice work!  I will have to try that, maybe
Hawkdancer

Title: Re: A pair of Spears.
Post by: mullet on January 05, 2022, 06:09:48 pm

Looking good Brian.

Title: Re: A pair of Spears.
Post by: bjrogg on January 06, 2022, 12:14:48 pm

Quote from: WhistlingBadger on January 04, 2022, 06:36:01 pm

Great looking pointy sticks, BJ!  But dang, it's hard to draw a mammoth tag these days.

Thanks WB.

I’ve been hoping to draw a tag for quite awhile now. No luck so far. Some place called Jurassic park or something like that. )P(

Thanks Eddy hope your doing well and settled in now.

Bjrogg

Title: Re: A pair of Spears.
Post by: White Falcon on January 07, 2022, 09:02:07 am

Very good looking.

Title: Re: A pair of Spears.
Post by: JackCrafty on January 10, 2022, 07:17:24 pm

I like 'em.  :D.  )P(

Title: Re: A pair of Spears.
Post by: bjrogg on January 12, 2022, 07:47:42 am

Thanks White Falcon and Patrick. And thanks again for the trade of materials Patrick. The biggest white point is from some of that material.

Bjrogg

Title: Re: A pair of Spears.
Post by: WhistlingBadger on January 12, 2022, 01:39:09 pm

So, bows are lousy for home defense, but those could be pretty effective.  Imagine what a burglar would think if he had a screaming guy charge around the corner with one of those in each hand.  I'd be bailing out the first available window.   ;D )P(