Need an idea for a forged spear pole material

B

Black cat

Well-Known Member
Ok perhaps my strangest question yet :p

I'm about to forge a spear head but I don't know what would be good for a pole.
I considered oak for strength but it can shatter, I considered waxwood for flex but it can flex too much.

I need it too be as tough as possible, hard but not brittle. Doesnt have to be wood... Modern synthetics can work as well.
 
A lot of guys around here use what you're talking about as a pig sticker for wild hogs. I'll ask around to see what they use.
 
Ash or hickory are the easiest to find. But black locus works very well. Is your spearhead a socket type or a tang type head.
 
John I guess this is technically a pig sticker! My goal in this project is overall toughness/durabilty i'm a fan of overkill.
Gary... I was considering a tang style but then I got thinking a pinned socket might be stronger as it doesnt alter the structure of the pole so much... But I would love some input on that!
 
I've done both varieties..... a tang style, and socket. For these types of implements the "thrust" force almost always requires more strength then the "with draw" action/motion. A tang type is easier to forge/make the head, but it requires extra work/effort to ensure the point/pole juncture is strong. (something such as pinning AND wire wrapping the tang/pole joint. A socket type tang is more difficult to forge correctly, but when correctly fitted is the stronger of the two.

My first choice for a shaft/pole would be Black or white ash, with Hickory a close second. I would avoid oak if at all possible. While oak is indeed hard, it's not nearly as tough/durable as ash or hickory.
 
Black cat said:
John I guess this is technically a pig sticker! My goal in this project is overall toughness/durabilty i'm a fan of overkill.
Gary... I was considering a tang style but then I got thinking a pinned socket might be stronger as it doesnt alter the structure of the pole so much... But I would love some input on that!
Click to expand...

Be sure to give it a better name than Pig Sticker! It looks like you have the answer you need. Ash is excellent wood. Sailboat rudders, quality rocking chairs, axes, all use Ash because it is strong, shock absorbent, and light weight for the strength it provides. That link Demo provided- perfect! Total no-brainer now.
 
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DeMo thanks for that link! Those look great, especially for the price!
I am womdering how the quality is especially with modern drying methods but I imagine those should be as good as you can get for ash. Also I can use those for other projects!

If it's just a raw, kiln dried ash pole (I suspect it is) how would a person go about treating that to make it even more durable if possible?

Ed that's sort of along the line of what I was thinking... Rather than wire (had not thought of that)
I was considering something like a tang style with a steel sleeve that covers the outside in place of the wire... Then the whole thing epoxied and pinned right through as one piece.

I believe most if any breaks occur from the force where the steel ends and the wood begins. I wonder if there'sa way to... Dissipate some of that force over a larger part of the shaft so it's less likely to snap. Either way that may be a project for another time. For now those ash poles may be just what I need!
 
Black cat said:
If it's just a raw, kiln dried ash pole (I suspect it is) how would a person go about treating that to make it even more durable if possible?

Ed that's sort of along the line of what I was thinking... Rather than wire (had not thought of that)
I was considering something like a tang style with a steel sleeve that covers the outside in place of the wire... Then the whole thing epoxied and pinned right through as one piece.

I believe most if any breaks occur from the force where the steel ends and the wood begins. I wonder if there'sa way to... Dissipate some of that force over a larger part of the shaft so it's less likely to snap. Either way that may be a project for another time. For now those ash poles may be just what I need!
Click to expand...

Just thinking out loud, but I'd start researching how it was done back in history. The spear and the pike were primary battlefield weapons for about a thousand years or more. No matter how crude they did it, they knew better than anyone what worked best. I don't think anyone on Earth today would come close to using one to the degree those jokers used them.
 
The way to dissipate the "shock" at the end of the tang is to ensure that the tang is slightly shorter then the hole...or slot, in the pole, and then to use some type of "washer" that contacts the end of pole.

Another thought came to my mind....rather then a wire wrap or a "sleeve", a person could use wet rawhide and wrap it tightly........when rawhide dries, it shrinks and is nearly as tough as a wire wrap would be. I think rawhide is more difficult then a wire wrap, simply because you have to plan carefully with rawhide.....gotta soak it to just the right point where it's stretchy, but not so long that it weakens. Then it's wet and slimy when wrapping, so that just makes it more difficult. However, the payoff is that it's super tough a durable when dried, and it has a lot of "eye appeal".
 
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