As the title says, I'm looking to turn my SS into a spearhead. I don't want to make it sloppy or just bind it to the side of the shaft or anything like that, so here's what I was thinking. After acquiring a straight, good, haft, I would use a saw slightly thinner than the handle of the SS with no scales, and cut down the haft, perpendicularly till I could snugly push the knife into it right up to the guard. Perhaps round out the back of the cut to accommodate the curve of the ring. Tap small started holes where the screws that hold the scales on are, and put some high strength nuts, bolts, whatever, through the haft at these points. Basically what I'm ending up with is a similar concept to how the Trench Hawk goes together. My questions....... Can anyone see a way of improvement on any of these concepts? I'm worried about the lateral stress on the points of connection, and fear the haft would split easily. Perhaps a hard epoxy on either side of the handle and a tight 550 cord wrap, but this would make it difficult to quickly remove the blade to convert it back to a knife. Ideas? I'm even trying to think of alternate haft materials to wood, but no luck so far. Thanks All!
So. I want to turn my Cold Steel Shanghai Shadow into a spear head. Help?
- Thread starter John79
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50 Shooter
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You could use some hose clamps for rubber tubing like the ones you see on car engine hoses. Once the knife is in the center of the pipe or wood handle, tighten the clamps down. I would use about 4 of them or as many will fit where the handle is fit into the shaft.
Lateral forces could be a problem even with a good full tang knife. To much torquing on it side to side could break the blade. I would try to use a handle that's not to heavy but strong enough to stand up to stabbing something.
Lateral forces could be a problem even with a good full tang knife. To much torquing on it side to side could break the blade. I would try to use a handle that's not to heavy but strong enough to stand up to stabbing something.
Dirty Bob
Member
The Wikipedia entry for the yari (Japanese spear) might give you some ideas. Here's an excerpt:
How about spreading out the stresses after you install the spear head, by laying some reinforcing material lengthwise along part of the haft, then wrapping it with some sort of thin cord? The Japanese used strips of split bamboo. Even just wrapping with thin wire or cord will help prevent splitting under stress. A lot of medieval polearms used langets. Imagine cutting a foot-long piece of conduit in half lengthwise and putting the pieces over the haft behind the spear head. This reinforces the haft in a stress area and prevents some dude from chopping off your spear head (link to image showing langets on a pollaxe).
All my best,
Dirty Bob
(who recently made a simplified Roman pilum)
Yari blades (points) often had an extremely long tang (nakago); typically the nagako would be longer than the sharpened portion of the blade. The nakago protruded into a re-enforced hollow portion of the handle (tachiuchi or tachiuke) resulting in a very stiff shaft making it nearly impossible for the blade to fall or break off.[3]
The shaft (nagaye or ebu) came in many different lengths, widths and shapes; made of hardwood and covered in lacquered bamboo strips, these came in oval, round, or polygonal cross section. These in turn were often wrapped in metal rings or wire (dogane), and affixed with a metal pommel (ishizuki) on the butt end.
The shaft (nagaye or ebu) came in many different lengths, widths and shapes; made of hardwood and covered in lacquered bamboo strips, these came in oval, round, or polygonal cross section. These in turn were often wrapped in metal rings or wire (dogane), and affixed with a metal pommel (ishizuki) on the butt end.
How about spreading out the stresses after you install the spear head, by laying some reinforcing material lengthwise along part of the haft, then wrapping it with some sort of thin cord? The Japanese used strips of split bamboo. Even just wrapping with thin wire or cord will help prevent splitting under stress. A lot of medieval polearms used langets. Imagine cutting a foot-long piece of conduit in half lengthwise and putting the pieces over the haft behind the spear head. This reinforces the haft in a stress area and prevents some dude from chopping off your spear head (link to image showing langets on a pollaxe).
All my best,
Dirty Bob
(who recently made a simplified Roman pilum)
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