Hafting a spear head

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laea7777

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Dec 16, 2010
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I watched two different videos about how to haft a spear head. In one of them, he had a haft as wide as the outside of the spear head and he filed a lip into the haft so that the outside of the head was flush with the haft. In the other one, he just filed the haft down to match the inside of the spear head so that the outside of the spear head lip stuck out a little bit. The first way is more difficult and looks better, aesthetically. The second way is easier and looks okay. My question is: which way is stronger for a spear head capable of hewing? (For thrusting I would guess that it doesn't matter.)



By the way, I wish there was a polearm forum; or, perhaps spears should be included in the axe or sword forums.
 
I think it's simply an aesthetic choice. The inside diameter of the socket remains the same in both cases, that's where the wood will be weakest. The word "hewing" implies a heavy hit, but the thing to keep in mind is that you have an extremely long lever arm with a decent amount of weight on the end of it. A Boy's Axe with a 2lb head will typically be set on a 24" haft. With a spear, you are talking about maybe 5' of handle with a head that could only be marginally lighter. That's a tremendous amount of lateral force on a pole, it's going to take some strong wood to survive. Oak would work, but if it breaks oak shatters into sharp edges. Ash is better, white waxwood is good spear wood, and rattan with the skin on has been used for pole arms for centuries.

The only way to strengthen that joint would be to spread out the force over a larger area of the shaft. Rawhide wraps above and below the joint to go low tech, carbon fiber to space age the stone age weapon, or fabbing and affixing langets if metal is your thing. I used the spear below for years to cut off branches for the fun of it and never needed reinforcement. Treat it like a knife on a stick and not not an axe.
xOXP9QB.jpg
 
Thanks for the information. I love white wax wood for a staff, but I haven't found one thick enough for the spear head socket 1 1/8", other than a $100 Tai Chi long pole:

https://www.kungfudirect.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=59_118_135&product_id=215

I got the idea to cut with it from these videos:



Do you think what he's doing is unsafe? When I emailed CAS Iberia, they said they do not recommend sharpening the Hanwei War Spear for cut tests, so I ordered these components plus the sharpening service instead:

http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=AH7222H&name=Boar+Hunting+Spearhead

http://kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=OX005

http://kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=SNAW1119

In the meantime, I'm mounting an unsharpened shuang ji / fang tian ji (Chinese double crescent halberd) head to an oak bo staff for practice. Am I right that the second way is much easier? I tried to carve a lip for the head to rest on and I ended up making the pole too skinny and having to saw an inch off and redo it without the lip.

Would you recommend adding a tiny bit of Gorilla glue when mounting the head? It seems like that might help keep moisture out and also fill in the gaps and maybe even absorb some vibration in case the pole isn't precisely fitted, but I'm not sure how Gorilla glue holds up to impact.

Regarding carbon fiber to strengthen the joint, do you basically mean wrapping it with carbon fiber tape and resin?

That is a nice trio of blades in your photo. I recognize the Spyderco and Becker (I have an Endura and a BK-7 that are my preferred blades), but what is the spear?

Thanks again.
 
An observation that answers none of your questions: you can chop with a spear, but it would be a bad idea in combat since it would leave you very exposed.

With that said, if you feel you need glue to keep out moisture then a Silicon rubbery goop would be better since gorilla glue seems brittle when hard.

Carbon fiber w/epoxy, or leather wrap, or langettes all serve as noted above to try to add more socket as it were, and distribute the force of lateral impact over a greater area of the haft to minimize the risk of breakage.
 
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Do it without the lip. Cutting any sharp contour like that into a pole will just make it weak in that spot. you want to shape the end of the stick to maximize contact with the inner wall of the socket. Also if you're putting that much thought into how your spear will hold up to chopping, maybe you should reconsider which polearm you want to 'git gud' with.
 
I have found that there isn't much that a wrapping of Fiber Fix can't help strengthen. While certainly not traditional or period correct, Fiber Fix can be found at the big box hardware stores and is basically a cast that hardens like steel when you apply it.

For my Cold Steel leaf spear, I did not worry about the aesthetics of trying to get the throat of the socket to match the shaft. I simply got a good dry fit, then epoxied then head on and then wrapped half way up the socket and back down the shaft several inches with the Fiber Fix.

My thought was that the head is now affixed to the shaft pretty much as one piece with the strength of the epoxy. The Fiber Fix protects the wood from damage during a strike and helps support the shaft from breaking with lateral pressure applied to wrenching and prying the spear out of things.
 
laea7777 said:
but what is the spear?
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That is the Hero Spear that Atlanta Cutlery used to sell, maybe 15 years ago? It's the same carbon steel that they make the rest of their spears from, just in the size of a short sword. It is ridiculously heavy and a lot of fun to use.

The trick with hewing spears, in my biased and admittedly unscientific opinion, is that they should be treated as a knife on a stick. This means that the emphasis is still cutting with the edge, not treating it like a long-hafted axe. A poll axe or halberd would be a chopper, and the heads are suitably massive to withstand the force. I think the Hanwei war spear would probably work fine for light cutting, but there's no way the company will greenlight you for legal reasons. But try to swing for the fences with it and you will be recreating some of the more amusing failures of the Forged In Fire strength tests.

Steely has the right method, get a good dry fit and epoxy in place. I use a belt sander to get close, then rasps to close in on the finished shape. It's very easy to go too far, and then you have a new walking stick and not a spear shaft. I score the end with some cross-hatching to get more surface area for the epoxy to grab onto, then set in place and pin it. Anything you use for striking NEEDS A PIN. If you want a less permanent sealant, standard silicone caulk does a good job. I use that on hawks that I may actually need to change the handle on sometime. Never use Gorilla Glue unless you can clamp the piece in place; it expands as it sets and could push the head off to one side. The next time I go to reinforce a joint, I too will use Fiber Fix. It's available at any hardware store, and that stuff is tough. I tried to fix a leaky pipe with it and it didn't fix the leak. But it was so hard to remove I ended up cutting the pipe out instead.

Last two things: do a search in the Swords subforum for carbon fiber spear, it's in their somewhere and worth a read. I don't have the kit to work carbon fiber, but I bet if I went to an auto place with some cash I could make it happen, at least in the 8 inches or so around the joint. Finally, Waxwood doesn't have to be super expensive. We aren't supposed to supply links to non-paying distributors, but I don't think there is any conflict of interest with any supporters. I will remove it if asked, I would get this https://www.martialartsmart.com/32-84.html and cut down where it was the right thickness to haft. My bet is that you would end up with a 5 foot pole, which is plenty for a hewing spear.
 
I finally successfully fitted the shuang ji onto the oak staff; it's wedged on pretty good with a screw that came with it in one side; it came out to 80" overall with a rubber cap on the bottom. I'm having difficulty posting photos of it, though. I decided not to add an adhesive to this one, but for future reference, is JB Weld a good choice, instead of Gorilla glue?
 
laea7777 said:
I finally successfully fitted the shuang ji onto the oak staff; it's wedged on pretty good with a screw that came with it in one side; it came out to 80" overall with a rubber cap on the bottom. I'm having difficulty posting photos of it, though. I decided not to add an adhesive to this one, but for future reference, is JB Weld a good choice, instead of Gorilla glue?
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JB Weld would work fine, it makes a great bond though the color can be less than ideal if aesthetics are important. Pretty much any non-expanding glue or epoxy will fit the bill as long as hit has enough shear strength. Wood glue would work in a pinch, for instance, but normal super glue is fragile to shearing force.
 
The boar spear components arrived today, so I have more questions. The spear head socket is not perfectly round; should I bother trying to pound on it with a rubber mallet or bend it with pliers or something or is it a safer bet to leave it and try to shape the pole unevenly to match it? The ash pole looks completely raw; should I put boiled linseed oil or something like that on it? Thanks.
 
laea7777 said:
The boar spear components arrived today, so I have more questions. The spear head socket is not perfectly round; should I bother trying to pound on it with a rubber mallet or bend it with pliers or something or is it a safer bet to leave it and try to shape the pole unevenly to match it? The ash pole looks completely raw; should I put boiled linseed oil or something like that on it? Thanks.
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Without a mandril, or something to strike it against while supporting it from the inside, changing the shape is going to be tough. Without heating it, you are fighting against the desire of the metal to stay in its shape, and heating is going to mess with the heat treat. I would bet that the socket was left softer than the the head, so trying to beat it out a bit would be worth a try. Hammering something tapered like a plumb bob in the socket might true it back rounder, but I haven't seen one in anything but brass in a long time. If you have a heavy Railroad Bar, one end is a tapered point or a some jackhammer bits would work. It's going to take some creativity if you want to change it very much, because you will be improvising tools and procedures as you go. I just asked my Dad to make me a mandril to form ferrrules and butt capps because I am tired of the tinkering and the man has a metal lathe, numerous welders, and 50 years of machining experience.

The path of least resistance is to shape the haft to something you think will fit, and try a good dry fit. Don't beat it in at this point, you might wedge the shaft so hard you can't get it out without damage. With an uneven socket, mark the socket and the shaft with a line of Sharpie; when you go back in after shaping, make the marks line up again, orientation will be important. Work the shaft around a bit with some corkscrew motion. The inside of the sockets are never very clean, and everywhere it rubs will leave oil and carbon marks at first. Later, it will compress and polish areas that are rubbing harder. Sand those areas down and repeat the process until the haft travels to where you want. Check for head alignment as you go, it can be adjusted by sanding the haft more aggressively.

Ash is great wood, but it will last longer and be stronger if it gets some protection. Boiled linseed oil (BLO) is a good finish that protects against water damage. If you go to the Axe Subforum and look for rehafting axes, you will get a bunch of good finish techniques and members' personal recipes for finishes. I like to make sure that the wood is fully "hydrated" by rubbing it down with mineral oil a couple of times and letting it soak in. Mineral oil is "wet" in that it won't dry on the wood or form a protective coat. I then give it a couple of coats of BLO, sanding with fine grit or steel wool between coats. Tung oil also gives a nice look with good protection too, and some people just like to coat with a beeswax/tung or BLO mix. Be careful when using BLO because it oxidizes as it cures, generating a surprising amount of heat. Don't leave your project to dry near anything volatile, and let BLO rags dry out in a metal container or spread out on something that can't burn. Wad them up and walk away, they will catch fire. Good luck.
 
The tip is slightly off center, which I didn't realize until after I had drilled the pin hole, so I'll probably just leave it for now and eventually rehaft it. I honestly think the blade was welded to the socket crooked by the manufacturer because the socket looks pretty centered on the pole. The butt end cap does not have holes in it. I emailed Windlass and Kult of Athena for advice on how to mount the butt end but I haven't gotten a response. I guess I should drill holes in it it like the head but I'm not sure if carbide drills are necessary for this.
2j18mLt
 
laea7777 said:
The tip is slightly off center, which I didn't realize until after I had drilled the pin hole, so I'll probably just leave it for now and eventually rehaft it. I honestly think the blade was welded to the socket crooked by the manufacturer because the socket looks pretty centered on the pole. The butt end cap does not have holes in it. I emailed Windlass and Kult of Athena for advice on how to mount the butt end but I haven't gotten a response. I guess I should drill holes in it it like the head but I'm not sure if carbide drills are necessary for this.
2j18mLt
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With what you've done so far, it's already straighter than many of the spears that actually got used on boars. We get hung up on making it perfect, when historically users were more interested in whether it would do the job it was designed to do. The shafts are semi-disposable too, in that they will wear out and need to be replaced eventually, and there will be much swearing when it happens. Butt caps are smaller and don't typically receive the tremendous lateral forces that the head is going to receive, so it's up to you how much you want to secure it. I have made numerous ferrules that I haven't pinned, but if I expected it to be an impact device I would take the time and do it. Carbide will make the job easier, especially with a little oil. As you punch through the inner wall, you will leave little curls of metal. If you have the shaft dry set in the socket, the curls will anchor in and will make it difficult to remove. If you want it drilled with the shaft in place, make the drilling your last step, get it fitted with whatever glue you want first. Drilling it out empty will make replacing the shaft easier, though it will still be a pain. Drill the hole, debur the edges with a round file. I deal with the inner curls by knocking/scraping everything I can with a big screwdriver, then filing the inside down with a curved file. If you put the hole towards the throat of the butt cap you can save a ton of time by using a rotating stone on a Dremel.
 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/188383664@N08/49885404687/in/dateposted-public/

I went ahead and drilled the butt cap; it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. All that's left is to peen the nail pins and rub the pole down with mineral oil. I'm not sure if I need a punch or if I should just hit the pins with the ball peen hammer. I'm leaning towards only using mineral oil, not linseed oil, as I'm worried that the linseed oil will be too tacky. I tested mineral oil on a scrap piece and it feels nice and smooth. By, the way, I decided not to use any adhesive, mostly for the sake of making it easier to rehaft it in the future. Thanks for all your help.
 
laea7777 said:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/188383664@N08/49885404687/in/dateposted-public/

I went ahead and drilled the butt cap; it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. All that's left is to peen the nail pins and rub the pole down with mineral oil. I'm not sure if I need a punch or if I should just hit the pins with the ball peen hammer. I'm leaning towards only using mineral oil, not linseed oil, as I'm worried that the linseed oil will be too tacky. I tested mineral oil on a scrap piece and it feels nice and smooth. By, the way, I decided not to use any adhesive, mostly for the sake of making it easier to rehaft it in the future. Thanks for all your help.
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Nice work. You don't really need a lot of meat to make a solid connection with a peened pin, and it's possible for the pin to break. I think you would be okay with half that amount of metal showing, and it would reduce the risk of breakage from hammering it cold. I just hit pins with ball peen hammer, but I only use brass and copper and I can't tell the metal from the pic. I haven't use a punch before, I don't know how it would affect the process. I admit to swinging a little too off-center from time to time and just whacking the socket, a punch might improve accuracy. I do like the ease of mineral oil, and if you decide you don't like it after a while all you have to do is wait a bit for it dry out. Other finishes are only coming off with sandpaper or chemicals, neither of which is particularly easy or fun. Good luck with your spear, it looks like a successful project and I find that the process makes the final product more satisfying.
 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/188383664@N08/49888862451/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/188383664@N08/49888341588/in/dateposted-public/

Yes, it is much more fun to put it together than to just buy one. I used Grip-Rite Fasteners coated sinker nails because those were what I found lying around that were about the right size and they were soft enough to cut with my Leatherman wire cutters so I figured I could peen them. They seemed to work well enough. I tried using a rounded punch but I ended up just hitting them with the ball peen hammer. It came out to be 90" overall; half an inch longer than the longest one I found commercially available (the Cold Steel Man At Arms Halberd); and it's just under 5 lbs; somehow, 2 1/2 lbs lighter than the listed weight of the Hanwei War Spear that I sort of modeled it after, even though it's longer than the Hanwei (I guess the Hanwei head is thicker). I'm going to call it good. Thanks again!
 
I wish I found this thread to begin with when I started on my own spear project. Oh well, too late now for that part.

Over the weekend I finished hafting my own spear, fitting a Windlass European spearhead to a red oak bo staff. Lots of sanding/filing/rasping was involved. The end result isn't perfectly straight, but it looks close. But at the same time the staff isn't perfectly straight either.
 
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