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Marlin spikes, forged stainless

bikermikearchery

bikermikearchery

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marlinespike) is a tool used in ropework for tasks such as unlaying rope for splicing, untying knots, or forming a makeshift handle. A marlinspike is basically a polished cone tapered to a rounded or flattened point, usually 6 to 12 inches long, although sometimes 26" or longer, depending on what ply and size of rope they are intended for. The marlinspike is a tool made from metal, usually iron or steel, differentiating it from the fid which is similar in shape and function but made from wood or bone.
I use mine for everything from rope work to punching a hole in a 55gallon can. It is a handy tool to have that will save you from messing up a knife when you need a pointy object to pry, poke punch and prod with.
Picture updated with on hand spikes, 05/24/2010

These are hand forged from stainless steel. The ones in the picture are from 6" to 7" long and approximately 3/8 thick.
$35.00 Includes shipping. Paypal, USPS Money order.
Fresh pictures 05/24/10
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They look great and you did a good job on the pic too. What steel did you use on them? Are they tempered too?
 
WadeH said:
They look great and you did a good job on the pic too. What steel did you use on them? Are they tempered too?
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These are from a 4xx steel. ether 410 or 416 stainless. very corrosion resistant and tough, but not blade steel. heat treating this type of steel tends to add to its toughness, but there is not enough carbon in this type of steel to benefit from a tempering cycle. I forge these to shape, using as many heats as I need to get the shape I want, Then I heat one more time to a bright orange (about 1800 F) and let them air cool. A kind of heat treat/normalizing step. Tough enough to hammer throw a 55 gallon oil barrel with out deforming, but you could still reshape the point with a file as needed.
 
I make about 2 or 3 of these a week and always have a few around. The design changes as I try new ideas, so it's hard to keep up with pictures. I will be up dating soon.
 
Can you make one around 1/8" thick? I do a lot of paracord lanyards and a thinner one would really come in handy. :)
 
Dang Mike, fantastic. Those would be mighty handy for long splicing an old anchor line or eye splicing in style. I'm awfully tenpted to snatch up that one pictured on the far right.
 
Thanks Mike
The last one in this picture has gone to Hawaii to live in stile. I have a few more in the shop that haven't been polished up. I have a fare turn over of these, so I never quit get caught up on the pictures. The first two in the picture The hook was made to be a bottle opener.:cool: Because rope splicing is thirsty work:D
 
Because rope splicing is thirsty work
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I hear that, especially on the dock here in south Florida in the summer. I don't drink much that comes in bottles anymore :) I've had my share and used up my life quota.

There is no doubt that I'll buy one of these from you but I can wait until you have one similar to the one on the right, or if you can do a Poseidon’s Trident over the twist, keeping with the nautical theme, that would be wild, but don’t know the limitations of working with stainless steel.

I prefer straight though, for packing in my kit. If it's not too much trouble keep me in mind and let me know when one turns out that way.
 
hushnel said:
if you can do a Poseidon’s Trident over the twist, keeping with the nautical theme, that would be wild, but don’t know the limitations of working with stainless steel.
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WOW, A Trident, What a neat idea. I don't know haw practical it would be for a rope working tool, but it sure would look cool.
There really isn't a limit on what can be forged from stainless, you just have to figure out how your going to smack a red hot piece of metal with a hammer and get it to go where you want it to.:confused: Being stainless just means its easer to mess it up.:grumpy:

Thanks
Mike
 
WOW, A Trident, What a neat idea. I don't know haw practical it would be for a rope working tool, but it sure would look cool.
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Yeah that was my first thought too but I don't ever use a marlin spike or fid with my palm on the end, I'm always wiggling it back and forth to work between the lays, don't want to force it through and snag a yarn. Still the tool would have to be about 6” long and the trident couldn’t be sharp but would still work as a three tinned fork. I turned mine on a lathe here at work but I made it wide like a fid.

I watched a buddy of mine do the rams head on the end of a fire iron one time but I know that wrought iron is pretty forgiving.
 
Beautiful!

I want the middle one in the first picture. :)

Edit to add: sent you a PM.
 
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Larry will take the ( LAST ONE ) top picture. The one to the right of Esav's. :D

Thanks
Larry
 
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