How To: Carve Your Own Spear

The spear dates back to the stone age. It has been a useful tool for hunters and gatherers up to 400,000 years ago. It is a historical weapon that requires very minimal resources, and it may be helpful for you to know how to make one for means of survival. The most ancient and minimal designs are constructed using either wood or wood and stone. Here is your guide to crafting your spear.

For starters, there is an abundance of different shapes that a spear can take on. For the sake of survival, we’re going to focus on the more basic design for a spear. Although, it is worth mentioning that if time and interest permits, spears can involve a split head with a sharp stone placed in between for the spearhead, as well as other intricate carvings and designs.

1. Identify a stick

• Dense hardwoods are the best to use for a spear. By choosing the wood wisely, it will be durable and useful, and easier to cut and carve. Find a tree or a stick that is roughly the diameter of a broomstick, or a little thicker. Make sure it is at least your height or a foot to two feet taller. The length of your spear should be at a taller height than you because you want to diminish the chances of falling while walking and injuring yourself. After choosing your stick, prepare to begin carving a spear.

Tip: Bake it. If you’re worried that the wood is damp, or want to reinforce the strength of the spear, you can choose to carve the spear over a fire as you go. The fire acts as a hardening mechanism for the wood. If this spear is for survival and you happen to be lost in the woods, consider a fire anyway.

1. Clean cuts

• The most crucial aspect of making a spear is carving. Something to keep in mind throughout the process is the balance of the spear. There should be an equilibrium between the strength and the sharpness of the spearhead.

• Begin carving about 6 inches below the desired end of your spear. Make an indented line around the wood at the 6 inches mark, and then use thumb pushing strokes away from your body to work towards the tip of the spear. Make sure that you remove all the bark from your designated spearhead. It’s okay if your spearhead is still flat and cylindrical at this point. Consider using the baton method to chop into the wood deeply and start working the angle of the point.

1. The point

• Let’s get to the point. If we don’t, all we’ve got is a semi-sharp, but not really, walking stick. A wooden spear is designed to have piercing capabilities. The pointed tip is the characteristic that makes a spear what it is.

• Use the same outward pushing strokes to shape the point and avoid cutting yourself. Gradually work your way up to the tip of the spear. In doing so, you can avoid crafting a spear that has a weak and fragile tip. The result is a sturdy, multi-purpose tool that can be utilized for survival as a defense and safety mechanism.

A spear can serve as an ode to the traditional weapons and tools that were crafted by humans dating back hundreds of centuries. Its historical usefulness is undeniable, as the spear is one of the oldest tools used by the earliest civilizations. We like to draw the comparison of their long-lasting impact with our value to heritage. It is important to recognize how something seemingly as simple as a spear has advanced our civilization from the beginning of mankind. Also, they’re just super cool.

Duluth Pack continues to recognize history and the crucial role it plays in shaping the future. When we talk about survival, we are acknowledging historical, necessary, primal instincts, as well as the technology we can utilize to accomplish it. The spear has a role in all of it, and now you know how to carve one!

To assist in your carving experience and the overall need for a reliable knife on your outdoor journeys, check out our Knife Collection for wonderfully crafted blades and handles.

Happy spear carving, friends!