How to Make an Ancient Egyptian Spear
Possibly the most ancient fighting tool in the world, the spear has a considerable legacy both as a hunting device and a weapon. Ancient Egyptians used a 5- to 6-foot shaft tipped by a leaf-shaped blade. Innovative for its time, the Egyptian spear was designed for both thrusting and slashing or cutting attacks. Due to the spear's somewhat shorter length, a person could be easily wield it in one hand while holding a shield in the other. With a minimum of tools and materials, and a keen eye for detail, practically anyone can re-create an ancient Egyptian spear.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- 5- to 6-foot shaft of desired wood
- 1-by-2-foot heavy-duty metal plate
- Miter-box saw with carbide tip
- Table saw
- Electric sander
- Electric grinder
- Industrial-strength glue
- 4 feet of hemp or similar material
- Marker
- Measuring tape
- Safety goggles
- Safety gloves
Instructions
-
-
1
Designate a working surface with ample light for assembling your spear. Clear the area of any dirt, debris or dust.
-
2
Lift your wooden shaft and decide on the exact length for your spear. Practice transferring the weapon between your hands and moving the shaft in a figure-eight formation to determine a comfortable length. Measure and mark your desired length with a marker.
-
-
3
Put on your safety goggles and gloves and turn on the miter-box saw. Make the desired cut using the saw and sand the corners of the spear until they are cleanly rounded, using an electric sander.
-
4
Decide which end you want your spear blade to go and make a straight line in the middle of the shaft at that end. Measure 2 1/2 inches down the shaft and make a mark. Using the table saw, create an incision directly down the middle of the shaft along the line you marked at the end. Apply pressure until the groove has been cut to the 2 1/2-inch point.
-
5
Clean the surface of any sawdust and place the metal plate on the surface. Using the marker, draw out your desired leaf-shaped blade while designing a 2 1/2-inch base at the bottom with a similar thickness as your wooden shaft. Carefully cut this shape out using the miter-box saw with carbide tip and grind down the metal using an electric grinder until you have finished your spear tip.
-
6
Apply glue to both sides of your 2 1/2-inch spear blade base. Insert the spear blade into the groove in the wooden shaft, with the spear tip pointing upward, and carefully fasten the area where the spear blade meets the shaft with several lengths of hemp in tightly bound coils.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Always wear safety goggles and gloves when operating power tools such as the miter-box and table saws, as well as the sander and grinder. Always practice caution when working with these tools and be careful to keep any children or small animals from your working area.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit spear image by Andrey Kiselev from Fotolia.com
