Topic: Spear Hook design (Read 1770 times)

Magnus · « **on:** December 22, 2008, 11:01:00 pm »

This is my design for a hook to put on your spear head:

It will work for the Eryndor spear design and variants of it; for other designs, it will probably have to be adapted to various degrees.

Here you can see me holding a spear with such a design:

YE OLDE TILT · « **Reply #1 on:** December 22, 2008, 11:17:00 pm »

id like to see lances with crossbars for tripping people too...

Lykos MacGregor · « **Reply #2 on:** December 22, 2008, 11:41:00 pm »

Magnus,

Thank you for posting it!

Have you ever had any problem with the hook pulling free of the spear? The one and only wedge hook I saw in person ripped free eventually, since it was just foam. This is one of the main reasons I made mine with a core.

How well has this held up? Have you noticed any pull that needs fixing over time, or has it been nice and sturdy?

Most importantly, Will you be able to bring it to Maeth Invasion so I can see it in person??

Magnus · « **Reply #3 on:** December 23, 2008, 12:04:00 am »

I have not had that problem. Since my spear has only looked like that since June, it is possible that after more use it will get damaged, but the way mine is built means it is not as susceptible to shearing forces as one with the foam simple layered horizontally on the surface, which I have also seen break. The hook is an integral part of the spear head this way, not just an attachment.

And yes, I anticipate bringing it to the Maethodoron invasion.

Tiny Tim · « **Reply #4 on:** December 23, 2008, 12:52:00 am »

Ah, if I can get a fiberglass pole then I will be making one of these post haste. It makes Swoard and Board guy think twice before going after a spear.It allows the spear itself to make an opening in the shieldwall rather than waiting for someone to make a hole.

Rayleon of Narnia · « **Reply #5 on:** December 23, 2008, 01:32:00 am »

If you add some open cell it is now a poleaxe an can break/pull shields and poke people. Well thats what I did anyways.

Tiny Tim · « **Reply #6 on:** December 25, 2008, 01:05:00 am »

You need to see if you can get this posted on the How-To section. It would really help to have this design on the field in mass numbers. The wall of spears would be much more fearsome in a line battle.

Magnus · « **Reply #7 on:** December 29, 2008, 07:22:00 pm »

There's a thought.

In all seriousness, kids, if you want to get lots of kills in a big battle, a spear is the way to go. People call them "support" weapons, as though the sword-n-board fighters were the real killing machine and the spears were just there to help them out, but that's backwards. The spear is the real deal, the shields are just there to keep them from getting shot by archers.

Whisper Moonson · « **Reply #8 on:** December 29, 2008, 07:32:00 pm »

A spear is a support weapon in the same way that the B.A.R., the M-60, or the S.A.W. is a support weapon. It's more like a supported weapon. It's not the best thing to be running around with solo, but with a team backing you up, you can put some major hurt on the other side.

Magnus · « **Reply #9 on:** January 07, 2009, 03:11:16 pm »

Has anyone tried this on their own yet? Please let me know if my directions are clear enough, or if I need to add stuff.

Oisín Leathshúileach · « **Reply #10 on:** January 07, 2009, 06:30:11 pm »

I'm planning on trying this out whenever my poles get in from WWBW . . . which at this rate may be never.

It looks clear enough, but I'm a pretty experienced foamsmith.

Tiny Tim · « **Reply #11 on:** January 07, 2009, 07:16:53 pm »

I would think you would have to wait for a few hours or a day for everything to dry once you put the spear together and then try to put the hook in. If you try to do it RIGHT after you finish the spear the DAP would unstick since wrapping Blue Foam around a fiberglass pole is kinda hard to keep in place.

Alric · « **Reply #12 on:** January 07, 2009, 07:19:59 pm »

If you're using DAP properly (applying it to both surfaces and allowing it to dry to the touch, or just barely still be sticky), you shouldn't have an issue with the spear head coming apart. If you were to glue it together with the DAP still wet, I can see how it would be a good idea to wait... but that's because using DAP while wet doesn't work that well.

Oberon of Lyonesse · « **Reply #13 on:** January 08, 2009, 12:50:03 am »

i plan on using this design when i get my spear made in february with the addition of a leather strap on the hook for extra support

Alric · « **Reply #14 on:** January 08, 2009, 12:57:40 am »

My hook also has the leather reinforcement.

Reikon · « **Reply #15 on:** January 09, 2009, 12:13:27 am »

As soon as I scrounge together enough money to get a Bandshoppe pole, I'll be making myself a spear, and plan on putting a hook on it. This design looks great. Thanks for sharing it with us! *bookmarks thread for when he gets the pole*

Urdok of Sarmatia · « **Reply #16 on:** January 09, 2009, 12:36:28 am »

Quote from: Tiny Tim on January 07, 2009, 07:16:53 pm

I would think you would have to wait for a few hours or a day for everything to dry once you put the spear together and then try to put the hook in. If you try to do it RIGHT after you finish the spear the DAP would unstick since wrapping Blue Foam around a fiberglass pole is kinda hard to keep in place.

Provided you're using the dap properly, duct tape is your friend with spears.

Sgt Kiff Skitterzz · « **Reply #17 on:** January 09, 2009, 07:59:40 am »

Magnus have you had much success using the hook?

Or is it pretty situational?

Magnus · « **Reply #18 on:** January 09, 2009, 08:05:02 am »

Lots of success. It would be more useful if more people used spears, because I could pull a shield open and then my partner could spear the person.
But, generally, since I put it on, in (for example) a res battle I usually get 8+ kills per life. Basically, I yank the shield aside and stab the person before he knows what to do.

Sgt Kiff Skitterzz · « **Reply #19 on:** January 09, 2009, 08:07:49 am »

Have you been slinging a back shield with it? I'm actually started fighting with a spear myself recently, and am looking for survivability options without having to rely on other people as much, I had considered the back shield viable but haven't gotten to use it yet.

Oh, also.

What are you using to cover it? Tape on the hook portion?

Guntar von Keitz · « **Reply #20 on:** January 09, 2009, 09:21:44 am »

I have a 10' SCA spear core I plan on building by the Spirng and will add the spear hook...probably using Magnus' desig, though I'm sure I'll tweak it a bit. In this era of uberlight, massive shields, spear hooks should be particularly useful.

Magnus · « **Reply #21 on:** January 09, 2009, 09:25:18 am »

Check out my set-up, K-Money:

They work very well together. My round shield is a center-grip with a shoulder strap, so in the event that the line breaks up, I can just dump the spear and go sword & shield (with the sword I carry in a scabbard at my side) and rack up some more kills.
I just covered the hook in some strapping tape, then duct tape (the same silver duct tape I used on the rest of the spearhead) and it has held up remarkably well.

Sgt Kiff Skitterzz · « **Reply #22 on:** January 09, 2009, 12:27:41 pm »

I'm getting in on that action.

Sgt Kiff Skitterzz · « **Reply #23 on:** January 10, 2009, 01:48:54 am »

I'm going to make one or two of these, I'll drop pics this week.

Thrush Svartehjertet · « **Reply #24 on:** January 14, 2009, 09:07:39 am »

I have passed your design on to my spearman, I hope he listens. Good job.

Thrush
berserk

Sgt Kiff Skitterzz · « **Reply #25 on:** January 14, 2009, 02:46:36 pm »

Got the foam in today, I'll build er this weekend.

Chicken · « **Reply #26 on:** January 15, 2009, 04:33:36 pm »

I use a very different design (I like a much smaller spear tip than that allows), but I do use a wedge and they're great. I've built half a dozen or more now, most without glue and have yet to have one fail, and I've hooked one on a balcony and lifted myself off the ground with it. Wedges are great. Personally, I've always used a very rigid polyethylene (a bit harder than most punch shields) and have had great luck.

Hooks can be a great help, but they're only game changers when you have other spears working alongside you like Magnus says. On occasion I can certainly get a good pull and stab in, but usually if the shieldman is paying any attention by the time you pull their shield back far enough to get in a hard enough stab they'll be able to free it or step back. You can usually hold one open almost indefinitely if you're not trying to kill them yourself, however, so if you have another spear to your left you can open them and let the other spear kill them. Also works with sufficiently aggressive shieldmen as a partner.

I'll try to dig up some pics somewhere - shieldhooks FTW!

Magnus · « **Reply #27 on:** January 15, 2009, 04:36:47 pm »

Alric also uses a much smaller spear tip (minimum 2.5", versus my 4") so I am interested to see if he can make something like this work. Polyethylene is also a very good material; it simplifies construction when you just use a single block of foam rather than 4 layers.
As far as effectiveness when you are the only spearman on the block, I have found that the proliferation of laughably enormous shields on the Dagorhir field has made shield hooks much more effective, since you can more easily catch the shield and move it around due to the lack of mobility on the user's part.

Alric · « **Reply #28 on:** January 15, 2009, 05:38:48 pm »

My spear head's 3.8", sadly... I could probably make it 3.5" with the design I'm using, but I haven't figured out how to make it 2.5" yet.

My hook is blue foam with armor-grade leather beneath it. The leather has a hole in it that slid onto the bandshoppe poll before I built the rest of the spear head. That way, anything the hook tugs on pulls on the leather that pulls on the core, keeping the hook from ripping off. I also used a ton of strapping tape.

Thorbjorn Ranulfssonn · « **Reply #29 on:** January 16, 2009, 05:03:15 pm »

uh oh,,,, looks like it's time to start work on godhammer 2.0 perhaps it's a good thing the original godhammer fell victim to "the mysterious weapon-swallowing black hole"

Tycho · « **Reply #30 on:** January 21, 2009, 05:17:45 pm »

Definitely bookmarking this for when I get my Bandshoppe poles.

Probably won't have them by Maeth, but I'd love to be able to bring one of these to Gates...

Sgt Kiff Skitterzz · « **Reply #31 on:** January 21, 2009, 05:34:55 pm »

Oh yeah, I have pics.

inc soon. ><

Thorbjorn Ranulfssonn · « **Reply #32 on:** January 23, 2009, 06:08:55 pm »

i made 2 spears with your hook and put them thru a torture test. my findings are as follows; ((sinister laughter)) i like it.

Vapnkasta · « **Reply #33 on:** January 23, 2009, 11:28:01 pm »

I like this because it can be worked into a new spear or built onto a pre-existing spear... I'll probably build my spear and then use this method to modify the hook onto it after I get a little more experience weapon making... I picked up a nerf (actual, poof, but it's the same size and feels to be the same foam) football today for a couple spear stabbies

Oberon of Lyonesse · « **Reply #34 on:** January 25, 2009, 04:10:42 am »

i made this last night and its BEAUTIFUL i was worried right after i cut the notch out because the foam started opening up likea bloomin onion from outback steakhouse but after i got it all taped and everything it was feelin pretty strong i will try to get some pics up because i built a spear head added a hook, then bladed the opposite side to make a glaive and its gonna be pretty unstoppable

Lurker · « **Reply #35 on:** January 25, 2009, 04:31:17 am »

I'm having some serious doubts on how effective these could actually be, but at the very least it will be a fun thing to mess with. I'm hoping this sort of weapon modification is as fun-sounding as you guys make it out to be.

This is a nice and straight-forward guide and I'm surprised that I haven't thought up something similar.

Thorbjorn Ranulfssonn · « **Reply #36 on:** January 25, 2009, 07:57:10 pm »

took my 2 newly magnus-ized spears out to fighter practice today. i love you magnus

Drunken Bob · « **Reply #37 on:** May 02, 2009, 09:47:21 pm »

Quote from: Magnus on December 29, 2008, 07:22:00 pm

There's a thought.

In all seriousness, kids, if you want to get lots of kills in a big battle, a spear is the way to go. People call them "support" weapons, as though the sword-n-board fighters were the real killing machine and the spears were just there to help them out, but that's backwards. The spear is the real deal, the shields are just there to keep them from getting shot by archers.

The Chinese call the Spear the "King of weapons" for a reason
That is why I use it

Casimir Glassjaw · « **Reply #38 on:** May 03, 2009, 02:00:17 am »

Namtar · « **Reply #39 on:** May 03, 2009, 02:41:20 am »

I found a slight way to improve upon this design. Place a strip of leather (7oz should work) under the hook in an inverted L design. This is based off of Jari's axe reinforcement. I (and Antonis) used a spear with it at Gates of Fire and it worked great, I was able to really pull at braced shields to pull people off balance and it did not even weaken.

Magnus · « **Reply #40 on:** May 03, 2009, 11:15:30 am »

Yes, do this. I did this kind of reinforcement on my pollaxe head and it has held up remarkably well.

Also, it is very effective in a line fight. Other times, not so much, but the beauty of this design is that it is low-profile enough not to interfere with the spear's other functions.

Arthensa Arrava Arad · « **Reply #41 on:** May 03, 2009, 04:15:36 pm »

Can the hook actually be used kind of like a polearm? I mean can you strike someone with the hook on the spear and it count?

Antonis · « **Reply #42 on:** May 03, 2009, 05:00:07 pm »

no, unless you want to try to pass it as red.

stylgar · « **Reply #43 on:** May 04, 2009, 07:05:10 am »

Magnus, I didn't look at your pictures, but I will. My shield hook has been on my spear for around 8 years, and has never needed any maintenance. I made it out of a nearly rectangular block of the PE foam that Valdemort makes their shields with. Right behind the head (actually touching the blue foam that backs up the Nerf). A few C-shaped layers of blue foam complete a buttressing ring behind the head, and serve to hide the hook. Trying to find a hunk of that for my next spear

George "Princess Hardcore" MacMillan Wallace · « **Reply #44 on:** May 04, 2009, 08:08:52 am »

I really like this. It looks extremely nice. I always like experimenting with new weapons, and a spear seems like a good one to use. This design is just what I was looking for. Good job!

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Author Topic: Spear Hook design (Read 1770 times)