I just noticed that the Cold Steel Bird & Trout knife has a VERY similar profile to the Hoffman-Harpoon...and it's 1/3 the price (as little as $12 on eBay).

Could make a good inexpensive multitasker to replace the Gerber LST on my lanyard.

That's what I like about gig setups over harpoons. You can make a gig out of a coat hanger if need be. Cheap, easy to make, even if all you have is a rock to sharpen the tip with, easy to maintain, and effective. Back when I was a kid we used to make them out of grandpa's welding rod scrap and go gig flounder at low tide. Had we been older and more adept at our technique, we'd have caught a lot more of them, but as it was we did about as well as fishing for them.

Lashing four of those sharpened rods to a broom handle with bailing wire was what we were using back then. Never lost a rod either, though we did have to resharpen them occasionally.

If it were my only knife, there is no way I would lash it to a stick and risk breaking/loosing it. I think that I would just sharpen a long stick, maybe harden it in the fire, and use that instead...

Agree'd. If it were my only knife there's no way...though I don't even go to work with only one knife!

The more I think about the whole spear/harpoon thing the more I think I'd never bother. I'd be more likely to turn that shaft of wood into a fishing pole than a harpoon.

Still...I'm curious to try under controlled conditions to see if it's even possible in these parts.

Well, this topic did get me to thinking about carrying at least a harpoon head in my psk and this thread confirmed it. But its more of a regional thing, for instance I probably wouldn't have one when I go backpacking in the east coast of Canada... but around the carib, it could be an effective way of catching food.

Thank you to all for your comments and idea.

I did pull an old ti dive knife that i had in my dive kit, and noticed that I can take the handle off quite easily. This could be a dual purpose item for around here. It would never be my primary knife by no means, but it would most definitly be a multi purpose tool, and acting as a harpoon/spear head could be one of those purposes.

I do like the idea of the hoffman, but its a bit of cash for what you get (IMHO). I will play around with the idea of using nails, and maybe filing them to some degree to get more of a barbed head. That would most definitly be a better idea as nails (or some form of it) could be used for more things then just a harpoon head.


Thanks all,
Kris

I work in an office in NYC, within a couple blocks of today's parade route (GO BIG BLUE!!!), and I normally come to work with more than one knife. Today, I think I brought three; a Gerber multi-tool, a SAK and a cheaper knife with one serated blade.

I am with the crowd that would avoid using a knife as a spear, if I had other choices. A decent spear can be made from only a stick. Sure, it should be a good, strong stick, but so should anything to which you will tie a metal point. I would not want to lose a Hoffman harpoon when the end of the stick to which it was tied broke. Additonally, spear points can be made from other items, like a piece of bone or metal by gridning them down, or maybe with some practice, one could try flint knapping. I'd probably only be able to create something to use as a grub axe, but the knife would help me cut something to tie that to a stick. I'd need to be pretty hard up before I risked a knife as a spear.

I do like the idea of a Hofmann harpoon or the Cold Steel Bird and Trout knife as a part of a small kit. the last cutting tool I leave at home is in an EDC kit, and it's an exacto blade which I have attached two pieces of plastic tableware (a spork and a knife). Either the Hoffman blade or the Cold Steel knife would be a good addition to this kit. But, if either were my only blade, I would be less likely to risk losing it.

Here this is a lot cheaper and probable just as good.

http://www.coldsteel.com/20btj.html

cheers

Here's a review and comparison of the Cold Steel Bird & Trouot Knife and Hoffman Harpoon.

http://hikinghq.net/forum/archive/index.php/t-2104.html

If you need a small harpoon option for land-borne survival (small fish) check out m40's ten-cent survival knife, http://www.m4040.com/Survival/10_Cent_Survival_Knife/10_Cent_Survival_Knife.htm My son make be one and now it is with me in the ubiquitous Altoids tin along with a few other things. Just a thought.

Spending that kind of coin for a hoffman its a bit out of my range now, but thats the idea I was looking at. Anyone knows anyone that can create something like that for a much lower price? Won't be able to get the good steel, but its a harpoon head afterall. It will be banged around.

For now, i'm taking benjammin's advice and use nails or something similiar. I already had a few nails in my psk, but i'll probably double or triple up on that (prob 6 or so). Very useful items.

I don't think the hacksaw blades will work for me. If you miss and the thing hits a rock or something, it'll just shatter.

Kris