Stainless steel harpoon type thing?

[diggummup]

It's 18 inches long, weighs 1 lb. 10 ounces. Has a loop made of cast aluminum that is adjustable to move up and down the length of the shaft. I've looked a alot of harpoons, spears and gaffs and cannot find one that matches this. No markings anywhere. Any ideas on the use of this thing?

 

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[worldtalker]

diggummup,YEP, that is a stainless steel harpoon type thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God Bless HH Chris

 

[Taranis]

Maybe tent-peg?

 

[mojjax]

Maybe a spear gun tip ?

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

digg ~

I'm thinking ...

... detatchable tip portion of a Marlin Harpoon/Spear.

Notice in the picture below where the one guy is ready to harpoon the Marlin as soon as it surfaces. Also notice the rope attached to it. Once the Marlin is harpooned, the tip detaches from the shaft so the marlin can then be hauled in by the rope. The loop part where the rope attaches is adjustable depending on the size of the fish and the desired depth of penatration.

Note: At present this is just a guess, as I have yet to find an exact match to your particular harpoon/spear tip. The tip would have been attached to a long shaft/handle. But in all honesty, I'm not sure if the guy in the picture is harpooning the Marlin of just tagging it. But I can't imaging tagging a Marlin with a rope attached to it, unless the rope is so the guy can retrieve the shaft in case he drops it.

However, I did see a picture earlier in my search (but can't find it again) that definitely showed them hauling in a Marlin by a rope that was stuck in it's tail.

SBB

 

[GatorFrog]

digg ~

I'm thinking ...

... detatchable tip portion of a Marlin Harpoon/Spear.

Notice in the picture below where the one guy is ready to harpoon the Marlin as soon as it surfaces. Also notice the rope attached to it. Once the Marlin is harpooned, the tip detaches from the shaft so the marlin can then be hauled in by the rope. The loop part where the rope attaches is adjustable depending on the size of the fish and the desired depth of penatration.

Note: At present this is just a guess, as I have yet to find an exact match to your particular harpoon/spear tip. The tip would have been attached to a long shaft/handle. But in all honesty, I'm not sure if the guy in the picture is harpooning the Marlin of just tagging it. But I can't imaging tagging a Marlin with a rope attached to it, unless the rope is so the guy can retrieve the shaft in case he drops it.

However, I did see a picture earlier in my search (but can't find it again) that definitely showed them hauling in a Marlin by a rope that was stuck in it's tail.

SBB

We use harpoons when we swordfish. The head on this one is really different.
What puzzles me is the cutting edge and the angle of the edge. It seems almost counter-intuitive, at least to a fishing harpoon...

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

GF ~

I noticed the angle of the tip, too, and wondered if it might have gotten bent when someone tried using it as a pry-bar or something?

SBB

 

[worldtalker]

GF ~

I noticed the angle of the tip, too, and wondered if it might have gotten bent when someone tried using it as a pry-bar or something?

SBB

SSB, It's an optical illusion, look very closely at the top of the blade,a straight line,it doesn't follow the "bend",notice the radius to the left. Just thought I'd bring that to your view,life is perception my friend. God Bless HH Chris

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

WT ~

I'm not entirely sure what you're saying or seeing - but my perception it that it looks slightly bent ...

Blue = Straight Line.

Red = Slight Convex Bulge.

Yellow = Slight Concave Bend.

 

[worldtalker]

WT ~

I'm not entirely sure what you're saying or seeing - but my perception it that it looks slightly bent ...

Blue = Straight Line.

Red = Slight Convex Bulge.

Yellow = Slight Concave Bend.

Bob,if it were bent,the upper top portion wouldn't be a straight line.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

WT ~

I hear ya, but I'm thinking the weak point (where it would have bent) is in the thinner, gap portion (green arrow) and not the main shaft itself.

Diggum ... What say you?

Thanks.

SBB

 

[diggummup]

It looks as if it was made with the bend already in it. There is no evidence that would support anything else. I'm an avid offshore fisherman and have a friend who spearfishes gamefish. I showed it to him and he's never seen this particular type of "spear". He thinks it may be a homemade version of something someone dreamt up.

 

[stevemc]

That is called a flying gaff. It doesnt look like a very good type of tip/barb though. That one pic has it, with the guy ready to throw the spear. It is used to get fish that wont come too close to the boat that are hooked.

 

[diggummup]

I think in a way you are right, just not in the traditional sense of a flying gaff. I've never seen a flying gaff that looks like this. Unless the end is rigged with a harpoon "dart tip", everyone i've ever seen or used was a bent hook shape. After exhaustive research and talking with a couple people, I think it's a type of "harpoon" that would be attached on a flying gaff or tag stick type of handle. I think it probably is something homemade, which is why I can't find another example of it. I don't think it's ever been tested or if it has it didn't work too well because the design isn't up to par for most practical applications. Dart tips and shafts are always 2 pieces in my experience. I think it was made this long and heavy in an attempt to prevent recoil, which is prevalent when a regular harpoon dart comes disloded from a fish and comes flying back at you at high speed. However I think the major design flaw is the weight/length of the 18 in. shaft itself. I may be wrong but from the looks of it, unless your sticking it in a whale or a 500+ pound fish and you sink it in at least 12 inches of the length, then it's not gonna stay and will just pull out.

The picture that sodabob provided depicts a harpoon, but the tip, as with all dart tips i've ever seen is just that, a tip with the rope attached. The tip is hollow in the back end and it slides over a metal shaft which is similar to the shaft on my object. Here is the site from bob's photo, go down to the bottom of the page and you will see what I mean about the dart tips.

http://www.alltackle.com/poon_harpoon.htm

Thanks for the replies everyone, i'm gonna put this one to bed.

 

[GatorFrog]

Poon Harpoon are great. That's what we use here in SE Florida.

I don't think this one is designed for fishing for 2 reasons:
1) Cutting edge is too long and at the wrong angle
2) It's way too heavy.

Look at the Poon dart or any fishing dart from a flying gaff and you will see that they are all compact, weight little, usually have a pivot point in the center of the dart, and have broad barbs.
This dart is long and well over a pound. A swordfish would throw that thing out at the first thrashing. The barb doesn't offer enough purchase.

It looks pretty well made to me. I think that harpoon is made for something other than fishing....
Mind you it still may be a fishing harpoon designed by someone who has never harpoon a fish...