Prudent Prepping: the Home Depot Assegai Spear Handle

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Follow along as I build a long term plan via Prudent Prepping.

Our esteemed editrix Erin has made a habit of gifting seriously interesting, awesome and cool gifts to our group of co-bloggers. In a long list of gifts, she gave me the Assegai spear reviewed in this post. Further along in the article I mentioned wanting a combination walking stick and spear shaft.

I think I found the answer to that problem.

60" Tapered End Pole

Brand may vary

I'm in a Big Box store every day, and while cutting through the Garden Department, I saw this nifty item on the rack. This particular wood pole is listed as 'Brazilian Hardwood', which is not one particular type but rather one of 5 different woods.

It doesn't particularly matter to me, since this is to be a semi-disposable walking stick and spear shaft. Besides, the price is right for this project. If something goes wrong, I'm only out a couple cups of coffee for the first one and its replacement!

The pole is finished with a very thin coat of a semi-gloss clear, which will be completely removed and the wood treated with a penetrating exterior rated sealer.




From Home Depot's site:

• 5 ft. x 1 1/8 in. wood construction
• Strong and durable
• Does not conduct electricity
• For use with brooms, squeegies, and other tools requiring a tapered tip

Yeah, about that tip...

Tapered Tip

Original with taper

The taper starts right at the spot indicated by my pen and finishes with a steep angle that flows into the back of the spear head. (Unfortunately, I can't take a picture with my phone that shows the taper gong into the head.) From looking at the original handle and how it matches up with the spear head, the taper does not need to be started as far back as shown to fit into the blade socket.

I originally wanted to have the tapered end also be the "Down" end of my walking stick, but after seeing the actual spear shaft shape, there is no way for it to be anything but up. That means I still need to figure out something for the bottom of the staff, to make it a better all-around stick and not just a spear handle. To be that versatile, something needs to go on the end. I'm looking hard at these Staff Ends from Lee Valley.
 

Cane and Stick ends

I'm thinking of buying is the "F" end set, which gives the option of a rubber tip or a replaceable steel spike point when out in the woods. This is still in the theory and planning stage, since the spear end is the first project.

The Takeaway

• Keep your eyes open! There are bargains and surprising finds everywhere, like a solid stick ready to be made into my staff/spear handle combo!
• Making a dual purpose item makes me feel better.

The Recap

• One 60" wood pole from Home Depot: $4.98 plus tax

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If you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!

NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.