Primitive field expedient weapons

Primitive Weapons


-Throwing Stick (Rabbit stick)


Find a branch with a slight curve in it. With your knife or a rock, shave opposite sides down a bit so they are both relatively flat, sort of like a boomerang. It’s as easy as that. Throwing it accurately takes a lot of practice, but once you figure it out this is an extremely effective weapon for harvesting small game or birds.

-Pine Knot Club

This is an effective weapon for dispatching trapped game, cracking open turtle shells and shellfish, spearing crabs, self defense, or any number of other things. It is extremely light, yet extremely durable. The knot itself is virtually indestructible. It is also extremely easy to make in a pinch, and just as easy to locate the materials when near pines.

#1
Pine knots grow on the branches of pine trees. Cut or break the branch off at your desired length (18” recommended) on the trunk side of the branch. Next, break it off on the opposite side 1-2 inches above the knot.

#2
Now we are going to clean it up and make our points. First use your knife or a rock to shave the handle end and the opposite end to a point. If you are using a rock, simply blacken the end of the branch in a fire, then rub the blackened portion on the rock to sharpen it. This will also fire harden it. Repeat the process as necessary. If you are creating this at home, use electrical tape to make a handle.

You’re done! Quick and easy, yet effective! As you can see, you will be able to carry this thing for a long time. Enjoy!

-Bolo


Find 3 rocks similar in size to a baseball. Make 3 lengths of lashing (550 cord works well here), and tie them together at one end. I have found that 2 feet is a good length for each strand. Next, lash one rock at the opposite end of your knot on each of the strands. This weapon takes a fair amount of practice to be accurate, but it is extremely effective at taking down larger birds in flight. Although it is said that this weapon can be good for tripping up medium sized game to take it down on the run, I don’t believe this would be a good way to spend your time.

-Spear

Spears are easy to construct and are very effective for collecting fish, killing snakes, or taking hogs to name a few uses.

First, locate a sapling approximately 1 ½ meters long. For the spear head, you can create one out of rock or find an appropriate rock if you’re lucky. Simply split the end of the shaft with your knife (place knife on the end in the center and hammer through with a stick), place the rock in the center, then lash tightly. If you don’t have a spear head, you can simply sharpen the sapling to a point. Using a 45 degree angle, start forming the point about 8-10 centimeters from the end. Once the point is established, it is best to fire harden it. Place the tip in a flame. Once it is slightly charred, scrape to a point on a rough stone.

Pictures to come soon