Fish Hooks
- Thread starter 12foxtrot
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Here is an interesting place to start:
http://www.historicanglingenterprises.com/
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The "barb" is always the tricky part to make. Some people have good luck with a small sharp chisel to cut them. Never worked for me. I either end up cutting too deep and cutting the end off, or I cut too shallow and peel a little stip off the side.
So when I make fish hooks, I "forge" and then file the barb. I flatten/flair the end, then use a fine triangular file to file in and then undercut that barb. Then I file the point. When I have the point/barb done, I then use scrolling pliers to bend the hook. And then cut to length and flatten/flair the end.
For 900 A.D. Viking style hooks, I do the hook the same way, but curl a small eye on the end. The original is shown in the book The Vikings: the North Atlantic Saga. It was found beneath a waterfall along with a fish spear - 9 inches long with two large "thorn like" barbs and a small socket on the end.
The simplest quick fish hook to make would be to take a large hook with long shaft from the tackle shop. Then cut the eye off, and flatten/flare the end. Run a stone over the end to remove any sharp edges. It fits the time period, and looks right. Some people selling historical fishing kits are including hooks made this way. Yes, they are "forged", but machine forged in large quantities at modern factories - except for that flared end. And if you search the tackle shops and web sites, you can even find new made modern hooks with that flared end instead of an eye.
But not all hooks had that barb. Many didn't. And there are Indian made Copper Culture fish hooks that do not have any barb - just the copper hook. And they have either bulged/flared ends or small eyes on them.
A good book to get if you can find it is:
The Colonial Angler's Manual of Flyfishing & Flytying by Ken Reinard isbn 1-56523-070-1. The first part of the book is his search/research to create the gear George Washington might have used to go fly fishing. The middle part shows his steps to make his pole and make hooks. The last part shows color plates of original fishing flys for the colonial time period - and many are still common.
You can find the book and more info on Paul Jones's web site http://www.historicanglingenterprises.com/
He has lots of historical info on it, and also offers some things for sale. Last I heard, he had bought up the last stock of the original printing of the Colonial Angler book. So he might have some copies left.
And he has lots of links to other web sites on historical fishing.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
So when I make fish hooks, I "forge" and then file the barb. I flatten/flair the end, then use a fine triangular file to file in and then undercut that barb. Then I file the point. When I have the point/barb done, I then use scrolling pliers to bend the hook. And then cut to length and flatten/flair the end.
For 900 A.D. Viking style hooks, I do the hook the same way, but curl a small eye on the end. The original is shown in the book The Vikings: the North Atlantic Saga. It was found beneath a waterfall along with a fish spear - 9 inches long with two large "thorn like" barbs and a small socket on the end.
The simplest quick fish hook to make would be to take a large hook with long shaft from the tackle shop. Then cut the eye off, and flatten/flare the end. Run a stone over the end to remove any sharp edges. It fits the time period, and looks right. Some people selling historical fishing kits are including hooks made this way. Yes, they are "forged", but machine forged in large quantities at modern factories - except for that flared end. And if you search the tackle shops and web sites, you can even find new made modern hooks with that flared end instead of an eye.
But not all hooks had that barb. Many didn't. And there are Indian made Copper Culture fish hooks that do not have any barb - just the copper hook. And they have either bulged/flared ends or small eyes on them.
A good book to get if you can find it is:
The Colonial Angler's Manual of Flyfishing & Flytying by Ken Reinard isbn 1-56523-070-1. The first part of the book is his search/research to create the gear George Washington might have used to go fly fishing. The middle part shows his steps to make his pole and make hooks. The last part shows color plates of original fishing flys for the colonial time period - and many are still common.
You can find the book and more info on Paul Jones's web site http://www.historicanglingenterprises.com/
He has lots of historical info on it, and also offers some things for sale. Last I heard, he had bought up the last stock of the original printing of the Colonial Angler book. So he might have some copies left.
And he has lots of links to other web sites on historical fishing.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
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Trkdriver99
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Mike,
You are an absolute wealth of information. But I guess living up in the cold like you do research is a good afternoon task, staying by the fire and a good hot toddie to keep out the cold in your bones. If I needed to ask about something you or Lloyd Moler would be my first choice and not get my head taken off.
Ronnie
You are an absolute wealth of information. But I guess living up in the cold like you do research is a good afternoon task, staying by the fire and a good hot toddie to keep out the cold in your bones. If I needed to ask about something you or Lloyd Moler would be my first choice and not get my head taken off.
Ronnie
Hey, distance has a way of softening the GROWL.
Just glad that my humble rambling thoughts have been of assistance.
Now, if I could only figure out a better way to turn this "vast knowlege" of arcane things into more "pizza and beer" funds. I'd write a book, but then I'd have to buy a second #2 lead pencil and new box of crayons! Besides, I've been hearing the "horror stories" from Karl about his book. I'm not that much of a masochist.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
Just glad that my humble rambling thoughts have been of assistance.
Now, if I could only figure out a better way to turn this "vast knowlege" of arcane things into more "pizza and beer" funds. I'd write a book, but then I'd have to buy a second #2 lead pencil and new box of crayons! Besides, I've been hearing the "horror stories" from Karl about his book. I'm not that much of a masochist.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
There's also a great article on fish hooks in the MOFTQ that describes making them. I'm pretty much following that.
1. Cut the wire to length.
2. Anneal!!!!
3. Flatten tip to a Y.
4. Nick the lower barb with a small SHARP chisel. You probably want to round off the factory bevel. You might also need to anneal again. The chisel shape may be why Mike is breaking the barb off too. :wink:
5. Shape the tip/barb with a hand crank grinder, and bevel.
6. Undercut the barb-shank with a needle file that has teeth on one side only.
7. Flatten the spoon end, or put a eye on.
8. Bend to a hook shape. Kirby and Limerick were the old time fav.'s
9. Harden, polish, and temper.
1. Cut the wire to length.
2. Anneal!!!!
3. Flatten tip to a Y.
4. Nick the lower barb with a small SHARP chisel. You probably want to round off the factory bevel. You might also need to anneal again. The chisel shape may be why Mike is breaking the barb off too. :wink:
5. Shape the tip/barb with a hand crank grinder, and bevel.
6. Undercut the barb-shank with a needle file that has teeth on one side only.
7. Flatten the spoon end, or put a eye on.
8. Bend to a hook shape. Kirby and Limerick were the old time fav.'s
9. Harden, polish, and temper.
Cool beans! Another project...
:v I met him again at the Fly Fishing show at Somerset NJ yesterday. I have seen him about the last ten-12 years---his book is real good and does go into making rods, horse hair line, hooks and fly tying in the days of yore. It's very interesting study and yes making those hooks are rather easy with a little practice. However the hooks have no "eyes" and have to be "snelled" with "silk" thread. I have made flies in the style and it's fun to go back and tie the flye without using a vise, just your thumb and forefinger to hold the hook. It's a wee bit frustrating at best yet a nice challenge. :thumbsup:
I've seen some made out of two small nail size pieces of bone. They are lashed together at the bottom and the string is attached to the top of one. Insert them in the bait and leave the point barely sticking out. When the fish swallows the bait the point wedges in it's mouth and the pieces spread apart holding in it's mouth.
The GORGE Hook is the simplest one to make. It is just a long piece of wood/bone/iron/copper pointed at both ends. You tie your line onto the center of it. Then lay one pointed end along the line and pack your bait around it. You wait until the fish FULLY swallows it. Then you "set" the hook by pulling the line - which twists those pointed ends out to the sides and it can't come back up the fish's throat. Although, you do have to cut your hook/line out of the fish.
I make my iron fish hooks out of barbwire. I cut a section, unwind it, pull the "barbs" off of it, straighten it out, and then cut/bend/file to shape. Barbwire has some pretty good tensil strength. It is pretty similar to coathanger wire. I do not anneal or heat treat. The hammering/bending tends to work-harden the hooks well enough. I've "hooked" them on a small kitchen scale, and the did not bend or straighten back out up to the 15 or 20 pound limit of the scale.
When I compared them to modern fish hooks of the same size, those modern ones took more force to bend or straighten out, but not that much more. But if I was going after a 20+ pound fish, I wouldn't be using a hook that small anyway. You have to match the size of your hook and line to the size of fish you might encounter. Same practice then as now. That's why for Cod Hooks, I forge them up out of 1/4 inch round spring steel, and let them air-cool.
If you are using barbwire, check it carefully for any rusting spots. Those will be weak areas. And any galvanized coating can be soaked off using common household vinegar. A day or two soaking will remove that coating.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
I make my iron fish hooks out of barbwire. I cut a section, unwind it, pull the "barbs" off of it, straighten it out, and then cut/bend/file to shape. Barbwire has some pretty good tensil strength. It is pretty similar to coathanger wire. I do not anneal or heat treat. The hammering/bending tends to work-harden the hooks well enough. I've "hooked" them on a small kitchen scale, and the did not bend or straighten back out up to the 15 or 20 pound limit of the scale.
When I compared them to modern fish hooks of the same size, those modern ones took more force to bend or straighten out, but not that much more. But if I was going after a 20+ pound fish, I wouldn't be using a hook that small anyway. You have to match the size of your hook and line to the size of fish you might encounter. Same practice then as now. That's why for Cod Hooks, I forge them up out of 1/4 inch round spring steel, and let them air-cool.
If you are using barbwire, check it carefully for any rusting spots. Those will be weak areas. And any galvanized coating can be soaked off using common household vinegar. A day or two soaking will remove that coating.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
Black Hand
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As an aside, I have had good luck using small finish nails as fish hook stock. As to shaping, I pretty much do as described above.
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Sounds like a baited question to me!.... :blah:rubincam said:-----how many fish could a fish hook hook if a fish hook could hook fish-----
Rod Lassey
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In the MOFT quarterly article, they used an iron block with a groove in it to lay the wire in---I assume this would limit the depth the chisel would be able to cut, and avoid those 'cut offs'? I made some out of small nails a number of years ago, but they weren't very good---might have to take another whack at it.
Just fishing for answers here.
Rod
Just fishing for answers here.
Rod
I have thought long and hard about that... (as far as I'm able anyway :snore: ) and I think the swage block was to guide the flattening of the tip, so it didn't just flare out evenly. If that makes any sense. That would mean much less filing or grinding.
Once you have the tip shaped, the chisel cut is no big deal, unless your chisel is too thick.
Once you have the tip shaped, the chisel cut is no big deal, unless your chisel is too thick.
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