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Hand Forged Trade Points
- Thread starter Old Sarge
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You have a history in metal work. An arrow point would be easier to cut out than to forge, especially if they do not need to be High carbon. If they do, you can still cut them out easier, if you were to get some 1060, 1070, or 1075/80, in the width and thickness you want. All of these heat treat easily. If I were to do them, I would spring temper them where you might be able to re-use them. If you could get by with simple cold roll, they would only be pennys a piece. I would think originals were just thin blister steel, or more likely wrought iron.
One of the volumes of the Wisconsin Archeologist had a article on a cache of trade points... they lined them all up to show how they were cut from a strip of iron.
I forget the pattern, but they nested together so there was almost no waste.
Thin iron, cut out, with a (probably) filed bevel. Very simple.
I forget the pattern, but they nested together so there was almost no waste.
Thin iron, cut out, with a (probably) filed bevel. Very simple.
The few I have forged turned out kinda heavy, which required stiff arrows to shoot well.
IMHO, like others have suggested, cut 'em out of heavy duty banding. Most heavy duty banding is hardenable material, some isn't, however, mild steel can be case hardened, if one insists on hardened points...and I do.
IMHO, like others have suggested, cut 'em out of heavy duty banding. Most heavy duty banding is hardenable material, some isn't, however, mild steel can be case hardened, if one insists on hardened points...and I do.
I've made up a number of arrowheads based on the drawing and description in the book Indian Handcrafts by C. Keith Wilbur.
As described:
Both found on a string of twenty-five among trade goods. New York. Dr. Maurice Robbins of the Bronson Museum, raises the possibility that trade arrow points had holes for stringing in lots. Indian-made points had no holes. Drilling metal was nost difficult for the Indian craftsman.
I made them up by taking a steel band from an old wooden barrel, and triangular wedged points off of it - alternating from each side. I then marked and drilled that center hole for stringing them up into trade lots. The edges I just filed sharp. And I also filed that half-notch on each side - to wrap any binding/lashing through.
Simple, basic, and made from a real wooden whiskey barrel band! I'll see if I can get a pic of them to post.
On an earlier historical note, the Romans made simple/quick arrow points by cutting triangular wedge shapes off of a flat bar. And then forged them into a simple wrapped socket on the end - just tucking over the bottom corners. A simple way to "mass produce" metal arrowheads for their army. And those arrows were considered expendable ammunition. So the emphasis was more on cheap production in quantity. Plus, with that simple iron arrowhead jambed onto the arrow, it tended to pull off when the arrow was pulled out of a victim - or pulled out of the ground to be sent back. There is a great book on Roman iron work in Great Britain called Iron For The Eagles. From mining the ore, smelting out the blooms/billets, to forging up weapons for the army. The author did the research, and then duplicated it all.
Just a few humble thoughts to share, and best used in conjunction with your own research.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
As described:
Both found on a string of twenty-five among trade goods. New York. Dr. Maurice Robbins of the Bronson Museum, raises the possibility that trade arrow points had holes for stringing in lots. Indian-made points had no holes. Drilling metal was nost difficult for the Indian craftsman.
I made them up by taking a steel band from an old wooden barrel, and triangular wedged points off of it - alternating from each side. I then marked and drilled that center hole for stringing them up into trade lots. The edges I just filed sharp. And I also filed that half-notch on each side - to wrap any binding/lashing through.
Simple, basic, and made from a real wooden whiskey barrel band! I'll see if I can get a pic of them to post.
On an earlier historical note, the Romans made simple/quick arrow points by cutting triangular wedge shapes off of a flat bar. And then forged them into a simple wrapped socket on the end - just tucking over the bottom corners. A simple way to "mass produce" metal arrowheads for their army. And those arrows were considered expendable ammunition. So the emphasis was more on cheap production in quantity. Plus, with that simple iron arrowhead jambed onto the arrow, it tended to pull off when the arrow was pulled out of a victim - or pulled out of the ground to be sent back. There is a great book on Roman iron work in Great Britain called Iron For The Eagles. From mining the ore, smelting out the blooms/billets, to forging up weapons for the army. The author did the research, and then duplicated it all.
Just a few humble thoughts to share, and best used in conjunction with your own research.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
The squirrels in this "infernal machine" seem to be
running pretty good right now.
Here's a pic (scan) of those trade points I made
based on those originals. I did not heat-treat
them. I just "chiselled" them out, filed the edges
sharp, filed those two notches on the side, then
drilled that center hole. Any heat-treat is
whatever was in the original whiskey barrel band -
probably nothing. But I wanted to duplicate what
could have been made by an Indian with just a
hammer/chisel and file - except for that center
hole. The people who made those original trade
points most likely did the same thing - bought the
iron bar, cut the wedges, filed the edges, and
drilled/punched that center hole to string them up
in bunches for shipping and trade to the Indians.
Servicable arrowheads. But not up to modern razor-sharp broadhead standards. The original string
of trade points had 25 in the string. I only have
23 here - must have sold a couple.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
running pretty good right now.
Here's a pic (scan) of those trade points I made
based on those originals. I did not heat-treat
them. I just "chiselled" them out, filed the edges
sharp, filed those two notches on the side, then
drilled that center hole. Any heat-treat is
whatever was in the original whiskey barrel band -
probably nothing. But I wanted to duplicate what
could have been made by an Indian with just a
hammer/chisel and file - except for that center
hole. The people who made those original trade
points most likely did the same thing - bought the
iron bar, cut the wedges, filed the edges, and
drilled/punched that center hole to string them up
in bunches for shipping and trade to the Indians.
Servicable arrowheads. But not up to modern razor-sharp broadhead standards. The original string
of trade points had 25 in the string. I only have
23 here - must have sold a couple.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
The Museum and Wilbur did point out that the center hole really serves no function - other than to string them up into bunches for sale/trade. And that Indian made ones did not have that hole - because of having to punch/drill it. The usually just didn't have the tools.
But you do need those notches on the sides. That is where your lashings will go when you tie them onto your arrow. I used a chainsaw file to make them, and I also rolled the file back and forth over the edge to smooth it out more - to protect the lashings from sharp edges. It worked better to do that after I had file the bevels for the edges on both sides.
I used the full width of the original whiskey barrel bands. The points ended up around 1 3/4 inches long, and originally 1 1/4 inches wide at the base. The band was just under 2 inches. So after filing the edges sharp, I lost a bit on length and width. The barrel band was 1/8 inch thick. And these pretty much match the full-scale drawings of the originals.
So for a pattern, just draw an equilateral triangle with a base 1 1/4 inches wide and a length 1 3/4 to 2 inches long/tall. I marked on side of the barrel band every 1 1/4 inches. From the center of one section, I drew a line straight across. Then from that line I marked the other side at 1 1/4 inches down its side. I then took my ruler and connected the dots from one side to two points on the other side. So the markings zigzag down the barrel band. It ends up looking like that bottom line of arrowheads in my picture. Then I cut each section out. I have a Beverly #2 shear, so I cut them. Otherwise I would have chiseled them out.
Yes, they can be bent - since they are pretty mild steel and not heat-treated hard. And the edges will dull easily in use. But the edges can be touched up quickly.
True forged arrowheads can be done. It's just hard to make the SMALL enough. Too many end up more as small spear heads than arrowheads. You see the same thing with flint points. Many knapped arrowheads are so large that they would work better for a spear, and hard to mount and use on arrows. Just too large/heavy. Even the forge leaf keyrings I make would be on the large size for arrowheads.
Have fun with your tinkering. It goes pretty quickly after you get the feel for it on the first couple.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
But you do need those notches on the sides. That is where your lashings will go when you tie them onto your arrow. I used a chainsaw file to make them, and I also rolled the file back and forth over the edge to smooth it out more - to protect the lashings from sharp edges. It worked better to do that after I had file the bevels for the edges on both sides.
I used the full width of the original whiskey barrel bands. The points ended up around 1 3/4 inches long, and originally 1 1/4 inches wide at the base. The band was just under 2 inches. So after filing the edges sharp, I lost a bit on length and width. The barrel band was 1/8 inch thick. And these pretty much match the full-scale drawings of the originals.
So for a pattern, just draw an equilateral triangle with a base 1 1/4 inches wide and a length 1 3/4 to 2 inches long/tall. I marked on side of the barrel band every 1 1/4 inches. From the center of one section, I drew a line straight across. Then from that line I marked the other side at 1 1/4 inches down its side. I then took my ruler and connected the dots from one side to two points on the other side. So the markings zigzag down the barrel band. It ends up looking like that bottom line of arrowheads in my picture. Then I cut each section out. I have a Beverly #2 shear, so I cut them. Otherwise I would have chiseled them out.
Yes, they can be bent - since they are pretty mild steel and not heat-treated hard. And the edges will dull easily in use. But the edges can be touched up quickly.
True forged arrowheads can be done. It's just hard to make the SMALL enough. Too many end up more as small spear heads than arrowheads. You see the same thing with flint points. Many knapped arrowheads are so large that they would work better for a spear, and hard to mount and use on arrows. Just too large/heavy. Even the forge leaf keyrings I make would be on the large size for arrowheads.
Have fun with your tinkering. It goes pretty quickly after you get the feel for it on the first couple.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
blacksmithman64
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I make them from a old bandsaw blade thats 1 1/4" wide,hot cut them out. Sold them all or I'd post a pic! They WILL hold an edge!
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I think you will find that the large knapped points were intended for use with an atlatl.
Hey, that's what C. Keith Wilbur wrote in his book. I just copied what he had written next to the drawing.
Although, copper and brass are softer metals and a little easier to creat holes in.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
Although, copper and brass are softer metals and a little easier to creat holes in.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
Let's see... meter reads fine on you. Now the book... WHOA! :rotf:
Some of the brass points have a square hole. Telltale mark of a nail. I think it says in the Voyageur Natl. Park artifact study that this type of point disappears before the Brit era.
Some of the brass points have a square hole. Telltale mark of a nail. I think it says in the Voyageur Natl. Park artifact study that this type of point disappears before the Brit era.
