Saufeder (pig sticking spear)

Bavarianbrit

Well-Known Member
I was at the local recycling centre today and saw a round wooden 2 piece garden umbrella ca. 40mm diameter with a monster brass threaded connector half way up it, so thinks I it could make a Saufeder shaft.
I have the new metal spear laying around somewhere to add to it.
Will post some pics when it is done.
BB
 
Perhaps for decorative purposes? I'm not sure many garden-brolly sticks are designed with enough strength to stop a sore, cross boar tusking your lower persono_O
 
Be careful Martin, it's not as easy as it sounds.
 

Attachments

  • Wild Boar Tear 2.jpg
    Wild Boar Tear 2.jpg
    47.4 KB · Views: 169
  • Wild Boar Tear 1.jpg
    Wild Boar Tear 1.jpg
    59.5 KB · Views: 168
I was asked to make a shaft for a Boar spear ( because I am a forester/coppice worker cleaving Ash and Oak for building/fencing work on the Estate), using selected cleft Ash, straight grained, knot free timber that would be used when well seasoned. The Gentleman was from Eastern Europe visiting our Estate for Roe Bucks, he isn't the tallest of fella's so the spear shaft was 6 foot long and nearly as thick as my wrist, he showed me a photograph of the spear head which was a 10 inch leaf blade with a wide cross bar. I was told that traditionally all Boar spear shafts were of cleft selected timber, usually Ash, never sawn or machined as cleft Ash follows the grain, instead of cutting across the grain which seriously weakens the spear shaft. The client showed me a series of clips of him facing charging wild Boar armed only with his spear, he may not be the tallest of men but he has the heart of a Lion! In one of the clips, a Boar runs onto the spear and drives the chap backwards several feet, you can see him clinging onto the shaft for dear life! I do meet some very interesting people, he took the finished shaft back with him, I will contact him and see if I can get some photos to post, or even better, a clip of film.
 
I believe ash is the traditional material, and a cross-bar or some kind of toggle is essential to stop the animal getting further towards you than the business-end of the shaft itself. As RC says - lion-heartedness must be an essential element in the use of such a weapon.
 
My Portuguese friend Luis, a slip of a lad, hunts with just a couple of dogs, and a rather large knife. It's part of the culture out there, but he does have a rather large pair of cojones ! One of his boar....................

View attachment 118673

And you’ll probably remember this one from the same trip? Turned up on the tablo with no visible gunshot wound on it. Another Portuguese lad with just as big cajones did for it on the knife after it backed into a thorn bush and started to rip into the dogs.
7A26D8B3-0701-4F19-AA59-3D8170F488D2.jpeg7A26D8B3-0701-4F19-AA59-3D8170F488D2.jpeg
 
I watched a tv programme a bit back while I was staying somewhere, they were making knives. Or more precisely a spear from old warrior times, I can't remember the name of the thing. Anyway one of the guys (it was a competition between two knife smiths) made a cracking spear which was to be attached to a long handle. His metal work was fantastic, but when it came to testing the useability of the thing it failed miserably as the shaft just broke clean in half. He had taken a shortcut and used a handle from a rake he had bought up the hardware store. I remember thinking at the time that a rake handle doesn't need to be that strong as you're only pulling on it, but for a spear where you're pushing or possibly slashing (as was done in the test) you would need a good stout cleft pole.
I'd definitely go for a decent cleft shaft, leave it unworked other than sand the rough edges of it.
Some pictures of pigs on it would be good.
 
I watched a tv programme a bit back while I was staying somewhere, they were making knives. Or more precisely a spear from old warrior times, I can't remember the name of the thing. Anyway one of the guys (it was a competition between two knife smiths) made a cracking spear which was to be attached to a long handle. His metal work was fantastic, but when it came to testing the useability of the thing it failed miserably as the shaft just broke clean in half. He had taken a shortcut and used a handle from a rake he had bought up the hardware store. I remember thinking at the time that a rake handle doesn't need to be that strong as you're only pulling on it, but for a spear where you're pushing or possibly slashing (as was done in the test) you would need a good stout cleft pole.
I'd definitely go for a decent cleft shaft, leave it unworked other than sand the rough edges of it.
Some pictures of pigs on it would be good.
Think the programme was 'Forged in fire'. I saw the same one. Handle broke.
 
4CE0E9B9-6CC6-4659-BC21-D63B1ADF0B76.jpegPeople take the mick but if you plan on doing it use proper Kevlar protection it will save you a trip to A&E lol, a good wide blade is needed to bleed out fast or the wound will close around a thin blade, regards Wayne
9A49EAEF-D502-41D6-AA62-B4755DCEF29F.jpegA0AA8996-5D21-4005-9DAB-81FEF539CF93.jpeg
 
My Berufjaeger pal in Germany had his leg slit open once by a keiler. It was not being aggressive, just was trying to get away from the ruckus of a driven hunt and as they have very bad eyesight it simply ran through him.
BB
 
My Berufjaeger pal in Germany had his leg slit open once by a keiler. It was not being aggressive, just was trying to get away from the ruckus of a driven hunt and as they have very bad eyesight it simply ran through him.
BB
Certainly agree with the limited vision bit, two years back I had a cracking Keiler heading straight toward me, unfortunately from a marked up no shoot danger zone, I waited a second to try for a vertical down shot as he passed my two foot high stand, either intentionally or by poor eyesight, he barged the stand leg nearest him as he went through, (Literally!) Rocking my stand enough to put me off balance as I fired, the round must have passed his ear into the deck .... In the heat of the moment I tried for the back of his head as he maintained his course straight as a die, unfortunately the round buried itself in the left ham, the hunter down in the next stand nailed him.
 
Apart from the act that it wasn't available in Europe in the 15th and 16th and 17th and early 18th Centuries why isn't bamboo as well as ash used for pig spears? Am I missing something? It was certainly used for the lances that used to get thrown about in the 9/12th Officers' Mess. And regardless of the abuse the shafts, bamboo or ash, never broke.
 
Back
Top