Assembling a spear or javelin for Herja
Materials required
- A solid wood flagpole
- a lance or javelin blunt
- strong tape
1/ The shaft
The first thing is to find a suitable, strong enough shaft for the fight. There are several types of wood that lend themselves well to this, and here we use hazelnut a lot because it's very easy to find, in all sizes and diameters, but also because it's a relatively flexible and solid wood, so it's perfect for a spear shaft.
As far as height is concerned, a 2-handed, 1-handed or even javelin spear must be no longer than 2m, including the blunt! However, there is no minimum height, so you can go shorter for a javelin, as in my case, it is 1m70 for this example.
Since 2021, in order to impose a minimum weight, the diameter must be at least 2.5cm along the entire length of the shaft. We advise you to start with a diameter greater than 2.8/3cm, because for a 2m spear you won't have to ballast it too much to reach 900g. Here it is 2.6cm at its thinnest and 3cm at its widest.
Once you've got it, dry it in a place that's neither too hot nor too humid for a few weeks. Remember to peel it to improve and speed up the drying process.
2/ Trim the shaft
Once your pole is ready, it's time to fit the blunt. To do this, you need to cut a point at the end. There are two possibilities:
- at the thicker end. Historically, this was the way it was because it allows for better trajectory if the weight is at the front when the spear is thrown.
- at the thinner end because this gives a point of balance closer to the centre, which is less tiring for the arm, useful for a one-handed spear, for example.
The shape and size of the tip unfortunately depends on your blunt, so it's up to you. As for the method, there are several possibilities. Here are a few examples: using a knife, a plane, a sander, etc. Here I started with a flat knife to shape the blunt and ended up using a sander (grinder to be precise) to finish it off.
For greater safety, we ask you to end the point with a round tip and not a real point.
3/ Install the blunt
Once your pole has been properly trimmed, you can install your blunt. Don't hesitate to use a lot of force to make sure it stays in place.
Then, to comply with the rules, you must tape the blunt to the shaft so that the head cannot come off during the fight, which would endanger the other participants.
