Spear knife gives more punch power:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WulI-x_xN9E&feature=youtu.be

timpa wrote on Jul 17^th, 2014 at 9:41pm:

Spear knife gives more punch power:

Try a sword.  Even the cheapest sword would be better than that.

Oxnate wrote on Jul 17^th, 2014 at 10:17pm:

timpa wrote on Jul 17th, 2014 at 9:41pm: Spear knife gives more punch power: Try a sword.  Even the cheapest sword would be better than that.

No, it probably wouldn't.
That is a pretty nice kitchen knife, and it is extremely sharp. my Morakniv can do nearly everything he posted. Because it is honed to a mirror polish and can shave my slowly accumulating mustache.
Not because it is a thin blade, the Mora is actually pretty dang thick.


Also note that a sword is sharp along its entire length, rather heavy, and is more balanced.
Another thing that adds to hitting power is that you have most of the weight on the end of the "stick", therefore moving the fastest.
And on top of all that I can make a passable spearhead capable of deer-killing in under 10 mins using only metal tubing, a vice, smithy hammer, drill bit, piece of RR track, some copper rod, and some old lawnmower blade.
To make a sword, I need some pretty good steel, in bar form, a full-service forge, a quench bucket, some wood for handles, crossguard, drills, files, a grinder, and a LOT of skill.
Skill I don't have...
Plus those $30 "tactical ninja swords" from Amazon are garbage. They won't even slice soda cans in half, after sharpening, and  they are so flexible that they have an annoying habit of whipping back around(literally bending 90+ degrees) and stabbing you rather deeply in the thigh. Speaking from experience. Not to mention they are of 440A stainless, which virtually doesn't hold an edge(it is actually worse than mild steel IMHO), and they have a WELD where the crossguard should go. They break if you even swing them hard. Which is why I had to get 5 stitches in my leg.

So no, the cheapest sword is not better.
I'd take one of Timpa's weapons over a cheap sword any day.
Plus a roman gladius beats many refined swords because it is dirt cheap.
and easy to make.


EDIT: reread this... it sounds like I am pissed. I'm not. Just trying to prove a point....(unintended pun)

Of course, the sword is always the sword. But this is the sword and the knife halfway.
:)Squirrelislinger tell the right points about.
Spear knife is tip heavy.
low cost,
easy to manufacture,
easy to sharpen
the blades can be varied,
length can be variable,

To the extent that I would change, that I would put a little bit thicker of a spring steel shaft.

This looks like a fun project Timpa. It is what it is, no apologies.  And it looks like it works great.

Thanks!
Yep. I'm not selling this to the army. It's a fun experiment. :D