as some of you already know i've been asked to be a guest on a new TV hunting show called 'Methods of Take'. the show highlights a different and unusual method of hunting each episode. they have two regular hosts/hunters and a guest 'expert' on the method in question who shows them how it's done and then all three go out and try to bag a specific game. afterwards, we all sit down in a restaraunt and talk about the hunt while a guest chef prepares our catch for us. my segment is going to be on my favorite weapon, the atlatl, and we'll be going for mako shark from a boat off the coast of southern California. although we will be using some modern gear, the producers were very keen on trying a primitive rig so i made these bone tipped harpoon darts. all four points are around 2 1/2'' to 3'' long and between 1/4'' and 3/8'' thick. they are attached to 20'' ash foreshafts which are in turn fitted into 6' 4'' tonkin cane mainshafts for an overall dart length of just over 8'. they will be fletchless, of course, and rigged so that after penetration both the foreshaft and mainshaft will seperate from the head and each other and trail behind on a line creating drag in the water. the rigging is done so that it is one continuous piece of line from the head all the way to the boat. the heads are designed to enter the shark and toggle sideways once tension is applied to the line. we are doing a test hunt this coming tuesday and the main hunt at the end of June. i have to admit i'm really phsyched about this and, for the record, my money is on either the 2nd or 3rd point from the left.

Chris

my moneys on the 2nd from the left.

mako teeth look like theyre too hook shaped for making koa's , but i wonder what else you could make with them

  Those are awesome!   I would agree with the second from the left, it looks like it would penetrate good but has a good barb on it, and it looks very sharp! 
  Just one nit pick, is that paracord?  It is kind of too bad you don't use a natural fiber as you are representing the traditional angle.  Should probably keep my mouth shut though...

haha! it is paracord, but that isn't what we're using. i just did that so you could see how they were attached. we'll be using a braided fishing line they use for marlin and other big game fish. i would use natural cord, but i don't feel like sitting down for three weeks hand rolling 40 yards yucca fibers!

 I second that, will it?  If not someone get it on YOUTUBE.
 
  Oh, and I guess your off the hook on the line your using.

Rat Man wrote on Jun 1^st, 2010 at 1:56pm:

The Icelandic people would disagree, their way of curing shark, and the resulting product makes most foreigners run for the hills. Very strong ammonia taste/smell I´m one of the weirdo´s who like it though....

well, it's finally here! the day i get to go out and try to kill a shark with an atlatl!  here are the dart heads and rigs i've settled on for this hunt. the hand forged toggling steel head was made for me by a fellow paleoplanet member named Orien M.. the rest are bone tips, except for one conical antler point, all made by me. we're heading out of San Diego at about 3:00 pm PST. i'll be sure and get some pics up when and if we're successful.

Chris

I wouldn't want to be a shark in that part of the ocean...