Slinging.org Forum - How deep does a spear need to go to stand upright ?

Thearos Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Take that Posts: 3410	How deep does a spear need to go to stand upright ? Aug 26^th, 2018 at 6:32pm So, another question for the engineers here. Take an spear, 2.5m long, with a 350g head, and 500g butt, made of ash. Let's say I'm sticking it in dry soil. How deep should it go to stand and not topple over ? I ask because I wonder if the spike at the bottom of polearms is really to stand the thing upright.
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Bill Skinner

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Re: How deep does a spear need to go to stand upright ?
Reply #1 - Aug 26^th, 2018 at 6:56pm

It's going to depend on the soil.

I use 7 (slightly over 2m) foot darts with my atlatl, they are 1/2 inch thick (13mm). Points are way lighter and there isn't a butt point. There are rather large fletchs, which increase surface area and make them easier to knock over with a breeze.

I can normally get them to stay upright if I stick them about slightly more an inch (25-40mm) deep in a loamy soil. About twice that in sandy soil and they don't stay upright very well at all in hard soil. They fall at the slightest breeze. Heavy clay soils depend on how wet the soil is, about the same for loamy soil if wet and you usually can't jab it in at all if the soil is dry. They go in about half an inch (13mm) and stop. And the clay cracks out around it and the dart falls over.

My darts are probably about i/3 the weight of a spear you are talking about but hopefully it will help some.

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chakrachucker Tiro Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 11	Re: How deep does a spear need to go to stand upright ? Reply #2 - Aug 26^th, 2018 at 9:30pm It's not the same thing but from memory Masai lion-hunters used to plant a spear butt when a lion charged them. That took the shock of the force but was at a low angle . So the guy would need to be sure of his ground , so to speak.
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NooneOfConsequence

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Re: How deep does a spear need to go to stand upright ?
Reply #3 - Aug 27^th, 2018 at 9:25pm

It depends on the side load also. A perfectly balanced spear with just the tip in the dirt will stand until the wind blows it over. There’s a lot of variables that would affect it.

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chakrachucker Tiro Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 11	Re: How deep does a spear need to go to stand upright ? Reply #4 - Aug 27^th, 2018 at 9:37pm In a concrete room it would stand clear of the floor until you shut the door or traffic / earth tremors tipped it. It would stand on a rock asteroid out of solar wind or in a cave there.
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NooneOfConsequence

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Re: How deep does a spear need to go to stand upright ?
Reply #5 - Aug 27^th, 2018 at 9:52pm

@chakra... If you’re throwing spears in space, you have to decide which direction is up.

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“My final hour is at hand. We face an enemy more numerous and cunning than the world has yet seen. Remember your training, and do not fear the hordes of Judas. I, without sin, shall cast the first stone. That will be your sign to attack! But you shall not fight this unholy enemy with stones. No! RAZOR GLANDES! Aim for the eyes! May the Lord have mercy, for we shall show none!“ -Jesus the Noodler

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chakrachucker Tiro Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 11	Re: How deep does a spear need to go to stand upright ? Reply #6 - Aug 27^th, 2018 at 11:22pm not in Australia which is 15 hours ahead of Texas and its South Pole base off the planet.
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Curious Aardvark

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Re: How deep does a spear need to go to stand upright ?
Reply #7 - Aug 28^th, 2018 at 6:54am

as far as polearms go, had a chat to a fellow in a civil war renactment group (uk civil war) few years back.
And what they used to do was kind of wrap their arms round the top part of the pole, lean into the pole with the butt on the ground and go to sleep.

So the bottom spike is most likely there to:
1) stop the soldiers falling over when they were taking a na.
2)Help dig in against the impact of a horse.

pretty much Not for standing the pole upright.

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chakrachucker Tiro Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 11	Re: How deep does a spear need to go to stand upright ? Reply #8 - Aug 28^th, 2018 at 7:36am 1) and 2) were at different times then?
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Caldou Funditor Offline Moving the world... rock by rock. Posts: 779 Picardie, France	Re: How deep does a spear need to go to stand upright ? Reply #9 - Sep 11^th, 2018 at 6:20am With a spike at the bottom, you can also stab fallen enemies while the line advance, to keep them from rising from your back to stab you from behind.
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