i've recently been trying to make my first arrowheads and i keep having problems with making the socket. it works perfectly fine but it doesn't look nice and ive had to wrap the right side much farther around then the left one so that they could "meet" so any suggestions?

Work on making the triangle *very* uniform. Make a small swage to start the bending into a cone and use a connical top swage piece to get the bend started very precisely. Have a proper sized connical bic to finish it off on.

And Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice

When you're forging the triangle for the socket try forging an equal amount from both sides. This will help keep the shape and thickness uniform which will help make the socket even.

Frosty

kk thanks guys

Not to discourage you from wanting things nice and even, etc., but I would bear in mind that arrowheads were likely never so- I have several Roman and Medieval European originals and all the sockets are uneven- sometimes the ends overlap, sometimes they just meet, they're never right in line with the head's lines- they're purely functional objects and the socket seam is completely irrelevant to their function.

This having been said, when I forge a socket, I use the cross peen hammer to spread the end, but a ball peen hammer to straighten edges up and spread the steel to the weak side, and it really helps.

Edited June 11, 200916 yr by FERRARIVS

No one planned on getting them back so they were made quickly and cheaply.
Finnr

Like caltrops---to use them you throw them away!

Exactamundo. It's a modern thing to want/ expect things to be straight and even and smooth, and a xxxxxx hard one to NOT defer to when making things- I have to constantly say "NO- it shouldn't be perfectly straight- it SHOULD be a bit uneven" LOL And it's even trickier to walk the fine line between imperfection and just looking like crap... amazing how hard imperfection really is...

will it stay on the shaft? will it stick without shattering? it's probably gonna be good enough!