This is a traditional style Missouri Ozark bow spike or bow gig. I forged this one from a piece of buggy seat spring. For more information on this Ozark tradition, visit this link: http://thelibrary.springfield.missouri.org/lochist/periodicals/ozarkswatch/ow50319.htm .

good looking gig, nice job BT, can't wait to see it on an arrow tho, must take a good sized bow to shoot an arrow that big. Years ago I used to make a lot of gigs of the spear type, when the rivers were out so giggers could gig fish from the roads. One fella brought me one to show me that he had gigged, not sure what kind it was, but it was about 2 ft long and smelled fishy. LOL

I didn't forge them tho, used 3/16 SS rod and usually 4 or 5 points, used a hoe handle for the handles.

Jr.

These were usually used on half inch thick by 36 inch long arrow shafts. The bows used were usually six feet long and handmade from red cedar or other native woods. Ray Joe Hastings of Doniphan recently wrote a book on their use in the Ozarks. He has quite a personal collection of these spikes. The heads are anywhere from four to nine inches long.

i like it
my gig is a spear type i diddent forge it
but it is just a 3 point hand held garden pitch fork on a 6 foot shaft with a surgical rubber loop oppsite the head so self launching it works

Nice job BT. Was the spring off of Pattys side of the seat?Preston

Preston: I'm just gonna say it was off the "broken" side and leave it at that!


Tetnum: Post a picture of your gig if you can. I collect old gigs and am always interested in seeing something different. There is a picture of some of the full size river gigs that I make in my member gallery. I think they are buried in a sub gallery there.

Nice arra head you got there. I enjoyed the article too. Now I can try making a horse shoe nail arra head. I guess that it would turn out to be about the size of flint bird head point.