How to Make a Spear

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How to Make a Spear If you want to eat something other than fruit or coconuts, you’ll need a spear. They are fairly simple to make. You’ll need: A knife (or something with a very sharp edge, if a knife is not available) A rock with a sandpaper-like surface A sturdy, straight stick that is about your height and as thick around as your index finger and middle finger put together A straight stick is very important because you want to be accurate. Slightly curved sticks will fly in the direction of the curve and you’ll likely miss your target. When you find your stick, look it over to make sure that there are no signs of decay or termites/woodlice. Wood that is still alive (which means it has recently been removed from the tree; if you scratch it with your fingernail and you see a layer of green underneath, it’s alive) tends to be easier to cut, but then you have to wait for it to dry out before using it, which could take a few days. Dry wood is just fine, but if you find it very difficult to carve, either find a stick with softer wood or soak the stick in water for about 4 - 12 hours. Here’s what you do: Remove the knots, twigs, and bark from the stick. Try not to remove more than 3 layers of the wood - that comes later. You can tell when a new layer has begun because the color of the wood changes. Choose the side that will serve as the sharp end of the spear. Weigh the stick in both hands. Whichever side is heaver and/or thicker will be the end that you sharpen. You want the weight in the front so that the spear will fly straight when thrown. If you are right-handed, grasp the knife in your right hand and the stick in your left. Hold the knife with the sharp edge pointed away from you and the flat of the blade at a slight angle against the wood. Place your left thumb on the back of the blade for greater control and more precise cuts. However, if your knife
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