The WMA Chapter I run does a regular demonstration event here in the UK of boarding actions in partnership with HMS Trincomalee/Hartlepool Historic Quays. For the next event, I have spent my weekend making up a boarding pike (one of 3 I'm working on), obviously with a blunted tip.

It's a little over 7' long, with an ash haft, GDFB spear head and with 2mm mild steel langets I made & riveted myself. It's very solid and has a lot of presence, and just makes you want to poke it into a pesky pirate.....!

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Very nice! Did you close the socket on the GDFB spearhead? I can tell from you pics. Nice work nonetheless.

Jon, the GDFB head was not 'open' - it has a butted 'seam' along the back of the socket, but it is closed up nice and tight and no wood is visible.

Timo, the butt is just plain and rounded like the tip of a baseball bat. I considered a steel cap or even a butt spike, but there is no great evidence for these, and the original pikes I have seen 'in the flesh' just had nothing on the end, like mine.

We are not permitted to clamber all over the HMS Trincomalee, as it's the oldest warship still afloat (1817) and they don't like us to mess it up, understandably. I was surprised to read that, having missed active service in the Napoleonic war, the Trinc spend most of its service life pestering the Americans (both natives and colonials). How times have changed....

Julian

Timo, I was aiming more for 150+ years earlier than that one you linked to (1888 is almost 20thC!!!). The short, square (or even triangular) section head just doesn't do it for me. I prefer something more spear-like. I've seen (and handled) a few of these later 19thC pikes and they always feel short, skinny and insubstantial. They don't have much 'presence'.

Julian