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Philip Melhop




Location: Wokingham, Berkshire, UK
Joined: 24 May 2008

Posts: 132

PostPosted: Mon 14 Feb, 2011 8:21 am    Post subject: Ash spear shafts         Reply with quote

anyone in the UK know of a good source for a spear shaft.
Phil
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Simon G.




Location: Lyons, France
Joined: 02 Jun 2008

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PostPosted: Mon 14 Feb, 2011 9:10 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I sympathise with you, been searching for this kind of stuff for a long time... without success so far. I suspect the only good source is a forest and an axe. Worried

Should anyone know of a good source for these in France, I'd be grateful too.

At the moment the only good resource I've found are oak bo from the US... Quite cheap even with shipping, but also a bit on the short side. OK for halberds and the like, but not for longer spears.

Anyhow, good luck...
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Thomas R.




Location: Germany
Joined: 10 May 2010
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PostPosted: Mon 14 Feb, 2011 9:18 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I call dibs on a pair of ash shafts as well. Dunno where to get them in germany either. Bought a pine shaft, but that's in no way suitable for pole weapons...

Thomas

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Mark Routledge
Industry Professional



Location: UK
Joined: 03 May 2010

Posts: 56

PostPosted: Mon 14 Feb, 2011 9:26 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Try your nearest timber supply or sawmill. Ask them to cut you a 1 1/2 inch x 7 foot or what ever length you need . If you ask nicely they will then take off the corners to give you an octagon. Bit of work with a draw knife and you are there. However you could use it in the octagon cross section, loads of grip.

In my experience one is expensive but if you can use three or four they should work out around £ 10.00 to £12.00 quid each.

Of course a nice sapling cut with a sharp axe or hook and seasoned before lovingly peeled and straightned by hand is great to own but can be time consuming. It is also true that wood looks better on the tree than in the hand, in other words it looks great until you cut it and then you realise it is not so good. In my experience good shafts are not that easy to find so perhaps go the saw mill route.

Let us know how you get on.
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Ben Anbeek
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Location: veenendaal netherlands
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PostPosted: Mon 14 Feb, 2011 9:31 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Where are you in Germany I buy my ash poles at Arhemse fijnhouthandel located in Arhem (Netherlands).
I buy them as beams think the have them up to 4 meters long.

Medieval Goods
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Leo Todeschini
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Location: Oxford, UK
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PostPosted: Mon 14 Feb, 2011 10:14 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Ash is a pretty standard timber and so most sawmills will be able to supply and Mark is right, about £10 sounds right as is his method, but I would use a plane. Personal choice.

ask for ash that is straight grained and as far as possible the grain runs within the timber as this will give the strongest result.

Failing that Phil, I uisually have some around.

Tod

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Ken Speed





Joined: 09 Oct 2006

Posts: 656

PostPosted: Mon 14 Feb, 2011 1:45 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I don't even live in the U.K. so I can't advise you about the availability of ash lumber there. If you need a good substitute, find a martial arts supplier and see if you can get staves in Japanese oak. I would expect the Japanese oak to be stiffer than ash but very strong.
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Anders Kramer




Location: Denmark
Joined: 16 Feb 2006

Posts: 44

PostPosted: Mon 14 Feb, 2011 2:47 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

A friend of mine (here in Denmark) supply ash spear shafts for my viking fighting group. They are octagonal and oiled, so they are quite sturdy. I can ask him if he wants to supply abroad if anybody is interested.
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Peter Cowan




Location: Nelson,British Columbia,Canada
Joined: 02 Feb 2007
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Posts: 96

PostPosted: Mon 14 Feb, 2011 4:21 pm    Post subject: RE: ash spear shafts         Reply with quote

I would check out any cabinetmakers or furniture makers in your respective areas. They might have some in stock or be able to tell you where to look.
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Rob Sully




Location: Bristol UK
Joined: 17 Mar 2012

Posts: 7

PostPosted: Tue 11 Sep, 2012 11:05 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I know this is an old thread but i found a good seller on ebay called pintdesign. They sell square ash poles for making into bows. I bought a pole as well as a custom size which was a bit wider to make into a dane axe handle. I'm not sure the length they go up to but for short/normal spears and polearms its a pretty decent source. Ordered on Friday and i received it on Tuesday as well.

cheers,

Rob
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Luke Hemmings





Joined: 12 May 2014

Posts: 1

PostPosted: Mon 12 May, 2014 5:42 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I see this is an old topic, but if anyone is interested I work at Whitney Sawmills in Hay on Wye, Herefordshire. We have some lovely air dried ash boards, about 7-8ft long and good straight grain. If you ask us, we can saw 1-2" blanks from our boards to provide you with starting material for your spear shafts. Just doing one for myself now! Our website is www.whitneysawmills.com

Cheers
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Brian Gudge




Location: Epsom, England
Joined: 05 Dec 2010

Posts: 1

PostPosted: Mon 10 Oct, 2016 6:17 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I know this is an old topic, but I have some ash saplings up to 15 feet long currently available. Some are green and others a few years older. They are very straight and could easily be used for spear or pike shafts, You could leave them a little wobbly for the rustic look, or plane or spoke-shave them down to a more finished form. They are thicker towards the base so are naturally counterweighted bringing the balance point back towards the bottom of the shaft, giving a longer more comfortable reach. Let me know if anyone is interested?
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Mark Griffin




Location: The Welsh Marches, in the hills above Newtown, Powys.
Joined: 28 Dec 2006

Posts: 802

PostPosted: Mon 10 Oct, 2016 11:44 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

i have loads of ash shafts here, and a few stalls sell them at TORM etc. main issue is where you live in the UK as post/courier is a bit of a pain.
Currently working on projects ranging from Elizabethan pageants to a WW1 Tank, Victorian fairgrounds 1066 events and more. Oh and we joust loads!.. We run over 250 events for English Heritage each year plus many others for Historic Royal Palaces, Historic Scotland, the National Trust and more. If you live in the UK and are interested in working for us just drop us a line with a cv.
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