Wood or Cane Harpoon

From WildernessWiki.org

This article shows how to build a harpoon from a piece of wood or cane which has two prongs. Such a harpoon is suitable for hunting fish, and in survival situations, other aquatic life. Having two prongs increases the chances of catching prey, and is a technique used by many cultures still living directly off of their land. In the photos, the harpoon head is being made from a piece of cane. The same technique can be applied to a longer piece of cane or wood which then serves as both the head and shaft.

1) Take a cord and wrap it tightly around the shaft a distance from the end - tie a knot to hold it securely in place. If using cane, like in the example, tie this around one of the nodes. Use a knife to split the end of the cane or wood, and drive the split up to the lashed section. Insert a stick to hold the two prongs apart. If you are using cane, be careful because the edges may be razor sharp.

Knot is tied, cane is being split.

Stick holding prongs apart.

2) Now carve the two prongs. They should be made thin, and the tip should come to a sharp point. If using cane, just remove material from the inside of the split to thin the prongs so that the two tips are on opposite sides of one another. Carve barbs on each prong so that the fish will not slip off after being struck.

Shaped Prongs.

Two prongs with barbs.

3) Now you have a choice. You can either remove the stick and allow the two sides to come back together, or permanently keep them apart. If using cane, the two are usually allowed to reform, because there will now be a large gap between the two prongs - this is the method used in the photo below. If using wood, however, you may want to use a length of cord to hold the two prongs apart. If necessary, add more lashings to ensure that the split does not travel further up the shaft.