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Our work represents 15 years making museum quality harpoons. Some of our
"irons" are actually used today in a subsistence whale fishery. Some small
museums order our whalecraft to supplement their exhibits. Mostly though, our
harpoons are purchased for home, office, and business establishments desiring a
nautical theme.
We base our "irons" on the Catalogue of the Whaling Museum Whalecraft
Collection. These are real harpoons, we hand make them new and age them to
look old. After we peruse the catalogue an iron type is selected. We then make
a pattern and begin to shape the head. The shaft is joined and we beat the socket
into shape.
The makers initials (S&P), not to be confused with Snow and Purrington, New
Bedford blacksmiths of 1849, are stamped into the head and the whale boat
designation , is stamped into the head. It then is aged through a chemical
process to a fire black patina. It is lightly oiled to preserve the iron as one
would an artifact of old.
Susie then serves the split socket with genuine tarred marline (smells like the old
ships). She then uses her marlinespike to end the serving with a sailors
turkshead knot. She bends the "iron strap" ( genuine hemp line ) to the socket
with a double hitch and splice and tars part of the whale line. Thus the iron is
done!
If it is to be a full sized harpoon, a suitable pole of old, 50-100 yrs+, dead
standing and naturally distressed dense Alaska spruce is cut from our
homestead. It is hand hewn with a drawknife to fit the socket and a light
rubbing of boiled linseed oil is used as a preservative. It is then stopped to the
pole using marline.
.
Our harpoons ship in the U.S. for about $28.00 via USPS Priority Mail.
Contact us first for intl. shipping charges and size allowances.
"irons" are actually used today in a subsistence whale fishery. Some small
museums order our whalecraft to supplement their exhibits. Mostly though, our
harpoons are purchased for home, office, and business establishments desiring a
nautical theme.
We base our "irons" on the Catalogue of the Whaling Museum Whalecraft
Collection. These are real harpoons, we hand make them new and age them to
look old. After we peruse the catalogue an iron type is selected. We then make
a pattern and begin to shape the head. The shaft is joined and we beat the socket
into shape.
The makers initials (S&P), not to be confused with Snow and Purrington, New
Bedford blacksmiths of 1849, are stamped into the head and the whale boat
designation , is stamped into the head. It then is aged through a chemical
process to a fire black patina. It is lightly oiled to preserve the iron as one
would an artifact of old.
Susie then serves the split socket with genuine tarred marline (smells like the old
ships). She then uses her marlinespike to end the serving with a sailors
turkshead knot. She bends the "iron strap" ( genuine hemp line ) to the socket
with a double hitch and splice and tars part of the whale line. Thus the iron is
done!
If it is to be a full sized harpoon, a suitable pole of old, 50-100 yrs+, dead
standing and naturally distressed dense Alaska spruce is cut from our
homestead. It is hand hewn with a drawknife to fit the socket and a light
rubbing of boiled linseed oil is used as a preservative. It is then stopped to the
pole using marline.
.
Our harpoons ship in the U.S. for about $28.00 via USPS Priority Mail.
Contact us first for intl. shipping charges and size allowances.
About Our Business
About Us
"My God! Mr. Chase, what
is the matter?" I answered,
"we have been stove by a
whale." Owen Chase of the
ESSEX
is the matter?" I answered,
"we have been stove by a
whale." Owen Chase of the
ESSEX
Some of our helpers. They eat a lot !
Our "whaling vessel", we are building when we are not making harpoons.
My first "Iron" boat
Susie & our last "Iron-ship "
