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All About Pole Spears & Slings What is it about that traditional method of the early hunter/gatherers under the water? These devices are indeed interesting and effective.

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Old 01-02-2019, 06:27 PM   #1
popgun pete
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Sea Hornet Handspear Gun

I recently found this schematic diagram of the "Sea Hornet" Handspear Gun which came in two versions, a full length and a telescopic two-piece unit, all stainless steel tubing. I had one of these in my early days and still have it, but have not used it for years as either the fish got too smart or I got too slow, probably the latter!
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Old 01-02-2019, 06:41 PM   #2
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Re: Sea Hornet Handspear Gun

The "Sea Hornet" telescopic handspear was the best of the telescopic models from all manufactures as it never jammed because it had a free-floating collet and was basically the same as the Handspear Gun minus the sliding handle and the large diameter stop washer and rubber ring (a rubber grommet) at the butt.
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Old 01-23-2019, 06:53 PM   #3
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Re: Sea Hornet Handspear Gun

The advantage of telescopic all metal handspears is that their weight and momentum crash into the fish driving the barbs right in. Often used with the multi-tine pranger heads there are very few escapees unless they tear themselves off. Being not in the best of shape they then often rest up for a breather after a short flight to freedom distance when you suddenly descend on them for the fatal stick in their noggin.

The handspears are launched when your release your grip on the shaft body and the length of the rubber extends your shooting range, so you have the length of the handspears and the length of the cord attached rubber propulsion band. In my first few years of diving I used a handspear all the time except for a few excursions with a gun.

Early model handspears were often made from chrome plated brass tubing with the telescopic front section being stainless steel tubing, however in later years these spears were stainless steel from end to end, although usually the twist locking knurled center handle was always chrome plated brass.

Attached is an old slide photo of myself and my dive buddy Richard with our telescopic handspears back in the day. Parkway wetsuits, Espadon Compensator dive masks and Voit "Skin Diver" foot pocket fins and weight belts packed with multiple home-made lead weights. Note as a safety measure the pranger heads are pushed onto the sand rather than pointing upwards and maybe taking someone's eye out!
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Last edited by popgun pete; 01-23-2019 at 07:23 PM.
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Old 02-26-2019, 05:21 AM   #4
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Re: Sea Hornet Handspear Gun

Although a copy of the Sea Hornet handspear gun this one looks like it uses the clone sliding handle with an all new three section titanium polespear. Sells at 330 bucks which is not too bad considering the use of titanium.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Triggered-P...-/273579343551
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Old 02-26-2019, 07:16 AM   #5
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Re: Sea Hornet Handspear Gun

Pretty interesting. Like the vintage photo as well! Thanks.
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Old 02-26-2019, 09:14 PM   #6
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Re: Sea Hornet Handspear Gun

Here are some photos after just now rinsing the dust and dirt off my garage stored polespears which are both telescopic units. The one on the left is my very first polespear which I am holding in that vintage photo on the beach and the other is my handspear gun from Sea Hornet. My second polespear which was a telescopic Sea Hornet and when still new was given away to a friend's son as for sentimental reasons I stuck with my first polespear which is an Undersee with a brass main tube (chromed) and a stainless steel tubular telescoping section. Many fish have died under their “pranger” barbs which have been renewed and replaced on countless occasions. The handspear gun was OK to use, but I shot a lot more fish with the other one due to more rapid reloading for the next fish.
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Old 02-27-2019, 02:47 PM   #7
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Re: Sea Hornet Handspear Gun

Note that these telescopic units extend out to 2.35 meters in length or 7 ft 8 inches. The knurled handle rotates on a screw thread to squeeze a collet that grips the telescoping tube section at any desired length, however I always used them fully extended. There was an extension rod for mounting a slip tip or a spear tip, but I always used them with cluster heads with the 1/2" screw thread in the bases that matched the 1/2" screw thread on the pole tip.

There is a clone sliding handle out of China or Taiwan that comes in a range of colors which looks to be what is used on that titanium 3 piece unit being sold on eBay.
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Last edited by popgun pete; 02-27-2019 at 02:56 PM.
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Old 02-28-2019, 03:20 PM   #8
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Re: Sea Hornet Handspear Gun

I have tried to send a question to the seller of the titanium polespear gun, but have been stymied by the eBay firewall which will not allow questions through to the seller. What I want to know is whether it is a one-off or a prototype testing the market. The black handle certainly comes out of Asia, and maybe the titanium shaft lengths as well.
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Old 03-01-2019, 02:37 PM   #9
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Re: Sea Hornet Handspear Gun

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Originally Posted by popgun pete View Post
I have tried to send a question to the seller of the titanium polespear gun, but have been stymied by the eBay firewall which will not allow questions through to the seller. What I want to know is whether it is a one-off or a prototype testing the market. The black handle certainly comes out of Asia, and maybe the titanium shaft lengths as well.
In the description it states...
"Custom made 3 section titanium pole spear"
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Old 03-02-2019, 03:57 AM   #10
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Re: Sea Hornet Handspear Gun

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Originally Posted by 9x19MdM View Post
In the description it states...
"Custom made 3 section titanium pole spear"
Having bought many items with the word "custom" in them that often means nothing, it could mean one or one hundred that have been "custom made", or even more. The spring bump stop on the butt shows some thought went into it that had aims for more than one as otherwise a bit of rubber tubing or a bunch of rubber grommets would have done the same job.
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Old 04-12-2019, 03:53 PM   #11
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Re: Sea Hornet Handspear Gun

Quote:
Originally Posted by popgun pete View Post
Although a copy of the Sea Hornet handspear gun this one looks like it uses the clone sliding handle with an all new three section titanium polespear. Sells at 330 bucks which is not too bad considering the use of titanium.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Triggered-P...-/273579343551
No one wanted to pay the money so the item has been withdrawn.
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Old 04-12-2019, 10:47 PM   #12
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Re: Sea Hornet Handspear Gun

There was a Craigslist posting I was looking at last month. A person here in Hawaii on Oahu had a Sea Hornet handspear gun for sale. The listing was for the handspear which was coupled with a yellow fiberglass 3-prong spear, and an additional traditional 3-prong sling spear. The seller wanted $60 for both. Not is as good condition as yours Pete, the black plastic was all scratched up from years of use. I considered purchasing it for the novelty and for my collection, but quite literally couldn't pull the trigger. The listing is now gone.
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Old 04-13-2019, 02:08 AM   #13
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Re: Sea Hornet Handspear Gun

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Originally Posted by manoa matt View Post
There was a Craigslist posting I was looking at last month. A person here in Hawaii on Oahu had a Sea Hornet handspear gun for sale. The listing was for the handspear which was coupled with a yellow fiberglass 3-prong spear, and an additional traditional 3-prong sling spear. The seller wanted $60 for both. Not is as good condition as yours Pete, the black plastic was all scratched up from years of use. I considered purchasing it for the novelty and for my collection, but quite literally couldn't pull the trigger. The listing is now gone.
The handspear gun handle needs a metal spear or the tilting washer trigger will bite into the shaft. The Asian handle copy I have seen teamed with a yellow fiberglass spear, how long that would last is anybody's guess. My handspear gun I dropped on the sand or drove the pranger barbs into the bottom to stand it up in shallow water so it did not accumulate much battle damage. I am sure Glen Preece still has a lot of those handles as sales dropped off when spearoes deserted the humble polespear. Early ones are a bronze plastic color, later models are black.
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Old 05-23-2019, 09:52 PM   #14
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Re: Sea Hornet Handspear Gun

Found the source of the titanium handspear. Russia. Well now we know there is more than one and they sell for under 200 bucks, plus shipping.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdMI5wxG8zA
https://keltvic.ecwid.com/
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Last edited by popgun pete; 05-23-2019 at 11:47 PM. Reason: more info
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Old 06-23-2019, 09:57 PM   #15
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Re: Sea Hornet Handspear Gun

Here is an extract from the 2012 "Sea Hornet" dealer catalog showing the handspear guns. I think this was their last catalog, the company has since quit its Sydney factory, but all the stock, tooling and parts were moved out in containers so one day it may start up again. The handspears/polespears were one of their best products.
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