A few Arctic artifact reproductions

Harpoon heads and foreshaft

I've been working one day a week and taking evening classes at Memorial University this semester.  This week is Reading Week, so I have a bit of a break from teaching and studying to focus on Elfshot again.  Rather than two days a week, it looks like I'll be able to spend a full four days this week in the workshop.  That will help a lot with getting caught up on a backlog of orders.  I'm still several months behind in work, but at least now I'm able to get some projects finished and shipped off to the customers who have been extremely patient with me over the past winter.

This is a reproduction Thule Inuit harpoon that I'm working on for the Manitoba Museum.  My goal is to have it ready to ship by the weekend.

At this point, all of the pieces are blocked out and I'm working on all of the joints.  These harpoons have a lot of precision fit pieces.  Some are fixed and some are moveable, so it always takes a while to find the right fit and friction for all of the assembled parts.  The materials used include everything from whale bone and walrus ivory to slate and wood.  The harpoon line and lashings will be sealskin and sinew.

Photo Credits: Tim Rast