Odawa "splinter-head" arrow

[half eye]

Finally got a couple minuets and made up an example of the splinter-head war arrow. This is another of their "people only" types and aint very nice either.

The point is only semi sharp ....enough to penetrate but not so much as to go all the way through, or be able to be pushed through. @ shingle is carved into nearly the centerline and staggered around the shaft. Next ya cut incised lines to weaken @ shingle. what happens is that when the head hits flesh it will either penetrate some and break or shatter leaving splinters everywhere....or the impact will blow the slivers loose and since ya cant "push" the arrow through it leaves all the wood splinters behind when it's pulled out.   Final result is a wound with a bunch of wood inside to fester.

This arrow is made from Hemlock which is real splintery (is that a word?)
rich

[Tower]

Ouch, that is one sadistic looking point.You'd really have to hate someone to use something like that.

[ErictheViking]

WOW, what a deterent to being invaded.

[osage outlaw]

Is it light in the front?  Seems like it wouldn't fly very well without some weight at the tip. Maybe bigger fletching would overcome that.  Anyway, it looks wickid.  Are these war arrows native to your area, or did most tribes across America have some sort of human points?

[Cameroo]

That's some dirty fightin' there... If the arrow damage wasn't in the vitals, it must have been a slow painful death as the infection spread!  Nasty!

[half eye]

fellas,
     Cameroo, I believe the whole idea was to inflict as slow and painfull death as possible.
     
     Osage, Dont know about the splinter part, but do have a report in Otis Mason's book written by a U.S. cavalry officer where he reports that an Apache ambush resulted in the arrow death of a junior officer, when autopsied the arrow was discovered to have no head, just hardened wood sharpened to a point. The same books report that Lewis and Clark reported back to the Smithsonian that several tribes they incountered could shoot "headless" arrows 6 to 8 inches deep into pine logs. So, I suppose the headless arrow was wide-spread.

[Sparrow]

First I've heard of them. Seems that would be pretty effective,specially if you rubbed it around in a bit of carrion ta' booty. Thanks for sharing  '  Frank

[hillbilly61]

 That is jus down right evil Nice and sadistic

[thomas h]

holey crap, just a splinter in the finger hurts enough cant imagine a bunch 6-8" deep

[Jtilley]

Ouch....... That makes my gut hurt just looking at it 

[sailordad]

like your other arrow
very unique and cool 

been to alot of NA museums,aint never seen anything like either of them on display 

[half eye]

Sailordad,
      Dont know what you are trying to imply, but I did roughly 25 minuets of searching and found quite a few examples of pointed wooden, headless arrows....even found two Southeastern Ojibwe arrows that show signs of being "claw" equiped....they have a groove carved in and sinew wrapped at one time ( the original head is missing but even the museum notes that it was not a typical head such as stone or iron because they are "grooved" and NOT slotted.
      I only looked at about 200 arrows out of the 2,280 they allow access to via internet. The museum is Harvard University's Peabody and believe they have a substantial reputation. As for the "sliverhead" I could not find an actual example (yet) but I've been through this "because ya haven't seen one dont mean it aint so" thing with you and others...... but ya dont have to be a rocket scientist to figure that a wooden pointed arrow could be converted "on the spot" with a knife and a few seconds time.  Here are two picture posts of the arrows, enjoy. ( the first 2 are the Grooved headed arrows (Ojibwe))
rich
     

[half eye]

The last arrow is a headless, semi-blunt and is/was a poisoned arrow, according to the Peabody.

[sailordad]

rich i wasnt trying to imply a damn thing
i just said they were unique and cool
and that i had never seen any in any NA museums or displays that i had seen
sorry if you thought i was trying to imply anything
i was more curious as to why they wouldny display something like this

so once again i am sorry you thought ither wise
from now on i  will keep my thought to myself on your stuff