Anyone who has hunted knows that spears and arrows have been used for a very long time in gaining man something to eat.  Sometimes we will even find an arrow head from a Native Americans attempt at getting some food and perhaps he missed the shot or maybe it did connect and later the animal died and left the arrow laying in the dirt.  Whatever the case, let’s look closely at the arrow head and its design.

Flint rock was the main rock used by the Native Americans in making their arrow heads.  A light weight rock that can be made very sharp on the edges.  They would “nap” these rocks to the proper shape for the animal they would use the arrow against.  Heavier arrow heads for bigger game.  Skinny arrow heads for birds and smallish fish  and tiny arrow heads for, well let’s just say, small game.

The arrow heads were sharpened on two edges and then firmly tied to an arrow shaft made of wood.  Of course feathers were tied on the opposite end of the stick in order to add stability to the arrow and make it “turn” as it flew forward.  The turning added a degree of accuracy to the arrow.  Many an animal fell to these arrows.

Now let’s get away from the arrow for a minute.  Who reading this has ice fished?  Let’s see a raise of hands.  Ok, so it looks like most of you have ice fished.  How many of you used an ice auger to make a hole in the ice?  Another raise of hands please.  AH HA!  Only a few of the ladies have, but most of the guys.  I guess the ladies had guys drill their holes for them.  Ok, enough of that.

Have you ever looked at the design of the auger blade?  It is only sharpened on one side, while the other side of the blade is flat.  Why is that?  Have you ever looked at the blade on an Ulu knife?  It too is only beveled on one side and flat on the other side.  How many of you have steak knives of other knives in the house that are only sharpened on one side?  By sharpened I mean the blade is beveled on one side of the blade and the other side is flat.

Why manufactures only bevel one side of a steak knife is beyond me, but they do it.  Ulu knives being beveled on one side also is a baffle to me.  I see no purpose in these two instruments only being sharpened (beveled) on one side.  Why?  Just take a minute, find one of your steak knives or your ulu and grab up a block of cheese.  Now, using this knife carefully try to slice off a thin piece of cheese.  Press straight down and try to let the knife do all the cutting work.  What happens?  If your bevel is on the left side of your block of cheese, the knife will begin thick at the beginning of the cut and will be quite a bit thinner at the bottom of the cut and the blade will cut “away” from the beveled side of the blade.  Weird huh?

As for an ice auger this is a good thing.  The auger blade cuts away from the bevel and so it is digging into the ice with each roatation.  I can see where an ice auger would not cut ice if it was beveled on both sides.  Whoever came up with this idea for the auger blade is a genious!  I thank them dearly, because I love to ice fish.

Now lets apply this beveled on one side idea to an arrow head.  There is an article written by Dr. Ed Ashby at this site:

http://www.alaskabowhunting.com/PR/Single_Bevel_Broadheads.pdf

That explains the good and bad points of a single bevel broadhead and using them against game animals.  Most of his points are good, in that one main factor of using such broad heads is upon impact with a game animal, there is less “drag” on the arrow and thus deeper penetration.  And probably the bigger factor of using a single bevel broadhead is its bone breaking capability.  Why break bones?  It weakens the animals abilities to flee and thus gives the hunter a better chance of getting that animal down and ready for eating.

By having your two edged arrow head beveled on one side of each of the cutting edges of the arrow head, the arrow contacts meat and/or bone and it tends to rotate through.  This rotation not only makes for a very large wound channel, but it breaks bones while penetrating.  I say any advantage you can get while hunting with a bow is a good thing and this rotation through the animal is more likely to cut a major artery or inflict some serious internal injury causing the animal to succumb quicker.  A much better thing for the animal.

I think if it were me going after big game with a bow and arrow, I would want some of these types of arrow heads in my arsenal.

Please read that article by Dr. Ashby if you are at all interested in archery and hunting.  You won’t be dissapointed.

Bears Butt

Aug. 2011