Sucker gig?

[drhauer]

I know it's not a knife, but a friend of mine wants me to make him a couple. Are there any old hillbilly blacksmiths that can point me in the right direction?

[Ray Rogers]

To do what? I get the impression there is supposed to be a picture but I don't see anything. What is it that you wish to build?

[Bill S.]

Originally Posted by Ray Rogers

To do what? I get the impression there is supposed to be a picture but I don't see anything. What is it that you wish to build?

Sucker Gig is a fish gig, usually 4 tine instead of trident and a little heavier then a frog gig. drhauer must live in the Ozarks.

[drhauer]

Bill, you hit the nail on the head. I can't find any information anywhere on how to make
these things. Sorry, no picture.

[KNAdmin]

Make it with a threaded block design, where you thread one side for the removable handle and the other for 3-4 tines. Use 1/4 inch ss rod for the tines and hacksaw a barb in them, moving it outward with a flat head screw driver. Once you peel them out, you can sharpen them with the tip.

If you use a standard mop size hole for the handle, you can get a telescopic paint roller handle and use it for different depths, if you're fishing above water. Below water, use a 5-6 foot aluminum handle that you can interchange when needed.

I like to use 4 tines so that I can spear a meal for 4 before I have to come up for air.

[Ray Rogers]

Never too old to learn something new .....

[drhauer]

Will the stainless be stout enough? This thing is going to get jammed hard into rocks more often than not.

[Ken W.]

Originally Posted by drhauer

Will the stainless be stout enough? This thing is going to get jammed hard into rocks more often than not.

Here again arises the question of finding a balance of properties in the metal for the job. Alex suggests SS and I'd tend to agree with him as gig heads aren't going to get a lot of care and attention and going with stainless will probably result in a longer life. His other thoughts, if I read him correctly, include threaded butt ends for each tine. That makes a lot of sense 'cause then badly damaged tines can be changed out. Machine out one head plate then make a bunch of replaceable tines.

Definition of a "Sucker Gig": Spending $30 on materials and 5 hours in the shop creating a high end tool that won't work any better than a three dollar item made in China.
(I know about these things 'cause I do it all the time)

Ken

[Ray Rogers]

I didn't know what a sucker gig was but now that I understand what you're doing I can say that stainless will hold up as well as carbon steel depending on the types of steel in question and whether or not you heat treat them. If you heat treat any treatable steel (some aren't hardenable) it will be a lot tougher than mild steel or steel in an annealed form. You can heat treat for toughness rather than maximum hardness and that would obviously be a better approach for this project.

The comment about the $3 gigs certainly warrants consideration but if we were smart we wouldn't spend $30k on equipment so we could make a $500 knife ....

[Ken W.]

Originally Posted by Ray Rogers

The comment about the $3 gigs certainly warrants consideration but if we were smart we wouldn't spend $30k on equipment so we could make a $500 knife ....

Ray, I'm not that far gone yet. More like $350 worth of equipment to make $2 knives..........?? Dang! I just did the math.....You broke even after 60 knives and I'm going to have to sell 175 to do the same. Guess I'll just stick to making 'em for fun and givin' 'em away to friends.

Ken

[Ray Rogers]

Ya, and I've made a lot more than 60 knives in 17 years. Still, I got started because I was too cheap to pay $600 for a knife I saw at a show and i really wanted one like that. It sneaks up on you ...

[Crex]

Stealthy buggars!
Never made a sucker gig, but have forged several flounder spikes. Not much to it, just make a big straightened fishhook on a stick.
Toughness over hardness is the way to go, a broken tip is useless. Hard to beat the money logic....but beating hard stuff is what I do!