1850'S WHALING HARPOON
A ca. mid-to-late 1850s whaling harpoon (or "iron") with original wood shaft. The wood shaft, 1 1/4" diameter, fits into the wrought iron harpoon's head. It is fitted with a (replaced) length of 1/4" hemp rope, used to recover the harpoon after it has been thrown. The head itself, 34 1/4" long, bears a swivel barb which does not allow the harpoon to easily fall away once it has solidly struck prey. Excellent condition. The fixed head harpoon predominated until 1848 when this type of harpoon was invented. This design was in turn widely used in the whaling industry well into the 1850's and was followed by a slight refinement in construction, which became known as the "improved" toggle iron. Thus, this harpoon dates to the mid-1850s.