I have a supply of 1080 steel on hand to make points for a variety of bladed items. I like to use 1080 because it tends to be rather inexpensive, easy to work, and heat treats easily. As usual I heat the piece to the Austenite region and then for this steel, a water quench. I follow up with a low temperature (200 C) tempering cycle to stress relieve the steel while still maintaining a reasonably hardened piece. My most recent build was a lance.
I decided on a hybrid form of a Lakota War Lance, and a Zulu Assegai. The total length of the piece including the point is just short of 6 feet. It can be thrown or used from horseback to spear game. A picture of the blade joined to the shaft is shown. I only finished the point to a 320 grit as it will become scratched with use. For a darkened blade you could use a 3-5% Nital etch.
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