I make both spade/blind eye hooks (some in my original photo) and with eye as found in 10th century. The blind eye makes a neater fly. ========Jonathan, early fish hooks like used in the fur trade didn't have an eye (that appeared in the 1850's). The early eyeless hooks were first seen on the east coast, Crockett and several others carried them in KY.
About half of the eyed hooks in the photovery neat! My brother and I just got a forge a couple weeks ago. Already have my first knife halfway hammered out.
Just got back on, just a note, most of the eyed hooks in the pictures were picked up by a Jomsborg Viking re-enactor last spring, making more, I make blind-eye/shank/eyeless etc. as see in the photo. Made hooks out of pieces of hog tusk, birds claw, bone splinters, pen clips, horse shoe nails, fish bone, flint, zipper pulls, flechettes from a 155, etc. If you see a copy of J. Wayne Fears book, Complete Book of Wilderness Survival, you'll see a picture of a rack of hooks I made and caught fish on in Weeks Bay and local lakes/ponds. I just like to make them. No, I don't think blacksmiths sat around and pounded out fish hooks all day as some one mentioned to me, but if a 5 year old boy with a tack hammer, a hand full of box nails can squat around his grandpaws anvil and make them then it definitely isn't rocket science. Keep that forge hot!very neat! My brother and I just got a forge a couple weeks ago. Already have my first knife halfway hammered out.
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