Whaling lance

An iron shank with a socket at one end, fitted to a wooden pole with rope attached. The blade of the lance is oval, with a sharp cutting edge all round. See Lytle, p132: "The hand lance, known as the killing iron, was the implement used to kill a whale... it was plunged into the whale in the area of its 'life' the large areas of oxygenated blood in reserve for long dives.... the lance consisted of an iron shank, five to six feet long, with a standard socket at one end for mounting to a pole. The blade of the lance was oval, or petal-shaped, approximately five inches long and two inches wide, and it was razor sharp on all edges. It was designed to be withdrawn and used repeatedly."