United CutleryM48 Kommando Talon Survival Spear | 44 1/8" Overall Length | 8" Stainless Steel Blade | Includes Vortec Sheath | Fiberglass Reinforced Handle

From a tactical, combat perspective, this is the perfect way to go.A shorter spear allows for CQC urban combat and a higher maneuverability over all. The thick blade is designed to be able to withhold the pressure of going through tougher material, without losing control of the object your thrusting. However, whether on purpose or not the end of the spear (head) is much heavier and balances very close to the head. I personally agree with this balance because have weight on the end allows the user the move the spear quicker and snap direction with ease. Of course this means that without control, you will fail and injure yourself. Probably in a horrible way being as this spear is meant to harm and destroy. Now the blade tang doesn't, (nor should it) go all the way through the shaft. It goes about your hands width (4-5 inches) you don't want a full tang on this because if you use the shaft for blocking and attacking as you should (don't just use the head, the entire thing is made to be used unlike a regular throwing spear which is much much longer and lighter), then the tang might snap, or not allow the amount of shock suppression as this shaft allows. It's a high composite plastic that is pretty stiff. But, is willing to give way and bow or flex as it absorbs impact. I was able to grab the grip by the head, and use the shaft to parry and block incoming attacks from various items. I wanted to put this to the test, and it passed. The damage the shaft put on my opponent was harsh and reeling. Note it is harder to control because now all the weight is being the hand and I used it as a sword rather than an escrima. It's too long for escrima, too short for staff or bo, so I went with what felt natural to me. (Which is not the same for everyone so using it as another thing might work better for you. It's all in the works.Now.. I do NOT believe this is to be thrown. Having the weight so far ahead makes for fast plummeting and inaccurate throws over a longer distance. But in short distance it actually works. You can throw it with precision and a good amount of impact. Not amazing.. But still damage inflicting.The survival aspects of this (being not CQC) are varied and pretty neat but this seems to be the fall back no is willing to look past. It's short. You can't hike with it and use it then to fend of bears. Now it can be used to fend of wild animals and hunt (I don't have the spear hunting skills I want yet, but enough to say that this works from above the prey best, using its weight as a move) just not hike. Although up steep hills in front of you might work due to the elevation of steps you have to take.. But you'll be better off just climbing it like a rock wall. It won't do you better than a machete with a sawback and tree chopping cabanilities that's for sure so it's survival aspect is basically just that you can hunt with it and feel safer when it's on you. But do not rely on it.I have been training with short spears for about four years now using makeshift ones and others that just resemble the weight I want for CQC. Now putting all that together gets me this and for my personal side of the story I love this. It is what I want, and I recommend this product. I love the M48 series and what they have to offer for CQC, just not survival.

Seems to be well made and a good alternative backup for self defense. Hopefully I never need it.

Spear looks nice, and I'm sure it's a very sturdy weapon. I didn't actually order it though...my five year old did. I left the computer logged in to my amazon account (which was my mistake), and my son did a little "window shopping". He was adding everything a five year old boy would want to the shopping cart...legos, Star Wars action figures, some sort of "crack open your own geode" set thing, along with a bunch of stuff that he wouldn't be allowed to have (but that admittedly I would have loved to have at that age lol)...like dummy hand grenades, a crossbow, bunch of different swords, smoke grenades, Rambo knives. It looked like he was preparing for the zombie apocalypse. $1500 worth of it. Anyway, somehow he picked out this spear as an item he wanted to actually check out with, and he managed to hit enough buttons to order it. Again...my fault, not his. When I figured out what happened, all I could do was laugh. It went back a couple days after it arrived. He still really wanted a spear, so I took a stick I found in the back 40 and stuck a little rock in the end of it. Surely not as fine a weapon as this, but it's a much more kid friendly design, and also importantly, didn't cost $70.That said, this looks like it would certainly do the trick if what you need is a spear. And you're not five lol.

It's a fantastic item

As with the other M48 series of weapons the Talon is of top quality and utility. The length makes it a perfect walking stick, especially with the sheath on the end. This is an extremely practical weapon. The handle is short but well made and long enough to give you and advantage in a fight and short enough if you are in a tight spot, it even has grip at the base of the spear head itself. The nylon/fiberglass handle is very sturdy and nearly indestructible allowing it to take considerable punishment. The spear head itself is well crafted and extremely dense with a good shape. The designers did a bang up job on it. I have used this to pry wooden planks and actually as a slashing weapon against bamboo mats. It's design allows for easy removal even if sticks in something hard. With a whetstone it takes an edge almost immediately. Aerodynamically it is a bit off due to the light weight construction of the handle but if you choke up a bit you can get an accurate hard throw up to about 25'.

Definitely an awesome addition to the "hunting" gear. Well built. About 7" tang into the handle grip area. I'm completely happy with this purchase.

Shorter than I expected. It was my faultshould have looked at measurements and used a stand in for comparison.

Got it on sale. At first I was a little disappointed because I couldn't throw it, but then I figure out a technique. First of all, the spear is made solid. I've thrown it at solid objects repeatedly (metal barrels and wooden boards) and it has held up. The very tip bends, but this thing is full tang. Even just holding it you can feel how solid it is. The sheath is neat-looking and I have yet to see it tear, break, or fall off.As for the technique, grasp it at the very back and put your index finger on the rear end of the hilt. You can hit things within 20 or 25 feet with decent accuracy. I wouldn't trust this for a throwing spear, but it is solid enough to warrant a purchase.