Island Survival: Starts by chopping a tree-Chapter 32 Making Weapons

It was already dark when their home-made shelter was built, Jeff already had a plan in mind. Next, he needed to construct weapons, a water filtration system, and some cooking pots for storing food and water.

"Is the meat spoiled?" Jeff asked, since he didn’t dry it and just hung it around the tree when he went away.

Hearing his inquiries, they didn’t know since they hadn’t checked it. Jeff, seeing the look on their faces, went to check on it.

Walking towards the tree where he placed it before he went towards the bamboo forest, taking the sack, he jumped down with a low thud and opened the fur that was used as a sack.

Phew

He sigh in relief seeing that its okay, after that he take it closed to the camp.

"So, captain, has it spoiled?" inquired Layla.

Jeff just shook his head in denial, "It’s not spoiled yet. I should have considered drying it in the sun so it can last for tomorrow, so for tonight, let’s just finish all of this meat. Tomorrow, I’ll just hunt some more and use the fat to make soap. Actually, let’s just use coconut oil rather than fat meat, but before that, we have to make some pots and containers," he declared loudly, so they could hear.

Hearing the words "finish all the meat," Ariana and Emma’s mouths turned watery. Another hearty meal is coming tonight.

"I’ll start a fire, and we can cook the meat since it’s already night. We need to rest for the day and continue our work tomorrow," he told the group.

After that, he made a fire, as they began to cook the meat in the fireplace.

Once that was finished, Jeff fetched some coconut juice from a nearby palm tree to use as their water, knowing that by tomorrow, they would have their own fresh water supply.

Once everything was prepared, Jeff and his companions started to dine.

Emma and Ariana eagerly attacked their meals, given the abundance of food before them.

When all was done, they rested, and after that, the trio bid their goodnight since they were tired.

Emma and Charlotte were also not exempt as they went to their respective shelters.

Jeff hadn’t slept. Despite not sleeping the previous night, he remained energetic. He needed to craft a few weapons for protection during his hunting trip.

Bows and arrows were suitable for long-distance combat, while a spear would be ideal for close-range encounters.

Thus, he commenced his work, having all the necessary materials at hand, eliminating the need for further searching.

The materials that he needed to make a spear were bamboos, a sharp stone, and ropes. So he stood up and chose among the stalks of bamboo.

What he chose was a straight and sturdy bamboo pole. The length was about nine feet, which offered a good balance and control.

When he was done choosing, he used the axe to cut it about two feet to make it seven feet. He ensured that the cut end was smooth and even.

"Now is for the spear tip," he muttered.

To make a pointed tip, one could simply sharpen one end of a bamboo pole. An axe can be used to whittle down the sides and carve a sharp point.

But that would be easy to break since it’s just wood. What he needed was a solid and rock-hard tip.

So, he searched his resources for rocks that were hard and durable. He found one that was roughly the size of his fist, albeit with an irregular shape.

He made his choice, then grasped the rock in one hand and the larger stone in the other to use as a hammer.

He started crafting a short distance from the camp to avoid disturbing the girls’ sleep.

He had created a fire for his light, gaining some experience points in the process.

Striking the edges of the rock with a hammer stone at an angle, small flakes are removed. This technique is known as knapping.

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Knapping is the shaping of flint, chert, obsidian, or other conchoidal fracturing stone through the process of lithic reduction to manufacture stone tools, strikers for flintlock firearms, or to produce flat-faced stones for building or facing walls, and flushwork decoration.

Source: Wikipedia

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When that was done, he gradually worked around the rock, flaking off pieces to shape a pointed end.

He was very careful to control the force, especially the angle of his strike, to avoid breaking the rock.

Now it was refining the shape. Using the edge of the big stone that was used as a hammer, he applied some pressure along the edges of the rock, creating finer flakes and refining the shape of the spear tip.

He was sweating, and his hand that was used to shape the spear tip was numb, but he continued flaking and refining until he achieved a sharp, pointed tip and smooth edges.

When that was done and seeing the pointed tip, he smiled while taking some big breaths to exhale.

The next step was to attach the spear tip to the bamboo pole.

He created a split at the sharpened end of the bamboo pole with an axe, wide enough to insert the stone tip securely.

After placing the sharpened stone tip into the split, he used a rope that was lying around to tightly bind the split end, thus securing the spear tip in position.

He wound it several times to make sure it was securely fastened, murmuring, "Now to secure the bindings," in a hushed tone.

He then added an extra layer of rope around the bindings for added security. To greatly ensure there were no loose ends that could unravel.

"Next is for smoothing the spear shaft,"

Using the axe to smooth out any rough spots on the bamboo shaft. With this action, it would make it more comfortable to hold and use.

"Let’s harden the tip even further," Jeff suggested, as he handled the spear’s tip.

To increase its durability, Jeff carefully fire-hardened the sharpened rock tip.

He held it above the flames, steadily rotating it to ensure the sharp rock was evenly heated and hardened without charring.

Once that was completed, he stood up and tested the balance of the spear by holding it in the middle.

It remained perfectly still, and seeing this, a smile graced his face, knowing there was no need to adjust it by trimming the pole or redistributing the bindings.

Holding the shaft in his hand and with a thrust with both hands, the spear made a whistling sound as he took it back.

"The shaft is smooth and feels so comfortable in my hands. This is good for now," Jeff exclaimed, inspecting the spear in his hand.

[You just made a good Bamboo Spear. You have gained 40 experience points, 5 level up points & 5 points]

[60/200 exp. Remains to upgrade the skill]

The system panel stated, making him surprised. The description changed. He even added the word "good"—clearly the spear he made was of good quality.

"For the next one is a bow. In order to hunt the Komodo dragon, I must make a bow to kill it by not getting close," he thought as he started to work again.

"The necessary materials were also here: bamboo for the main support and a rope made from tree bark for the bowstring," he concluded.

The reason he didn’t use vines is because they’re not good when it comes to durability. But vines are very strong and elastic, making them suitable for a bowstring.

Even though vines are very much suitable for bowstrings, the rope made of bark tree, when properly prepared and twisted, it can be quite durable and resilient.

But he had to ensure it’s well dried and treated to prevent snapping. And the rope he had right now is already in a good condition to be used as a string.

For vines it needs to be strong and fresh, overtime vines may dry out and become brittle.

Actually he can just replace the bowstrings if needed, but it will be so tiring to regularly checked it so bark tree rope it is.

After gathering the materials, he started his work. Jeff then chose a long, flexible piece of bamboo.

The bamboo he had right now was around six feet in length and not too thick, of course.

He ensured that the bow was flexible, as it needed to be both strong and able to maintain its shape.

After that, Jeff then used the axe to cut the bamboo to the desired length. He made sure the ends were smooth and even.

Even though it wasn’t that thick, he still carefully shaved down the bamboo to create a more flexible, thinner piece.

The thickness should be consistent along the length, but he could taper it slightly towards the ends for better flexibility.

Once that was accomplished, he used the stone knife to carve small notches at both ends of the bamboo. These notches, known as nocks, would secure the bowstring in place.

He ensured the notches were sufficiently deep to hold the string firmly, yet shallow enough to maintain the bamboo’s strength.

"Now, it’s for the preparation of bowstring," Jeff uttered.