What makes a good Pointy Stick good?
How long should the point of my Pointy Stick be?
Can te Golden Mean be applied to Pointy Sticks?
Should I put a Micro Point on my Pointy Stick?
Different size Pointy Sticks require different length points. But it's not the length of the point that's important, it's the Length to Girth Ratio that's important. Girthy Pointy Sticks need a longer point. We'll get to determining the proper Length to Girth Ratio later. But here are some points to examine. Pick one that looks right to you.
Can The Golden Mean be applied to Pointy Stick design?
Actually it's The Fools Gold Rectangle, which uses multiples of The Golden Ratio that you want to use, the Golden Ratio being 1:1.618. Here are some examples using The Fools Gold Rectangles for both the shank/shaft length s well as the point shapes of a Pointy Stick..
Should I put a micro point on my Pointy Stick?
Let's look at what we''re talking about so there's no confusion.
If your Pointy Stick will only be subjected to pointing at things or very light duty poking in soft stuff - well a micro point really isn't necessary. BUT - if you plan on doing any serious poking or stabbing in tough or hard stuff - a mammoth, water buffalo or ust a buffalo - well then the micro point is just what the Medicine Man / Shaman / Doctor ordered. While it increases the interior angle of the point, it makes the point far more durable and less likely to bend or curl over,
Now be aware that creating a good, really effective, micro point ain't trivial. You need to keep the centerline of the point on the centerline of the stick. Take too much off one side and things will go to hell in a hurry. Both Veritas and Tormek make a micro bevel jig that take some of the risk out of micro pointing - IF you've got the money AND the time to learn to use them. Practice and more practice will yield micro pointing skills that'll surpass anything a jig can hope to achieve.
Are Japanese laminated point Pointy Sticks worth the extra money?
No.