Riffe model comparison

[Iyadiver]

Hi Uni/Ted,

I have the 24 thread to 6mm Riffe adaptor to use other brand spearhead or Riffe medium spearhead which is pencil point, but I never try any other spearhead than Ice Pick once I learnt how well it handle a fish. Maybe for my MT0 I will try to use a medium Riffe spearhead using the adaptor on my 9/16 shaft, now that you mention it. The floppers on the medium size is the same as large one I think.

In my city, the other ONLY brand of spearheads are the JBL. I have tested all of their offerings and don't realy fancy them. They are very sharp but very brittle. It is common to break the tip where they have the small 2mm hole for rubber insert to open the flopper. It is also a fact that Riffe 24 thread (bigger ) is much stronger than 6mm thread of the JBL type. Shaft breaking at the thread end was one of the problem on my JBL, maybe also because I do not use Loc-Tite those days and when the spearhead loosen a bit, it wobble and when a fish pull side way, it snapped. If u see a spearhead and shaft treaded end closely, you will notice that there is a shoulder right before the threads. This shoulder should be the one taking side loading when a big fish fight, not the threads.......if the fit is perfect.

I don't know if Riffe shaft is actualy different from JBL ones but out of 20 Riffe owners I know using 9/16 threaded shaft, no one have broken any thread yet. Most of them use Ice Pick and the way the load is taken by the slide ring of the Ice Pick, no way it can ever break a shaft, bending is common.

I have shot my 9/32" Hawaiian shaft at rocks and it just get dull and never break. I am not surprised if Riffe shaft is better than a JBL, the rubber is already obvious.

 

[unirdna]

Thanks for the input Iya.

I only use JBL single flopper spearheads because I do not care for the 2mm rubber on the double flopper points. I never had any problems with the tip breaking at that location....just don't like how bulky they are.

I'm very close to "buying" time on my MT#0 (after Christmas), and I'm still torn over which shaft will work the best in my water (9/32" hawaiian flopper or 5/16" threaded w/ medium head). I'm sure that I will wind up buying both, but that leaves me with another question. If I want to load 4, 9/16 bands am I going to need an enclosed track? Judging by your experiments, I would benefit more from using four bands on the 5/16" shaft, so that would most likely be my primary. But will 4 bands produce shaft whip? This is why I am leaning towards getting the closed track factory installed when I buy.

Also going to get the floater wing kit, because I don't want to mess with a sinker anymore (like my Custom).

 

[Iyadiver]

My last shot on 5/16 shaft with Large Spearhead on the MT0 with 4 bands was a Golden Trevaly and I thought I will not hit the fish because it was 2.5 knots current against the shaft and it was far.......I was desperate. It landed nicely, I can't say pin point accuracy but landed the fish....it all happened too fast.

Since the enclosed track and open track is quite cheap (less than US$20, I think ) on the MT0, I think you can always order some later on, or order open track , track only...whichever works for you. Just look at the shipping factor, that may be the killer.

Ur short JBL custom does not punch like the 130cm JBL or the Woody, breakage probably less. If I am not wrong a single flopper JBL is all shiny stainless steel, that is 316 ss. My breakage is on the hardened ones, those semi black ones, the 316 type will dull but won't break. How can you survive with such short single flopper......I suppose your shot must be good ..eh

 

[icarus pacific]

Originally posted by Iyadiver
How can you survive with such short single flopper......

Hang on, my book is coming out...


sven