A whaling harpoon in good to very good condition overall measuring roughly 71-72 inches from the tip of the toggle iron to the base of the wooden handle. The toggle iron appears to be made of bronze or brass and exhibits signs of scattered verdigris throughout, which is expected when exposed to salty, humid climates. The shank is made of what appears to be 1/4 inch steel which flexes slightly as expected. It appears to be painted black and shows signs of scattered surface scratching and but fits firmly into the wooden shaft or handle. The shaft is made of potentially pine as it is light weight. There are two type of line attached. One appears to be a type of natural fiber marline line or sisal/hemp and the other is a far thinner potentially nylon based line that is black in color and wrapped cylindrically holding the natural fiber line onto the wooden handle. The consigner states this was found in the basement of a property in Ocracoke, NC but is unsure if it was ever actually used for the practice of whaling. He states it was found in the basement of an old estate with other whaling gear that will be periodically auctioned throughout the rest of this year. Good to very good condition overall. While Ocracoke Island never hosted a sustained commercial whaling industry like its neighbors to the south, it was home to sporadic shore-based whaling and a unique "porpoise" (dolphin) fishery in the 18th and 19th centuries.Unlike New England whalers who hunted at sea, Ocracoke residents primarily engaged in "drift-whale" scavenging. They would wait for whales to wash ashore naturally, harvesting the bone and oil for profit. Estimated shipping parcel size (LxWxH) 78 inches x 6 inches x 6 inches. Please note, shipping estimates are provided for LiveShipping calculations only and may vary based on weight and location. The auction house will combine multiple lots to reduce shipping cost. Please inform the auction house prior to paying your invoice for special shipping requests. Our primary method of shipping is via UPS Ground.