The 'one flue harpoon' or 'one flue iron' (sometimes "single" instead of "one" is used) is a type of
harpoon used in
whaling after its introduction in the early
19th century when it replaced the
two flue harpoon. Due to the
asymmetric design of the head for which it is named, the one flue harpoon was less likely to cut its way out of the
whale meat and
blubber, and was therefore more successful in whaling.
In the mid-19th century the one flue harpoon was replaced by the
toggling harpoon, which was an iron version of the ancient design used in the
Arctic by the native whale hunters there. The toggling iron harpoon was even more successful and rapidly phased out the use of the "common harpoon" (a term which refers to either the one or two flue harpoon).
External links
★
Single flue harpoon history