TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — “Well in 2017 I got this idea to make a spear and I thought it was the coolest ever because I’ve always been a Seminole fan," says owner of gotspears.com John Lojan. "And I was like man this would be kind of neat for a fan to have.”
It’s one of the most iconic symbols representing the Florida State brand. Chief Osceola’s spear. Longtime Seminole fan John Lojan has been making officially licensed replicas of the spear for Noles fan all across the world.
“We’ve shipped these spears to over 47, 48 states. It’s almost the whole country we’ve shipped them," Lojan says. "And we’ve shipped to Norway, Germany and Hawaii.”
From the poplar wood used for the shaft, to the laser cutting that shapes the 10-gage steel for the spearhead. And the intensive cutting that makes each of the feathers symmetrical. Every step to making the final product is done with utmost detail. And if you spot John’s can’t miss the truck, chances are you could be going home with a spear of your own.
“I try to keep a few in the truck because I have sold some in the Publix parking lot, Lowes parking lot, Walmart parking lot. Someone says hey what is that and I say you got a minute can I show you? And they’ll say, hey I want one of those."
John has crafted spears for people like the legendary Bobby Bowden. He even made sure Mike Norvell got one when he took over the Seminole program at the end of 2019...
“I just walked right into his office with the spear and handed it to him," adds Lojan. "A week later in the mail, I got a handwritten letter from coach Norvell thanking me for this gift.”
For more information on John's spears, you can visit gotspears.com.
