Do I not take the non-proficiency penalty with the harpoon?

[Ravingdork]

A harpoon is a barbed spear with an attached rope 50 feet or less in length. Most harpoons have metal points, but some use ivory or are made entirely of wood. If you are proficient with the harpoon, it is a grappling weapon. A harpoon's weight includes 10 pounds for the weight of 50 feet of hemp rope. The weight can be reduced by using shorter or lighter rope. If you are not proficient with a harpoon, treat it like a spear.

If I have Simple Weapon proficiency, but not Harpoon Proficiency, do I take a -4 penalty to hit?

After all, if I treat it as a spear--a simple weapon--then I don't take any penalties, right? I only lose the grapple ability, right?

[SlimGauge]

Ravingdork wrote:

If I have Simple Weapon proficiency, but not Harpoon Proficiency, do I take a -4 penalty to hit?

If you're using the harpoon as a spear and giving up the grapple ability, you do not take the -4 for non-proficiency.

The bolded text may be preventing a non-proficient character from using a harpoon as a harpoon (retaining the grapple ability) by taking the -4 penalty, but that's not the only way it can be read.

[The Golux]

Yeah, I think it means that you can just throw it or fight with it as a spear, you just can't use the grapple function unless you're exotically proficient or take the penalty.