New Atlatls

[clewis]

A few atlatls I made a while ago and have been using for some time, so I decided they needed some color (red and yellowish ochre) sealed up with poly. The hooked stick works awesome and the other is loosely based on the basket maker type, just have to reassemble it now.

[bjrogg]

Strange thing Clewis, I just got on the site to ask about Atlatls and darts. I know just enough about them to be dangerous. I have a really nice Red Osier shoot I could get a really nice 5' main dart shaft out of. I only threw a Atlatl once and I wasn't at all impressive but I am interested. I'm wondering about spine and weight, any basic rule of thumb measurement's to fit a person, Atlatl and dart. I thought the fellow that let me throw his said darts flex up and down, instead of side to side like arrows. By the way nice Atlatl Clewis sorry to get off track.
Bjrogg

[selfbow joe]

Very cool!

[clewis]

Bjrogg, I use red oiser and some type of willow, both work really good but Red oiser harder to find in my area. I have one red oiser dart about same dimensions you mentioned and its about 5"7 and its 1/2" at the distal end and about 1/4" at the proximal end, its got that classic ocelating motion when thrown. As for spine check out basketmaker atlatl youtube or elfshot blogspot Tim Rast. Other than that I have no idea lol. I asked a local retired archeologist who studied wear patterns on projectile points about spine his response was "A herd of caribou is hard to miss" lol

[bjrogg]

Thanks Clewis I appreciate the info. No herds of caribou here.lol. Not sure I'll ever try to hunt with one or even if it's legal here but I'd like to make one that I could learn how to throw accurately. Besides a Atlatl and some pretty darts would look real cool on my man cave wall. Stone point fore shafts of course.
Bjrogg

[clewis]

Glad I can help, a good set on the wall makes for an impressive display. In a historical context a herd is hard to miss lol. Theres a wealth of knowledge that came out from the Yukon ice patches, several intact dart shafts were retrieved of various construction methods and materials as well. Look it up, there are some nice foreshafts with the binding and point intact that were recovered with several specimens that were hafted with an ochre and sap pitch mix, pretty interesting. When I return home ill post pics of my raw seasoned red oiser shafts and my completed ones if it helps.

[Hawkdancer]

I think my darts are 72" x 1/2" with target points.  I got them from Thunderbird Atlatls, Bob seems to be one of the gurus for the atlatl.  I hope to be casting  again soon.  I am not sure of the spine on the darts but they do flex when cast.  The wisdom seems to be your dart should be as tall as you are, but there are exceptions to every " rule"😀👹!  I have been able to keep the darts in the target butts most of the time.  The problem is I spend a lot of time explaining what I'm doing to the spectators!  After all, that new technology has only been around 30, maybe 40 thousand years😂😀.  Maybe we can get an atlatl emoji?  Hint, hint
Hawkdancer

[Hawkdancer]

Btw, there is an atlatl/spear season in Nebraska for big game, not sure of the dates
Hawkdancer

[feathersnwood]

I have a friend who makes atlatis  and took a deer in Nebraska last year I was really impressed to say the least 
I think he had been trying for a couple of years.

[Lucasade]

In the UK it is I believe legal (or at least not illegal) to hunt with an atlatl, simply because when they wrote the law banning hunting with bows the people who wrote it apparently weren't aware of them 

[Hawkdancer]

If they don't know - don't tell 'em👹!
Hawkdancer

[Jodocus]

I like atlatls a lot. Nice work.

[willie]

Theres a wealth of knowledge that came out from the Yukon ice patches, several intact dart shafts were retrieved of various construction methods and materials as well.

Some interesting finds for sure, have you tried to copy any of them? I find that my thrower likes to be a bit shorter than the traditional "1/3 of dart length" for those heavier darts.

[clewis]

Theres a wealth of knowledge that came out from the Yukon ice patches, several intact dart shafts were retrieved of various construction methods and materials as well.

Some intereesting finds for sure, have you tried to copy any of them? I find that my thrower likes to be a bit shorter than the traditional "1/3 of dart length" for those heavier darts.

Ive researched a little bit and there have been a few intact full length birch darts recovered. So in the winter I cut some birch samplings down intending to split into blanks for darts, but thats as far as I got. Probably fairly dry and stable by now, So maybe Ill give it a go this weekend.

[trail walker]

that is way cool! top one Like an atlatl that i saw at the museum by me. The Fremont Indians used ones just like it. i think its funny how small and skinny they made them. But they must of worked or they would have all starved!