Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: david w. on June 12, 2008, 03:22:18 pm

Title: whistling arrows
Post by: david w. on June 12, 2008, 03:22:18 pm
is there  any way to make a whistling arrow/arrowhead?  Sort of like a signal arrow or something.
Title: Re: whistling arrows
Post by: Papa Matt on June 12, 2008, 03:47:30 pm
Brother, I don't know about whistling personally--but I have read that the English longbowmen used to cut the feathers with notches or something to produce a whistling effect, for the purpose of instilling fear in the enemy when they hear thousands of whistling arrows raining down on them from hundreds of yards away.

The only thing I have personally done that I can tell you about, I did by accident. I made me some practice arrows and come to find out did not really put the right kind of fletching on them. When I shoot them, they kind of sound like a flu flu and make a sound through the air like they are shooting flames. This is because I used softer wing feathers from the wild turkey and twisted them so they arrows would spiral. I did not use the hard primary wing feathers. Also, I left the feathers too high and didn't trim them down enough. Anyway, that's the only sound I've ever been able to produce from an arrow. I am pretty sure the article about whistling arrows said they had notches of some kind cut in the feathers. I will read on it and post again if I find the article.

-Ol Matt
Title: Re: whistling arrows
Post by: Papa Matt on June 12, 2008, 03:59:07 pm
Brother, I think I was wrong about notching the feathers. I put "Whistling Arrows" in a yahoo search and have been reading that they used to drill holes in the arrowheads. Now that you've mentioned it, I think I will try one too.
Title: Re: whistling arrows
Post by: Hillbilly on June 12, 2008, 04:53:43 pm
There is an online tutorial somewhere for making whistling arrowheads from ping-pong balls. If I get a chance later, I'll try to look it up. Kustom King archery sells whistling heads.
Title: Re: whistling arrows
Post by: huntertrapper on June 12, 2008, 05:55:51 pm
i have had my feathers make kinda of a swoosh sound from being to fluffy but sounds like arrowheads with holes would do it
Title: Re: whistling arrows
Post by: Kegan on June 12, 2008, 06:04:45 pm
As Hillbilly said, pingpong balls are the easiest. Just mount it on a longer arrow, behind the point, and cut three triangular notches (pointing toward the tip I believe) on the front.

But I'm recalling from memory, so I might have missed something :P
Title: Re: whistling arrows
Post by: david w. on June 12, 2008, 06:09:08 pm
thanks that pinpong ball sonds good. i have seen a picture of one before and it was shaped like a pingpong ball with holes in it so i am going to try it sometime
Title: Re: whistling arrows
Post by: 1/2primitive on June 13, 2008, 02:04:38 pm
As Hillbilly said, pingpong balls are the easiest. Just mount it on a longer arrow, behind the point, and cut three triangular notches (pointing toward the tip I believe) on the front.

But I'm recalling from memory, so I might have missed something :P

Yep, Kegan, you got it. I've done one or two of those before, I should try it again. I saw it in an old PA mag.
     Sean
Title: Re: whistling arrows
Post by: JackCrafty on June 13, 2008, 03:27:24 pm
Easy, just put one of those miniature, electronic, noise-making gizmo's on the tip of the arrow.  You can probably get one that says "I'm comin' ta getcha!".

Oh, you mean a primitive whistling arrow?  The Chinese made quite a few back in the day.
Title: Re: whistling arrows
Post by: Phillip K on June 19, 2008, 02:56:24 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZi18NIx04A
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.arco-iris.com/George/images/arrow_whistle_thm.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.arco-iris.com/George/archery.htm&h=100&w=77&sz=3&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=hLBK0vUZYw1ZdM:&tbnh=82&tbnw=63&prev=/images%3Fq%3DWhistling%2BArrow%2Bheads%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
Title: Re: whistling arrows
Post by: welch2 on June 19, 2008, 11:43:20 am
We used to tape bottle rockets to the tips . That made a bit of noise , and pretty colors .  ;D

Or check out this old original arrow.

http://198.170.108.27/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1050 (http://198.170.108.27/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1050)

Ralph
Title: Re: whistling arrows
Post by: Phillip K on June 21, 2008, 04:01:57 am
I made one from a fishing bobber, its posted with My newest Bone Stickerz