Finished Atlatls

Four new atlatls

I finished up those four atlatls that I started on Monday.  The bodies of each one is more or less the same, but I played around with different spur and finger loop designs as well as hafting materials.  The one that is going to the client in Alberta needed to be fairly robust and suitable for a lot of wear and tear from elementary school children.  For that one I went with artificial sinew and epoxy to hold it all together, while I used sinew, gut and hide glue on others.

The one on top is the one that I'm sending to the client.  Like the other three, is is made from maple, with a moose antler spur and leather finger loops.  The lashing on the spur and finger loops are artificial sinew and epoxy.

Ready for a dart

The only real disappointment is that I probably won't get a chance to play with them at the venue I was testing out.  I was hoping that we could include an atlatl toss in an upcoming Newfoundland and Labrador Archaeological Society event, but the field we have available at the venue is a little too cramped to do it safely.  The security guard who asked me to stop throwing the darts agreed that it was an unsuitable venue for atlatls.  It will have to be another place and time.

They range in length from 47-55 cm long

Photo Credits: Tim Rast