- This atlatl is a high tech, precision model made for
sport throwing of darts by Bob Perkins of BPS
Engineering in Montana. This is one of the nicest
atlatls I have ever seen. The spur is a ball bearing that
hooks into the conical end of the darts. The atlatl has a
bannerstone weight attached to balance the atlatl for
greater control. The grip is wrapped with leather and
there are leather finger loops. Two darts are included
with this item. The darts are Aluminum and seperate into
two pieces for easy storage and transport. The tips are
steel target tips. Because these darts are rather old,
the fletching is in poor condition and may need to be
replaced for proper flight. One of the darts has a small
compression ding that does not appear to be a major
structural issue.
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- Atlatl: Length = 69 cm ; Weight = 194 gm ; Darts
(each): Length = 180 cm ; Weight = 86 gm
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- The larger blowgun is a high precision model made out
of Aluminum tubing. The grip and mouthpiece is rubber.
There are two fishing pole "eyes" wrapped onto the body
and a spring loaded swivel with steel leader attached to
one of the eyes, possibly for positioning and aiming the
blowgun prior to shooting the darts. This blowgun is two
piece for easy storage and transport. There are no darts
with this blowgun, but you can make your own using
shishkabob sticks and cotton or needles and cotton or
paper. The manufacturer is unknown (probably not Bob
Perkins), but it is very well made. Blowgun: Length = 179
cm ; Weight = 366 gm
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- The smaller blowgun (bottom photo) is probably made
out of Aluminum tubing. The terminal end and mouthpiece
are made out of plastic. The grip, midway along the
length, is made out of a soft foam material. There are no
darts with this blowgun, but you can make your own using
shishkabob sticks and cotton or needles and cotton or
paper. The manufacturer is unknown, but it is a very well
made commercial product. Blowgun: Length = 48 cm ; Weight
= 70 gm
The atlatl is a device that is used to throw a light
weight spear called a dart with considerable
mechanical advantage. Atlatls were widely used world wide
before the advent of the bow and arrow. Atlatl
(pronounced like 'atlantic') is an Aztec word for spear
thrower. In Australia, the Aborigines call it the Woomera
or Miru. The oldest known atlatl is more than 19,000
years old. It is believed that the atlatl was in use for
more than 40,000 years. The atlatl gave man a tremendous
hunting advantage and this accelerated the extinction of
many large mammals throughout the world. The power that
the atlatl imparts to the spear is so great that the
Aztecs re-adopted the technology for it's armor piercing
capabilities against the Spaniards in the sixteenth
century.
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- Today, many people are rediscovering the atlatl for
the recreational purposes of competition and hunting
game. Competition involves the following events: long
distance; accuracy and target throwing. Some competitions
are restricted to the use of primitive materials and
technologies. Other competitions allow the use of modern
high tech materials and construction methods. The World
Record for long distance currently stands at 848.56 feet.
This throw was made by Dave Ingvall of St. Joseph,
Missouri, USA on 15 July 1995 in Aurora, Colorado. Dave
used a carbon fibre atlatl with an aluminum dart of his
own construction.
For detailed information about atlatls from different
cultures, please visit the flight-toys
atlatl web page.
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