Atlatl Darts

I made these quite a while ago and they seem to arouse a lot of interest at groups and when we show them off,

 

they are 6ft long

 

 



they are fletched with swan and rook feathers, and whipped with nylon thread, I didn't go fully native with these as I have done with arrows in the past

 

 

the head is bone and sits in a small piece of bamboo,the idea being that when the dart hits an animal the head disengages and you can retrieve the dart, the atlatl itself (thrower) is a hazel rod with an antler point to hold the dart ready for throwing

 

 

and this is how the dart inengaged, it's simply a strong forward arm throw and wrist flick and the dart is propelled quite a distance!! Be careful, they are not toys!!