The Oldest and Most Incredible Weapons System...Ever. The ATLATL.

reply to post by Nola213


I wouldn't be surprised if Bear was able to do that. He is one of the most highly trained people on earth. I hope I don't run into him famished in a dark canyon somewhere because he just might eat my liver because its full of fat, protein, and packed with energy.

by the way,I want a collapsed titanium atlatl. You know, for christmas

both times the argument was to "gain experience"... since when taking a life for gaining experience is ok? i didnt realise the life of the deer was less of importance than ours...?

dont cry when the aliens will step on you like roaches... you'll be like animals to them... food for thought...

Awesome thread! i'm a big fan of "primitive" skills and fully support this being called a weapons system, as at least two separate elements are combined to make a supremely effective whole.
It's a very subtle system with lots of "added value" too - for example, adding shaped weights (look up bannerstones) removes the whooshing sound from the action and increases stealth, and the way that the long darts flex and wobble in the air results in increased trauma and bleeding in the unfortunate victim.
When you ally this to the fact that they are easily made with simple tools and materials to be found in many locations, then you are on to a real survival winner - the points can be simply made too, and no knappable rocks where you are? no problems, simply make them from glass. Glass points (from bottle bottoms for example) are easily made with a little tution and practice - they can be done in about 20 mins, with a little practice... and need nowt but a small stone and piece of bone or antler for tools.. very sharp (not durable but good enough to make sure you dont go hungry) and knapping is a superior suvival skill.

youtu.be...

oh yar, S+F for you!

incredible weapons system???????? hardly, on the tv show Deadliest Warrior they test all manner of weapons old and new, and they tested the Atlatl and found it lacking,is was wielded by an expert in its use, it had 100yrd range but not very accurate and very little penetration.i have seen almost every episode of this most interesting show, and this is typical of all these wonder weapons, user needs extensive training and continual practice, they just arn't efective weapons,some weapons were and are used to instill fear in your enemy regardless of their effectivness, and i bet the atlatl was used in mass against a charging enemy where accuracy wasent a concern but high rate of fire and long range was.it whittled the enemys numbers down a little and made the enemy think they were going up agains a suppior opponent with more sophisitcated weapons,giving the atlatl users a slight psycalogical boost.for Close Combat the ones that are effective are the tried and true ones like spears and swords ,bows and arrows ,crossbows,and such stick with those that have proven their worth over the centuries,you can get training with those also, but not some wonder weapon that no one uses today, or didn't use centuries ago either.keep it simple folks, leave the wonder weapons for the experts.

Originally posted by madokie
incredible weapons system???????? hardly, on the tv show Deadliest Warrior they test all manner of weapons old and new, and they tested the Atlatl and found it lacking,is was wielded by an expert in its use, it had 100yrd range but not very accurate and very little penetration.i have seen almost every episode of this most interesting show, and this is typical of all these wonder weapons, user needs extensive training and continual practice, they just arn't efective weapons,some weapons were and are used to instill fear in your enemy regardless of their effectivness, and i bet the atlatl was used in mass against a charging enemy where accuracy wasent a concern but high rate of fire and long range was.it whittled the enemys numbers down a little and made the enemy think they were going up agains a suppior opponent with more sophisitcated weapons,giving the atlatl users a slight psycalogical boost.for Close Combat the ones that are effective are the tried and true ones like spears and swords ,bows and arrows ,crossbows,and such stick with those that have proven their worth over the centuries,you can get training with those also, but not some wonder weapon that no one uses today, or didn't use centuries ago either.keep it simple folks, leave the wonder weapons for the experts.

Your comments and arguments are so far off the OP that I can't even respond without doing it line by line.

In order to save us both some time, please revisit the OP and also the vids.

Peace

reply to post by madokie


yeah.... this is the survival forum, any clues there?

i often wonder how "great" early inventions came about (i dont read on the loo, see), and i'm of the opinion that ancient folk sometimes had a fair bit of time on their hands in time of plenty, such as after a big kill, leading to play, experimentation and innovation.
For me this started off when learning how to use a bow-drill for fire-making and the spindle would keep shooting out... i nearly got someone in the eye one time, and wondered if stone age peeps had the same issue, leading to a eureka moment and the invention of the bow and arrow. this led to me thinking that the atlatl's lever motion may come from kids flicking hot marrow at each other from the end of bones around the fire (like using a ruler for spit and ink ball fights in school). not very academic, i know (yar, and a bit of a stretch), but i do like to think that absent minded play is as much the mother of invention as neccessity.

Nice info never heard of this before. Its amazing what we could do. I would still prefer to go hunting with an AK though

Originally posted by Dbobt
Nice info never heard of this before. Its amazing what we could do. I would still prefer to go hunting with an AK though

But when hunting in a survival scenario, that AK sure gives away your location. The ATLATL does the job and keeps you hidden as well. Last thing you want is someone coming up on you and your stash.

Also, where oh where can I buy some more ammo for my AK? Oh wait, here's a tree! I'll just make another projectile for my ATLATL!

I understand the desire for current tech but sometimes we don't have that luxury.

Peace

Originally posted by MojaveBurning
Very interesting, thanks for sharing! Like someone else, I was interested in seeing how these would be made with no modern technology, and I found a pretty good video (in my opinion). Thought I'd share, it looks useful!

atlatl using only stone tools

I'll post the vid here as it is definitely useful information.

Thanks!

reply to post by Alda1981


I see your point. Counter me this.....when an animal, a Lion for example, kills a human for food and possibly experience(a mother teaching its young how to hunt), how is that any different?

My point here is this: Life is not important in the grand scheme of things. Creatures die by the thousands everyday. With that being said....How is a human killing an animal for food & experience any different than a pack of animals killing a human for food & possibly experience? I can answer that. There is no difference. Humans are animals after all. Please, do me a favor, don't respond with a statement that as humans we are somehow above that type of behavior. We are not. It is civilization that gives us the illusion that we are.

I will mention it again: Why do you imply a negative bias for a human killing an animal for experience & food? I am asking out of pure curiosity because I just can't see how such an action could be interpreted as negative.

reply to post by madokie


Did you read anything on this thread before posting that?

If you can make a crossbow with a piece of flint,you are a demi-god.

The point of the thread was that the Atlatl is a deceptively simple weapon that is effective for hunting(after a lot o' practice,of course)and is easy to make.

but not some wonder weapon that no one uses today, or didn't use centuries ago either.keep it simple folks, leave the wonder weapons for the experts

*puzzled*How many thrown stones does it take to kill an elk?

The atlatl was a tremendous tool for survival but the Rocky music is really stupid. I guess PETA will be looking for an embassy to burn now.

reply to post by jude11

Obviously an atlatl is no match for a rifle or crossbow but it would be great to have in your arsenal to save ammo while hunting - or devastating up against a foe reduced to throwing spears or rocks. Certainly you'll need to practice a lot to become proficient with it, but worth your time if it can feed and protect you.

I've been fascinated by this weapon/tool ever since I saw them used in the early 80's caveman survival movie "Quest for Fire" - that movie is really the first thing that got me interested in wilderness survival, that and "First Blood"

I am a big fan of primitive weapons because they work. The sling is not a toy folks...it can be a devastating tool. The atlatl, the sling, the sling staff...all worked for a really-really long time. I am a woodcarver/woodworker. I make these things and generally give them away as wall hangers even though they are completely functional....

The Long Bow...omg....what a development that beast was....and if you do your homework, they are not that incredibly terrible to make....but it takes time and patience.

Here is some links you might like.

Primitive weapons

How to build a long bow

The bane of the samurai sword

There are many tools out there, find the one that you are most comfortable with.

reply to post by Jeremiah65


Another good site Primitive Ways

The sections 'Arrow Straightening' and 'Grow Your Own Bowstring' could be invaluable if modern made supplies ever become hard to come by.

Originally posted by RedParrotHead
reply to post by Jeremiah65

 

Another good site Primitive Ways

The sections 'Arrow Straightening' and 'Grow Your Own Bowstring' could be invaluable if modern made supplies ever become hard to come by.

Thanks for the link...invaluable.

I actually know about the arrow straightening and have always marveled at how primitive man came up with this method. Simple but effective.

Peace

GREAT THREAD!!!! Its great to see maybe the most proven (time wise) human hunting instrument to get some cred. Aside from what the "Deadliest Warrior" guys say, this is in fact, as far as I know, the very first weapons system invented, besides just picking up a rock and going Nolan Ryan on a deer/mammoth/whatever. Freakin awesome thread, and great info.
-Not a fewgoodwomen, but her fiance (The website STILL won't let me create my own profile, dang it!)

Hate to be that guy, well it would actually be Dave Canterbury from the Pathfinder School, in the vid below he shows a cool arrow which works somewhat like the atlatl. It called the Swiss arrow.

He does go on to say, for those who my not be able to see vids, that this arrow and things like the atlatl were used in group hunting situations. against game that were probably not afraid of humans and were probably not going to be scared away, allowing multiple hunters to sling away till the brought something like a mammoth or mastodon down. I noticed in the video in the OP it states that the boy is unseen by the deer because he is hidden by a tree. That is what Dave points out. The amount of movement involved with these types of weapons is a weakness. They are sure to scare any skittish game off if you don't hit them with the first throw.

A great thread. S&F

Here's how my people use the Woomera - "ATLATL"

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