How to Make and Use an Atlatl

Scott J Murray

Dedicated to Eleanor Van Winkle, without whom I would have never

discovered the joys of eating raw food.

Published by No One.
No One (USA)., 10241 SE Green St., Portland OR, 97201.

Copyright 2013 Scott J Murray

All rights reserved. No part of this
booklet shall be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system or transmitted
by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent
liability is assumed with respect to
the use of the information contained
herein. Although every precaution
has been taken in the preparation of
this book, the publisher and authors
assume no responsibility for errors
or omissions. Neither is any liability
assumed for damages resulting from
the use of information contained
herein. For information, address No
One, 10241 SE Green St., Portland
OR, 97201.
Printed in the United States of America.

Note: This publication contains the

opinions and ideas of its authors. It
is intended to provide helpful and
informative material on the subject
matter covered. It is sold with the
understanding that the authors and
publisher are not engaged in rendering professional services in the
book. If the reader requires personal
assistance or advice, a competent
profiessional should be consulted.
The authors and publishers pecifically disclaim any responsibility for
any liability, loss, or risk, personal
or otherwise, which is incurred as a
consequence, directly or indirectly,
of the use and application of any of
the contents of this book.

Contents
What is an Atlatl?

Atlatl Construction

Dart Construction

The Arrowhead

10

Using the Atlatl

12

What is an Atlatl?

An Ancient Weapon
An atlatl is a simple tool used to
throw a spear, dart or an arrow. It
predates the bow and arrow by several thousand years with the earliest
archeological evidence of its use
placed at around 25,000 years ago.
Surprisingly powerful, the atlatl was
used to hunt game as large as wooly
mammoth and rhinoceros. Until the
1980s it was believed that the atlatl
was an fairly inefficient weapon, but
once it was tested with flexible darts
it became apparent just how powerful it could be.
The atlatl is one of the first examples of a compound weapon, defined
as a tool to enhance human power. It
doubles the length of the throwers
arm, increasing its range by a factor
of 6 and its power by a factor of 200.
An atlatl-thrown dart can have as
much impact as an arrow fired from
a 60 lb bow, out-powering almost

any thrown spear. The Aztecs even

ended up re-adopting the atlatl in
the 16th century to fight the Spanish
Conquistadors because of the power
it generates.
A few cultures still use an atlatl
today, including the aborigines of
Australia and the Native Alaskans.
It has also seen a resurgence as
a sport-hunting and recreational
weapon across the globe.
An atlatl can be constructed
entirely with things found in nature.
Two branches, a small rock, feathers and a binding material are all
thats required. Ancient peoples
used animal sinew or reeds to bind
their atlatls and darts, but for our
purposes waxed dental floss or
string will work just fine. The rest of
the materials can be found in a local
park or forest, or purchased for a
small price.
1

Making the Atlatl

Youll Need

A. Forked branch of approximately

to 1 in diameter

G. Waxed dental floss (or another

type of binding string)

B. Small rock, ideally with natural

notches for securing it to the branch

H. Respirator (if you choose to use

the mechanical grinder for shaping)

C. Electric grinder (optional)

I. Safety glasses (if you choose to use

the mechanical grinder for shaping)

D. Knife

A lighter or other fire source can

also be used to heat the bind.

E. File (optional)
F. Saw

Selecting and Shaping the Branch

An atlatl can be made from anything, really, but for the purposes
of this book we will be constructing
one from a tree branch. If it was
good enough for primitive man it
shall be good enough for us. The
only thing that matters is whether or
not the branch you select is able to
comfortably hold your dart, which
will have a notch cut into its base.
A branch of suitable thickness
must be selected to ensure that your
atlatl will not break or bend when in
use, but not so thick that it becomes
cumbersome or you are unable to
bind your weight to it (which will be
a small stone). As a rule of thumb,
for beginners, the length of the atlatl

should be approximately the length

of the users forearm. The branch
should be straight or relatively so,
but may be carved or straightened
over a fire if it is not.
Removing the branch from the
tree can be done with a saw, knife or
hatchet.
Once removed the top branch can
be sawn, leaving a nub large enough
to fit into the base of the dart. The
tip of the nub may be hardened with
fire to provide for a longer life of
your atlatl.
Excess bark can be removed with
a knife. At this point the atlatl is
ready to throw a dart, but were going to add a weight to the shaft.
3

About the Stone

The stone will be tied to the balance

point of the atlatl. This is a good
starting point for stone placement.
Your preference may change as you
experiment with placing the stone
up or down on the atlatl.
The purpose of the stone is a
subject of debate amongst atlatlists,
some claim that it increases the
forcefulness of the throw while others maintain that it only adds weight
(resulting in greater accuracy). It can

be avoided altogether or various sizes and shapes can be experimented

with. A typical weight is less than 2
ounces, but this may vary as well.
A suitable stone will be one that is
not too difficult to attach to the atlatl
itself. Notches can be carved into the
stone along the base and its topside
to make binding easier. Cutting
these notches can be performed with
a mechanical grinder or a file, the
former being the least strenuous.

Binding the Stone

Ancient peoples used animal sinew
and other naturally-found products
to bind things together but for our
purposes we can use twine, string
or the authors choicewaxed
dental floss. Dental floss is strong
when bound multiple times and
the wax can be heated slightly to fix
it in place. It will be easier to bind
the stone if it is grooved along the
bottom, as this will prevent it from
slipping off of the atlatl during the
binding process.
Bind tightly along the notches that
you made in the stone, being careful
not to break the string.
Heat lightly along the points
where the bind makes contact with
a surface. Be careful not to burn or
apply too much heat. Avoid heating
your bind of the material will burn
instead of melt.

Finishing a Bind
Finishing a bind with dental floss
is very easy to do. Cut a smaller
length of dental floss and hold it so
it forms a loop. When near the last 10
or so wraps place the loop over the
path that the bind will follow and
continue. This will bind the loop to

the surface. When you reach the end

of the floss, place the last bit through
the loop and pull the loop out so
that the end of the floss secures
itself under the original bind. This
method may be more difficult with
other materials.

Making the Dart

Youll Need

A. All the tools and supplies from

making the atlatl

C. Feathers
D. Shapeable metal, bone, rock, etc.
for arrowhead creation

B. Flexible branches from 4 to 13

About the Dart

Although the atlatl is a precursor to
the bow its projectiles are commonly thought of as darts rather than
arrows. This means that the feathers
on its rear are used to keep the dart
from diving during flight rather
than to fly a straight path.
Like the atlatl itself, the dart can
be constructed from a wide variety
of materials. Whats most important
for an atlatl dart is length and flex-

ibility. A dart with a lot of flex will

readily store energy from the throw
whereas a rigid dart will likely be
impossible to aim correctly. Darts
vary in length, but the typical range
is 413.
Bamboo or river cane is a material of choice for atlatlists, although
any flexible material or branch of a
suitable length can be used.

Flexibility is Key
A good dart has most of its flexibility nearer to the contact point with
the atlatl. This ensures a maximum
of kinetic energy transferred to the
dart prior to its flight. Although

counterintuitive, the dart will fly

with more force and accuracy if the
thinner end is used as the base and the
thicker to fix the arrowhead.

Selecting a Branch
Its important to note that wood that
looks perfectly straight in the forest,
when stripped of its bark and left to
dry for a few days will often present
with bends and cracks. For our
purposes we will be leaving most of
the bark on so that the dart retains
its moisture and flexibility.
Find a straight branch of at least
4. Test the branch for flexibility and
remember that it will become more
rigid as it dries. Thickness should
be about the circumference of your
index finger.

Boring the Dart

The dart connects to the nub in the

atlatl when thrown, so a hole needs
to be bored in its base. With your
knife, trim your branch to a suitable
length. Take the thinner end and bore
into it. This can be done by inserting
the knife in the middle of the branch
and twisting it back and forth until
a hole is formed. The depth of the
hole will be sufficient when the dart
can be held in place in the atlatl,
attached at the nub.

Attaching the Feathers

Although a dart only needs the

feathers to prevent a dip in flight,
we will be adhering them in the
manner usually found on an arrow.
Cut three feathers of approximately
the same size along the quill so they
are a length of 410. Place these
feathers on the base of the dart in

a triangle along its circumference

and bind them with your material
of choice. Bind all the way past the
end of the quill on either side. The
middle of the feather need not be
bound. Heat slightly if the material
allows to fix the bind in place.

Making an Arrowhead

About the Head

The best head will work for whatever you intend the dart to do. If
you need a tip that will hold up to a
great degree of punishment, metal
may be the best choice. If you want
to create an authentic atlatl dart,
bone or stone may be used. To pierce

10

deep into your target, a large nail

can be a suitable replacement. For
the scope of this booklet, the head
presented is designed for repeated
use and to hold up over time. It is
best carved from a piece of hard
metal such as iron or steel.

The Design
This is the shape of the arrowhead
we will be carving. The point on its
base will be inserted into the shaft
of the dart and the notches along the
blade will be used to in its binding.
This arrowhead can be carved
from a variety of materials. A
mechanical grinder can make quick
work of bone and metal, but may
have a difficult time carving stone. If
you dont have access to a mechanical grinder, carving this shape out of
bone with a knife may be your best
option. A sharp metal arrowhead
will likely outlast other materials for
repeated use.

Attaching the Head

The arrowhead weve designed can

be fixed to the dart by working the
pointed base into the tip of the shaft.
Some splitting might occur, but
this will be taken care of when it is
bound with dental floss. Bind the
head in an X along the grooves in
its blade as well as down the shaft of

the dart to cover any splitting that

occurred. This binding method will
keep the head attached to the shaft
even after repeated impacts. The further and tighter you make the bind
the longer it will hold. Heat the bind
slightly if the material allows.
11

Using the Atlatl

Youll Need

A. Dart

C. Target of your choosing

B. Atlatl

Grip
With the dart inserted into the nub
of the atlatl, grip the dart with your
index finger and thumb and use the
remaining fingers to hold on to the
atlatl itself. Hold the dart in place
by gripping its sides. Avoid placing
your fingers over the top of the dart,
as this will prevent it from releasing
when it needs to.

12

Sighting
Sighting an atlatl is more intuitive
than sighting another weapon like
a bow or a rifle. Bringing your grip
hand up near your ear so you can
sight along the shaft of the dart will
be your best bet at making sure it
lines up with the target.

Throwing

Throwing an atlatl is very similar to

throwing a baseball. In order to get
the maximum amount of speed and
power with your throw you need to
use your entire body. Lean back, balancing on your back foot. Step forward and shift your weight to your
front foot while sliding your arm
forward, keeping the dart pointed
at the target. Snap your wrist when
your arm is completely extended,

downward and hard. Dont worry

about releasing the dart. It will
come free on its own at the proper
moment. Experiment with different
throwing styles until you find one
that works right for you. Dont focus
too much on how hard your throw is
at first. Speed and power will develop on their own while you work on
developing a smooth, consistent and
accurate throw.

13

Further Reading
The New Atlatl And Dart Workbook
By Wyatt R. Knapp. Paperback book containing all the information one
might need to build an atlatl for different purposeshunting, fun or competition. Includes diagrams and illustrations and advanced topics like how
to use sinew as a binding agent.

Primitive Technology: A Book of Earth Skills

Information on not only construction and use of the atlatl but various other
primitive weapons. Also has fun information on music and art.

waa.basketmakeratlatl.com
Official homepage of the World Atlatl Association. Lots of articles and links
to atlatl information and an active forum for discussion.

About the Author

Scott J Murray is a designer and illustrator
based out of Portland, Oregon. His interest
in primal weaponry began when he began
eating a diet of exclusively raw foods in 2012.
Able to eat almost anything wild in its raw
state, he became interested in how ancient
man went about procuring animal meats. This
led to a series of experiments with slingshots,
bows, and other ancient hunting methods.

Copyright 2013 Scott J Murray, all rights reserved.

14

15