Slinging, Death by Pebble :)
Jul 15, 2009 5:47:49 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2009 5:47:49 GMT
A fascinating site which likely has cropped up in a thread already has come to my attention:
slinging.org/
A site devoted to the construction, history and use of the humble sling, used to cast small projectiles such as stones, moulded lead shot (called glandes) or anything else solid and shaped that would fit in the casting pouch.
Its interesting to come to this site based on what could be histories oldest projectile weapon next to lobbing the stone yourself. Its ressonated with quite an old chord within me.
WARNING: OLD REMINISCING BIT COMING:
When I was a nipper, say about 8 years old and my brother 5 we lived in the country at that point, we were good boys and didnt get into much mischief just carrying on around the town and farms.
I had a couple of long lengths of cotton material and me and my brother somehow figured out to tie two knots in either end and load large gravel stones and cast them out by flinging them sideways or giving it a twirl and loosing it often at a real estate sign on a barbwire fence (which over the course of the day developed many holes through its plastic facing).
In hindsight its spooky to think this came naturally to me and my brother, maybe a genetic memory of a far ancestor who knows, but that was 19 years ago and I've been stirred again and I tell you its a whole lot of fun, made a large sized one to suit a tennis ball so I practice against a brick wall with minimal risk to people and property. And if it goes over the neighbours fence, hey ....... those damn local kids
slinging.org/
A site devoted to the construction, history and use of the humble sling, used to cast small projectiles such as stones, moulded lead shot (called glandes) or anything else solid and shaped that would fit in the casting pouch.
Its interesting to come to this site based on what could be histories oldest projectile weapon next to lobbing the stone yourself. Its ressonated with quite an old chord within me.
WARNING: OLD REMINISCING BIT COMING:
When I was a nipper, say about 8 years old and my brother 5 we lived in the country at that point, we were good boys and didnt get into much mischief just carrying on around the town and farms.
I had a couple of long lengths of cotton material and me and my brother somehow figured out to tie two knots in either end and load large gravel stones and cast them out by flinging them sideways or giving it a twirl and loosing it often at a real estate sign on a barbwire fence (which over the course of the day developed many holes through its plastic facing).
In hindsight its spooky to think this came naturally to me and my brother, maybe a genetic memory of a far ancestor who knows, but that was 19 years ago and I've been stirred again and I tell you its a whole lot of fun, made a large sized one to suit a tennis ball so I practice against a brick wall with minimal risk to people and property. And if it goes over the neighbours fence, hey ....... those damn local kids