Primitive Survival - Handmade Throwing Arrow

[@leggy6234]

Made these as kid's in the 60s/70s, cardboard flights and washing line, thought such things were long extinct, thanks for the memories.

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- I thought the same, which is why I thought I’d make the video. Maybe keep the tradition going. 😊💙

[@glynmozzie2143]

Ditto

[@MikeInOregon]

Home made lawn darts!!

[@stephengamble9388]

I did aswell. Lethal.

[@michaelrollinson7371]

Just brought a manly tear to my eye. I remember making these with my late Dad. He's been gone 12 years now. Thanks for the memory.

[@shinster12]

I spent many hours throwing these arrows as a kid John, we used to call them Dutch arrows, brings back lot of memories 👍

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- Endless fun as kids with them mate. Kids nowadays don’t know what fun is!! Haha

[@shinster12]

Sad but true 🤔James was definitely enjoying dad n lad time 👍😂

[@simonmorris4226]

My dad showed me how to make these half a century ago. He called them Dutch Arrows as well!

[@richardlewis3249]

yep Dutch arrows here in Wales too. :)

[@deanrutter3133]

Remember playing with these when I was a kid. But we used to put the barrel of a set of darts on the end, for the weight. But used a thin branch rather bamboo

[@stever1948]

Oh my goodness, we used to use Dutch arrows to hunt rabbits and pigeons back home in Wales, in the late 60s. We used holly sticks and cornflakes boxes for the flights. Loving the energy of young James there, great bonding time. ❤️❤️

[@CristiNeagu]

3:30 Safety warning: Always assume that the shaft will split in half all the way down and the knife blade will end up in whatever lies along the shaft, which in this case is your hand. This is how i cut my finger to the bone.

[@richardl7161]

I agree, it looked like an accident waiting to happen to me, with his left hand 5cm below the blade as he was pushing down. Much safer to use a larger blade and tap it down with a small hammer - more control and both hands out of the way.

[@michaelkelly757]

As a kid in the 60 s we used to make them and crossbow, s I rember useing the nicker alastic to fire the arrow this brought back lots of memories john im going to do this with my grand children. Try to get there minds off the gameboy and fresh air in there lungs. Thanks for the memories.

[@VIP6751]

Hi guys. Lovely video again. We made these throwing arrows back in the late sixties/early seventies, and called them "French arrows" 'cos they never flew as far as English arrows. However, the fad quickly died off when a nine year old lad lost his eye when an arrow that was tipped with a four inch nail struck him. They can be decent fun, we tied a rag to the tip, soaked it in paraffin, set it on fire and then launched at pre-arranged targets. However John, you are bang on when you say that the "most fun" toys do need respect for health and safety.

[@lizg5574]

Growing up, like Shinster12, we called them Dutch arrows. My eldest brother used to make them for us and teach us the throwing technique in a field nearby - endless fun and great exercise, running to get them and throw them back. Ours were made from apple wood, only about 15inches long, so thrown with a length of parcel/butchers string. He sometimes added a small ring of lead pipe to the end and always bound them with waxed string. It was covered with a rubber glue - Evostick comes to mind - and then painted in bright colours. He took it further and used to put a broken mathematical compass point in the weighted end of his arrows - and even successfully hunted with just one arrow. I know we were the envy of the kids on the new estate - they had their flash bikes and we had skinned knees, muddy and grass stained clothing and all the fun! I am thankful that my parents taught us responsible behaviour and trusted us to act with caution so no-one ever got hurt! Happy memories!

[@MrRetepyesmar]

Such boyhood memories come flooding back. Thanks John. Maybe because i lived in Scotland as a boy, we had "gangs" formed from rival schools and challenged each other, usually at the empty school playing fields on Saturday or Sunday afternoon after tea time. We each made 3 dutch arrows to compete with , who could throw the farthest, who was the most accurate, who could smash a top floor school window! Aye.....there was always a bit of violence to make the fun complete!

[@granvillew12]

They really do need a health warning. I nearly took out a baby in a pram from about 120 yards when I was 11 or 12. It missed the mother and child by about 2 feet. Scared the shite out of me watching it head straight at them and nothing I could do about it. I pulled the throw about 25 yards to the left. They never knew a thing about it as it landed in a hedge they were walking past. Still gives me the shivers.

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- Holy cow!! I bet it did. I took a gasp as I was reading it!! Open spaces required. 😉

[@DRM-cu2dj]

This just made my day i used to do this as a kid and can not get my head round how many people have never heard of this hobby

[@rickt6802]

WOW this takes me back !!! we used to mess about with throwing arrows way back in the mid 70's !!!

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- Great fun aren't they 😉

[@jimbence7698]

Wow, that takes me back to the late 60's great fun.

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- Kids today don’t know what they’re missing. 🤣

[@geoff7121]

Remember these from when I was a kid in the early 70's. I used to nick my dads bean sticks to make them. They used to cause a few injuries. Great fun!

[@4KVideoPlaces]

I didn't know of anyone other than myself that new about this sport I played with my friends for many hours on the back fields in Manchester England when we were youngsters in 50s / 60s. I got a Bamboo Bow n Arrow in exchange for my worn out school pants, from the Rag n Bone man that came around our streets. All I wanted was the bamboo arrow, a thinner arrow than the one you show, and we used twine with a knotted end to throw the arrows just as you show. Great home made outdoor fun! Thanks for the memories John!

[@stephenking78]

Throwing Arrows, happy memories as we played with these as kids. Nice one John

[@andrewadam9544]

i am 58 and i was making these myself 50 years ago, great times, of course 8 year olds were allowed to use knives back then and had their own pocket knives , sharpening these things were how i was taught to always cut away from myself :)

[@cynt1111]

I’m expecting the next video to be catching bass in the shallows using throwing arrows. 😂

[@MrPhilbrooke]

Well John it seems lots of memories have come flooding back to a lot of your viewers ,me included. I use to make them using the thin green plant canes and playing cards for flights as a kid. Great vid as usual John and great when you have your own retriever, bless him. 👍

[@nigelbarrett3602]

Used to make these as kids about 50years ago we used playing cards for flights. Think i will have to show the grandson how to make a dutch arrow.Thanks John for sharing your adventures with us.

[@melmaskery7694]

I used to spend hours playing in the fields with these homemade arrows as a child... And i never got bored of it 👌🙂🙂

[@jamesmaltby3435]

We used to call these Dutch arrows growing up in South Wales. Many hours making these & peg guns when I was a kid. Thank for the upload.

[@markockenden7413]

God this brings back memories, made these as a kid, but we called them “bobby darts” and used to throw them the length of a footy pitch, goal to goal!!!👍

[@petermcgrath7887]

Fantastic John, brings back some very happy memories. Do I need one now, no. Am I off to by bamboo now, bloody right I am! We're all just kids at heart

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- That is what I hoped folks would do. I was literally thinking “Kids today don’t know what they’re missing with the weak ass toys today!!” Haha

[@roxiemorrell5145]

What a lot of fun, so simple yet really effective . It's lovely to see James enjoying retrieving the arrows! 😁💛

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- He is just joy isn’t he. 😊💙

[@roxiemorrell5145]

He really is ❤

[@davidmercer9533]

Brilliant John takes me way back used to make them with chicken feathers as flights hours of fun kids of today don't know what they are missing thanks for the memories keep safe tight lines

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- That is exactly what I was thinking. I was in a toy shop and thought to myself. Kids nowadays don’t know how to make fun. We had weeks of fun with a stick and some string!! Haha.

[@Elmeriad]

My grand father taught me how to make them 50 years ago and we would go out and have fun who could go the be the best.

[@saintac31Northernsoul]

Used to make these in Holland 🇳🇱 lived on a RAF camp dutch lads taught how to make em great 👍fun

[@trampster7306]

Good to see you back in the workshop John! That looks like a simple idea for hours of amusement! Young James on top form as usual - I bet he slept well that night! Stay safe & well. 👍👍

[@tyronekim3506]

Very nice hobby/sport. You and your son are having a good time. I learned something new today. Thank you. Have you considered, instead of cutting a slit on the plastic fletchings to bring the two fletchings together, just fold the fletchings and tape the two fletchings together to form an 'X' and slip it into the rear slits of the arrow. I think this method will give you a sturdier fletching and may last longer because there are no cuts on the fletching.

[@stanwilson8089]

Took me back a lot of years John,great memories.

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- I was literally thinking to myself as I saw some kids playing with foam swords. “Kids today just don’t have enough dangerous toys!!” 🤣🤣

[@stanwilson8089]

@@thefishlockerworkshop I still make my own catapults out of forked tree branches. I can't imagine what would happen if a kid went out with a catapult these days. Haha.

[@fitzbarbel]

Oh wow, John, all our yesterdays - what a crackin piece, lad. In the North West in the 50s we called them French arrows but with us mad Scouse kids, we used split cane and a pack of our dad's flights nicked from his pub 'arras spares set. Dad would come back after a night at the RAFA Club or the Buffs and go on about his 'spares' being rifled for flights and having to borrow his mate's. He wasn't too bothered, we knew because he had shown us how in the first place and told us about Grandad gettting angry when he nicked his as a boy. He did raise the roof when his mate's son, who was my 'bezzie' , took his dad's spares and they both found their spares had been 'visited' simultaneously, leaving with zero back-ups. My little brother would never fetch for me like James, unless I made one for him, he he was james's age. Me and my mate Bernie would have ended up with one bouncing off our heads, even if we were behind him. Great idea this John, me tea n toast went cold this morning watching and responding to this, forgetting breaky in the back room.

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- Just trying to keep a little bit of old school fun alive mate. Kids nowadays don't know how to make their own fun.

[@PhreddCrintt]

Oh!! The memories!! Thanks for this John! (Remember these so well!)

[@snertlegrubber]

Brilliant! I used to make those as a kid 60 years or so ago!! - but not quite that big! sometimes we added an arrowhead of sorts - but that's another story..... Lovely to see James enjoying himself!

[@kevinhughes2440]

Oh memories. I live 50yards from a good course and me and the boy's used to spend endless hours throwing these. We called them Dutch arrows. Used to add steel nuts taped at the point.

[@paulclarke267]

we made these as kids they were a great source of exercise great memories cheers

[@welshlyn9097]

Thanks 🙏 my childhood was all about these,playing cards for flight,s .hours and hours of fun.stay safe Lyn

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- Just trying to keep some of the oldschool fun alive

[@johnbelcher7955]

That takes me back! I remember a mate throwing one straight up in the air as we lost sight of it he ran about 15 ft away and it came down and landed by his foot. We made them from Hazel and changed too just one flight which worked just as well! Cheers John....

[@grahamallen3941]

Hi John did not get a notification of this one at all. Found in when scrolling through my photographic sites. Loved them! Great way to keep the kids entertained. James was having a lovely time. I did not realise how far they could go...wow. Think I will make some for the grandkids when I go over to Canada next year to see them. Pretty sure the boys will love them! Thanks so much for how to go make them. All the best Graham.

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- If you are not getting notifications then check you have "rung the bell" and selected "ALL" notifications. 😊

[@grahamallen3941]

The Fish Locker Workshop Hi John, the bell has been rung but this one escaped! I was pretty sure that I had rung the bell! I will keep an eye out for future videos. Graham

[@sandracoomer8756]

That was pretty cool. My grandsons will love that.

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- They are awesome fun. But like I said. Safety is to be advised. 😊👍🏻

[@willproctor7301]

The amount of paper like cuts from bamboo I took as a kid were unbelievable. We made everthing from fishing rods to kites and bows and arrows from these things back then. We used to use seagull or swam feathers (from the local pond) for the flights. Great memories :)

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- Just trying to keep some of the old school fun alive. 😉

[@shaunhowlett7479]

We used to make these as kids as well mate. We just called them flights but we made them just a foot long, playing card flights and shoe laces to throw them. Went forever. Great fun. Thanks for jogging my memory

[@janbundell6434]

We used to have endless hours of fun with these John....that was a heck of a long time ago though.....I’m 76....stay safe guys....Bob (IOW)

[@kollusion1]

An ams length, shoulder to finger tips is perfect. Props to your lil helper. Bet it was good to be a kid again hey! Great vid.

[@FelixImmler]

Super video!!

[@oscarm7689]

I love the emphasis on safety, especially with his kid there.

[@raygibson5205]

Hi John,Back in the 60,s we called them Dutch arrows.

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- I first knew them as “band arrows”

[@alanwoolley1681]

thanks for the memories John we used to call them Dutch arrows we also got a piece of wood about 2ft long dumped a lump of mud on the end then flicked it off with a throw went for miles called them mudgats happy days cheers Al

[@robertnicholson8532]

Dutch arrow's as they were called back in the day 😂 ....had some great fun with them, we used to have competition's to see who could get the furthest distances . We made them from lengths of between 2&3 feet bamboo cane with playing card flights

[@TahitivanRooyen]

Thank you for sharing the skills for this. Going to use it as an activity with my Beavers at camp. I am sure they are going to be absolutely delighted.

[@philiprowe7452]

French arrows, Kellogg’s packet flights, normal string and a six inch nail in the end,deadly!! Life in the 50’s was tough!! 😱😱🤣🤣🤣

[@schambers5474]

made these back in the late sixties good memories

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- Great fun aren't they 😉

[@gary.mortonmorton3625]

Hello John we made these arrows when we were kids in Redcar great fun ,watching your video brought back so many memories thank you

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- Just trying to keep some of the old school fun alive. Kids nowadays don't know how to make there own fun.

[@georgebowden6748]

Gday again from Oz, wow John you've brought back more memories, not sure who was having the most fun, you or James. Great work mate.

[@kevb948]

Great memories nearly 50 years ago, green garden sticks work well for distance John

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- That little extra bit of weight. 😉

[@timmee9853]

Bobbin arrows up here in Yorkshire. Green garden cane and a dart flight. But these were tame compared to the crimped copper pipe, with the contents of a banger and a drilled lead shot rammed in!

[@trigbagger]

I used to make them back in the 70s 80s when I lived in Sunderland but we called them pygmy arrows. Great fun. Made one with a broom shank once and it took a while to get it in the air as it was quite awkward and heavy. It only flew once as it went way over the field and lodged itself in someone's shed roof. Keep up the good work.

[@batch6792]

Nice one John. Dutch Arrows (Atlatl) - a blast from the past. That'll keep the kids (& grown-ups) happy for a while. We used to add wheel nuts & wire to weight the front. 😀👍

[@colin5861]

great fun john, we made these to go camping in the Cleveland hills.

[@daniellarmour3521]

Always loved making Dutch arrows, I’m only 16 but my da always showed me how to make them. My ones always flew for miles lol.

[@johnjennings2453]

That is such a cool reminder of my childhood in Newcastle. French Arrows we called them, and made with the same technique, although I used to have a short piece of string with a notch near the front end. I would wrap the twine repeatedly about three times and launch as you did. I remember making one at a caravan site near Whitley Bay, but I used a nail in the end. It actually flew and lodged into the side of someones aluminium clad caravan. Fortunately no one was in, as it was end of season. Nevertheless, I got very scared and told no-one until now. I certainly learned my lesson, Man.I was 10yo.

[@TG-kc9ue]

Found you at last, that was MY caravan! You're nicked son 🤣

[@rogereheadbyrne4790]

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭​@@TG-kc9ue

[@bigraymie]

My God John, That brought back memories mate... We used to insert 4" nails in the front to add weight to the flight... (Pointed end INSIDE the cane of coarse)

[@MrAlphafang]

Them's Bobby Arrars John mate, well that's what we called them. Just about forgot about them great fun, used to defend our chubbing from rival bonfire kids near bonfire night with them. Had great fun and no one ever lost an eye....... :)

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- Haha. I knew them as band arrows. We had loads of fun with them as lads. And no one was ever injured. 👍🏻😆

[@alastairmacmillan6610]

You look like you really enjoyed that video!

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- Brought back childhood memories 🤣

[@robstoke9432]

wow. The fun we had as kids with these things. I remember cutting up my mum and dads playing cards for flights and I think I pinched my dads chuck key off his drill to tape to the arrow for a weight.Cheers for the video bud. bought back many good memories

[@oths1234]

Awesome John. Makes me think back on the lawn darts we played with our kids back in the '80's. Before the nanny state outlawed them as too dangerous even though they had blunt ends :-)

[@stephenparkes5932]

I too used to make throwing arrows. A penny green garden cane, paper flights. Happy lads😄😄😄😄

[@michaelforster8440]

I used to make these out of bamboo and playing cards .had many hours playing with them. Happy days

[@jordandavies7980]

We always called them Dutch arrows, the best one I ever made was with a fibreglass tent pole!

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- I bet that thing went like a bullet!!!

[@DavidMielczarek]

brings back a few memories john will try and make one at weekend

[@seaangling]

We use to call these Dutch arrows as well, I’m not sure why. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Bows and arrows, catapults, pen knives and Dutch arrows, sounds strange to say we played with all of these but we did and it never did us any harm.

[@charlesknight3204]

Kind sir ... Excellent craftsmanship; better video!!! Played with those when I was 14 and visiting relatives in the country. Now that I am retired, am gonna make me up a half dozen or so and have some fun. I think I liked your “retriever” best of all. Make all the memories you can now for one day he will have a job and family of his own. I’m a new subscriber!!! Me and mine wish you and yours all things great and good!!! Take care, be safe, all my best and God bless!!!! Chuck Knight from Buffalo, Texas, USA. 🤠🐩🖖✝️👍

[@SquarepegASR]

Very interesting. I’ve never seen those. We had a game when I was a kid called Jarts. They were little versions of yours with metal points on the end. Fun as heck. So of course, they quit making them. Lol. Thanks for sharing!

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

Ejuice Vaper - They sound like some fun. So yes, naturally they’re banned now. 🤷🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

[@barrynicholson5804]

Thank for bringing back some happy memories of me and my mates making and throwing these. We use to form a line and throw them together to make a salvo like you see on the films. 😄

[@Scottwillow1]

I remember making these as a kid, had hours of fun with them 👍👍👍

[@jimdigriz2923]

Thanks, that brought back some good memories.

[@son_of_jambo2835]

The bamboo ones fly good too bro good crafting

[@chrish2685]

We used to call them French Arrows,we put brass dart ends on ours.Until one summer night back in 1976 one took a mates eye out! Happy days in Liverpool before the PS4 !

[@connielynn195]

Never seen these. Do remember the lawn darts though. I bet James slept well after that. Better than a dog 'cause you can hear the laughing and the joy.

[@tomtolentino7575]

Oh the childhood memories.....in fact, I gradually went from that to the atlatl, then eventually archery. Still, although decades have passed, this is a very venerable survival tool for many more generations, thanks for sharing brotha 😇🙏👍

[@adrianneedham2373]

What a blast from the past so much fun 👍👍👍

[@cerealkiller4248]

Dutch arrows for me, amazing fun.

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- Great fun aren't they 😉

[@redskins43]

i just came across this channel John... you're making arrows! this looks awesome.

[@DiamondMounter]

We called these assegai when I was a kid in the 80s. It was a zulu warrior weapon someone told us

[@kimweston2631]

That takes me back a million years, we called them French Darts, and took great delight chucking them at each other from a round a 100 yards or so, don't remember any deaths, although we did refine them into a short evil form that we could throw with a whip arm and reduce the local rabbit population

[@garynewsham9117]

We made um more lethal with a nail stuck in the tip, and launched them with a throwing stick

[@lewis1544]

We did that too. Survived with my major organs.

[@rickywhite1378]

John we called these Dutch Arrows when we were kids

[@Bacon-cn1wr]

Brings back some good memories this. French arrows we called them.

[@karlmdennis]

We knew these as Mexican darts. Great fun to make and play with as kids. We put a couple of large nails in the end of ours, head out of course. Spent a good summer playing with them.

[@polkad3v]

We used to twist the arrow so the string would put some spin into it when we threw it. The spin helped with actually aiming and hitting anything.

[@ralphwinter6421]

Thanks John - should come in handy when the Zombie Apocalypse starts !!

[@tommymattsson9636]

im a 46 year old kid and i need to give this a go :-) all the best from Sweden

[@nellyt2807]

Blimey not seen these for a while I'm nearly sixty had so much fun in the seventies with these.boy can they go if you make a good one

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- They do fly don't they!!

[@pw5192]

I remember making these, i done my own take on them tho, i used them green garden canes with playing cards & those dartboard darts & a nut. So i would screw a nut on the arrow end about 2” up then use a bit of insulation tape to secure it better then screw the dart tip on the same end as the nut , then add the cards & secure them in like how youve done it , do the notch & your ready to use the arrow, the good thing about the way i do it is that the dart point & the nut givr it a bit of weight & it goes further & can stick in trees or you can make some targets up .

[@RicTic66]

Looks like great fun😊 I guess the smaller flights means less drag so that one flies further? I've never seen the rope used like that, was it something you were shown as a kid? It works really well. 👍😊

[@alink5918]

Awesome, something I will definitely try! Looks like alot of fun!

[@njbaquatics4827]

I used to spend entire summers play with these. Couple of little improvements put a twisting your twine around the stick it starts to spin so it flies straighter also Nick the top corner is off of the flight that also helps it fly straighter we used to call them French arrows

[@jonnytootall1239]

Wow this is great, it takes me back to my childhood when we used to make them, I have taught my lad how to make them now as I thought it might have died out due to the play station generation 👍

[@alanvcraig]

Dutch arrow for me too! I believe academic types call them Atalatls.

[@fishingforbiteswithmo]

Never seen these before looks like great fun 👍👍

[@thefishlockerworkshop]

- They are awesome fun. Kids today don’t know what they’re missing. 😉

[@fishingforbiteswithmo]

@@thefishlockerworkshop I don't know, I think i would have swapped most of my toys for a PS4 when I was a kid! lol

[@en53kff]

As kids we used to make catapults. A 'Y' shaped stick, lengths of bicycle inner tube cut into two strips, four strong rubber bands- two to attach the inner tube to the stick ends and two to attach a piece of leather - usually a tongue out of an old shoe to place the stone in, to the other end of the inner tubing. Lethal things but great fun. Yes... it was a different era.

[@woodlandbiker]

Used to make these as a kid. We called them swift arrows

[@neiletheridge74]

Omg when I was young I used to make the out of playing cards and green kane. We called them pigmey arrows lol👍😉