I don't have an atlatl yet, but I have some knowledge of them.  What I know I got from BPS Engineering at WWW.ATLATL.COM. ; The have good info, links, and sell what looks to be a well designed and constructed atlatl.  Hope that helps.

Ron

You might also check out your local museums, especially if they have any native exhibits. For example, both the Boise museum (Boise, ID) and the Birds of Prey museum have at least one atlatl on display. The Boise museum didn't surprise me, but the Birds of Prey museum did. They have two there because the natives in the area used to hunt birds with them.

Which also goes to show that the use of the atlatl was really much more widespread than you'd think. So, check around your museums, ask the curators if they have any you can look at.

Bill B.

I have been making atlatls a little while now, and there are loads of different types.  It depends what you want it for.  There are ones which fling short (3 feet) spears, which have a large diameter, and the most common nowadays, is the atlatl and dart, which uses a "dart" six feet long, with flights.  This relies on the principle of wave mechanics.  If you want real power, I suggest you go for the latter, with information on www.atlatl.com as suggested.  Look for the basket maker atlatl for the best.  This is the type I myself make, in use by native americans of the south west.  It is a very simple design, very flexible, but nicely decorated.  Check it out.

There are, as I said, many types of atlatl that it is possible to make, but they can be split into many different basic types.  The first basic types are atlatl that can be used to shoot large "bore" shafts, as in, shorter thicker ones, like many archaeologists thought were used, until the early eighties.  Then there are the atlatls that are used to shoot small bore darts, essentially massive arrows, which were certainly used in the Americas and Australasia until very recently.  These can themselves be separated up.  There sturdy atlatls, very rigid, which are merely extensions of the arm.  Then there are flexible atlatls, which actually flex themselves, not just the dart.  These can also be separated up; there are essentially three types; male, which have a spur sticking above the shaft of the atlatl; female, which have only a large groove to hold the spear or dart; and the mixed type, which have both a groove and a spur.  Many atlatl found in North America have what are known as atlatl weights, which are just rocks attached to the underside of the atlatl shaft.  These stones come in many types also, and archaeologists are often weighing in with different reasons for their existence.  If you look on the internet you can find many pictures of atlatl weights, combined with different theories about what they are for.  These weights are most often found on flexible atlatls, and the most interesting theory comes from "Atlatl Bob" Perkins, of www.atlatl.com, who claims they are a tuning device, tuning the flex of the atlatl itself and the flex of the spear to achieve the maximum effect and range.  Atlatls are probably some of the easiest complex weapons to produce; one needn't wait for wood to season so much as for a bow, or find string, or worry about tillering and breaks.  An atlatl won't break easily, because, although a lot of stress is placed on it, it is sturdier than a bow, and the stress is less than for a bow.  Similarly, the atlatl won't wear out, whereas a bow will and start to follow the string.  The atlatl is also basically a wooden sling for throwing long arrows.  Look online, in google or msn, for aleut atlatls, aboriginal atlatls, woomeras, native american atlatls, aztec atlatls, and many other atlatl related things.   There is loads of information out there, because books on atlatls are difficult to produce and are not cost effective, whereas the internet is.  Just like it is for slings.

That sounds really great!  But why waste a perfectly good ski pole?  Don't they cost quite a lot?  And are they flexible?  I think I will stick to my tried-and-tested, absolutely cost-free wooden darts, thank you very much.
I recently asked on this forum about north-west coast bows, and I can say that I did find a bit of information.  But that was nothing compared to the amount of information I found about Washington/British Columbian/Alaska tribes' atlatls, or throwing boards, as they seem to prefer to call them.  They look easy to make, quite advanced, and very interesting.  Just go to any search engine and type in Tlingit Atlatl, or Aleut Atlatl.  There are some sites with loads of info on how to build them, with dimensions, the lot.  I have been experimenting, and hope to make a throwing board which I can post the picture of without the shame of it looking nothing the real thing.

Well I guess another reason that I would not use ski poles is, as you say, that in England, there are hardly any shops selling skis or poles, because there are no mountains in England at all.  I do ski, and can ski well, but it is rare that I do.  Anyways, I still want to find out more about these crazy spears.  Surely they are too short to use as atlatl darts as well?  Most of the darts I have are around five feet, maybe six.  Long, flexible, with nice feathers for flights, and foreshaft points.  As they are supposed to be.  
And as I said, I made today a Tlingit style atlatl.  It was easier than i expected, and I did it quickly, in less than an hour.  The darts are actually much shorter, less than four feet (yeah, I know what i said earlier), or rather, from the tip of my nose to the tip of my outstretched finger.  They have nice bulbous ends, too.  Very nice.

Went and dug out my old Bushman spear.   Hardrock Maple shaft and the Bushman spear head by Cold Steel.  One of the best bargains going for spear heads.....tough as nails and inexpensive to boot!  Here is my short range heavy spear shown with the inexpensive atlatl easily made from a ski pole:

http://www.ezimagecenter.us/image.cfmImageID=3398


Works great for me out to 35yrds or so.  The lighter spear I have used is made from a ski pole as well as the atlatl and it can be launched at much higher velocities and at much greater accuracy at a distance.  When I get time,  I will post my shuriken thrower....some of you may get a kick out of it.   It can fully penetrate one side of a 55 gallon drum or 3/4 inch treated CDX plywood and is quite accurate with an overhand throw and can be made to hit a 1' square target consistently from 25yrds at my current skill level.