has anyone ever tried using a skepifletta? I ran across a mention of it in a book by the 12th cent. Norse historian Saxo Grammaticus.
    It is a large stick( no size is given) into which a fork is carved. a large flat piece of flint is placed in the fork, then is launched out of it. Saxo says that these and the slings were of great use in the Battle of Bravellir.
   I'd be really interested to know if anyone has tried anything like this
                                            badgerdude

any chance of a pic? Is it supposed to be some kind of cutting weapon?

In the Historical Gallery you'll find a drawing by Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the things there looks like a skepifletta.
I don't speak old Norwegian, but in regular Norwegian "fletta" is closest to the word "Flette", a braiding. More about the name "skepifletta?

Gard

Quote:


Skepifletta is not a word I know but the description of its usage sounds like what we did as kids.

Get a good stout stick, shorter than a baseball bat.
bind the stick with cordage about 6 to 10 inches from the end depending on how much flex the wood has.
Now split the wood down to the cordage.
Wedge a stone into the split.
Swing the stick anyway you want to; use wrist action to accelerate the swing and acuse the stone to slip out of the split and go flying at a high velocity.

They used flint because it could be knapped into a flat, sharp-edged projectile.

Think of it as kinda a solid piece sling.

I've thrown bottoms of jars made out of glass . They will leave a cut in what ever it hits but usually break on the first throw

I saw a kind of this in the animal store today!
It was a stick with a spoon like thing on the end, which made for tennis balls to fit pefectly, looked kind of like ice cream spoons.
I didn't buy one, but sure good throwing tennis balls for your dog!

Gard

Yup! The Pet-Skepifletta!
Have you tried throwing stones with it? Is it accurate?
Strange I haven't seen that thread before.

Gard

     Personally, I would just go with a short la crosse stick. After seeing those in action at games, I don't want to think about what a stone thrown from it would be like