Heres a picture of my Ropedart as it is today . I intend on replacing the black rope with a braided one and the steel key links with a homemade blacksmithed chain of sorts . The rope is about 13 feet long . Its cut to my size and the dart was a railroad spike . The dart weights exactly a half pound which was no accident . I'm tring to get more people interested as some of the techniques feel like sling techniques . Cross training anyone ? You never run out of ammo... :D Can anyone indentify the knot used to take up the lenght for carry ?

http://www.slinging.org/images/juergensen/ropedart.jpg

Monkey chain maybee.
BTW how do you throw them?

yeah, best knot for that is the the one shown in the thread titled "headband/armband sling" in the general discussion section. I tied the monkey chain knot tightly... much more tightly than the knot shown in the picture  last night;  three feet of paracord condensed to slightly under three and a half inches, less than half of an inch wide... to undo, all you have do is tug. seems perfect for quick deployment/concealment of a ropedart

cool dart btw.

heres the hyperlink to the good knot... it's sloppy in those pics, but it can be done very neatly, and much more compac tly

http://www.slinging.org/forum2/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=1;action=display;num=1141448591



EDIT: your embedded image is missing the first image tag so if you or an admin wants to fix that....

SECOND EDIT: is that a monkey chain knot in the picture? i can't really tell because the cord is black.

Arkani , its easy and fun . One rule NEVER JERK DART BACK EVER . I put a hole in my right shin once . That techinque might be useful in killing someone behind you by ducking to the ground...FAST.

In the traditional Wushu circles the Ropedart rope is looped around the left wrist then hand once . With both arms extended straight out sideways and the rope over the right thumb the dart barely touchs the ground . Hunting Ropedarts were made up to 25 feet long . When thrown the dart  just fell to the ground . If yours is the "Wu Shu" lenght stepping forward with the right foot and caching the rope before it hits the ground keeps the Ropedart in constant movement . Don't try this at first but just tie to wrist (left if you are right handed) and loop it around the left hand once.  Once secure like this make the rope into 2 or 3 loops held loosly in the left hand while the dart is twirled with the right hand . Use sling lenghts at first . With an underhand throwwith the right release the big loops with left hand . The rope is still tied to left hand/wrist. Thhwwiiiipppp ...(subaudible) thwaaangg! Its out doing damage . Step forward quickly and recatch with right hand allow to twirl overhand and throw again ....Thats the magic. There are more involved throws off the elbow neck ,shoulder and feet !! but you need a book or vidio for that . Wing Lam martial arts supply has one and you can watch Jackie Chans movie Shainghai Kid or the Scooby Doo movie for Ropedart like techniques . Also the movie "The Transporter Number 2" Has a rope routine which is somewhat related . ;D

Monkey Knot eh? Cool ! My friend says carpenters use it to take up electrical cords for their power tools . 8) It deploys quickly...

Ok,      
I hope you guys don't mind me opening my big trap.

Why is everyone calling the chain-link knot, monkey chain, or monkey knot? I have only heard it referred to as the chain-link knot or the chain-link hitch (when wrapped around something). This knot is actually one of the few knots I've seen that has some consistency in its name.

Would it be ok if we consistently name this knot chain-link? If only because using it is a great idea and keeping consistency for references sake can be beneficial for the future. I’m not so naïve as to believe we can make the names used completely uniform. However, we can prevent confusion here among us slingers or prospective hopefuls if we name things consistently. I don’t mean to be an alarmist; I just want to keep us from perpetuating a problem that’s plagued knot history since time gone by.

All that said, your dart looks beautiful!
I’m a little unclear on how you throw, do you throw it like you would Bo Shakren or do you swing/sling it?

-Unsapien

That is an awesome ropedart! How did you make it? Can you make me one? Can I by one from you? WOW! :D

Swing sling it and release like underhand throw of the sling but volila a rope attached prevents it from sailing away , ready to be deployed as its kept in constant motion .

I've heard of slingers question how to abort a hard hurl and actually use the loaded sling as a long blackjack . Well here it is ! You learn twining motions that could absorb the energy of an aborted sling . No injuries if you practice right . And there is sideways force also instead of a straight throw you can wrap it around someones legs easy . Or a Canadian Goose's neck. ;D

It took me a few days filing down a railroad spike after I cut the head off . A few hours a day a few days and it was done . A blacksmith could do it faster with 5 forged steel rings in the typical flower pattern .All you need is a Railroad spike or a 5/8 inch by 6 inch peice of bar stock to start . ;)

You can make a quicky of anything heavy , 1/2 lb to 1 lb , the approximate shape or even a ball or plumb bob will do . :)

They are available on the net by different makers or contact me on the trading thread . Perhaps we can talk Lobohunter into making some.. :o

What is at the opposite end from the spike? It looks almost like a Tsuba from a Katana :o

The Tsuba you see is a Ying Yang carbineer shackle that can be found for sale at Mountain climbing stores foy keychains . Backpacking websites might have some  . Mine cost $3 and its convinient to end the monkey rope knot chain thingy link knot  ;D

It'd be so cool to see a video of this! (Am I hard to please or what? ;D)

I'll try and if I tie myself up jumping around on one foot I'll send that too . I think there are some clips in cyber space with demos available. 8)

Is the ropedart three-edged or four? It's alittle hard to tell from the angle of the photo?

yeah, google it. there are some interesting videos. you can really appreaciate it's concealability, fast deployment then.

video.google.com might have something too...

The railroad spike cross section was 4 sides about 5/8 inch thick square . I used a round section of cold steel for awhile it was only 3/8 pound. Remember it doesnt have to be a spike . A metor hammer looks like a plumb bob used in construction . You couls even make one out of a cukkoo clock weight if it was the right weight . I coulsd send more pictures tomorrow how to hold it and the Wu Shu range of specifications ie weight lenght cross section taper with and without ring chain . The norther chinese didn't have links and just tied the rope straight on the dart . I like the jingle jangle of the rings in flower position . Two links are not load bearing three are load bearing . Its 4 links attached to a single center ring. The tassle helps you keep track where the dart is  . It helps.. :)

i imagine that the cloth would also distract/confuse the opponent. one would see the red cloth coming at them, not the dart, and so would not know how to react. this would effectively make them freeze and become a stationary target.

just a guess

It also stabilizes the throw so its more apt to hit point first . Which it does . I've heard of people blasting them thru doors . Look up Kuo Lien-Ying Ropedart for stories.

He use to guard caravans thru northern china with one for back up :)

Thanks Fritz_the_Cat, i might try that one day.

Guard a caravan thru Northern China with a Ropedart for backup ? :P

is that rope Really flexible or sortoff stifflike ??(i'm thinking of making one cause the ones i've seen for sale cost around 25$ and i'm pretty sure there not very useable... :-/

In the book from Bejing it says the rope was made of cotton and some others were out of hemp . Not only does it have to be strong but have a degree of non-slippage . So slippier ropes wound not be as good as the rope might slip doing twining . I think I'm making an 8 strand that has two spirals on it to fight slippage 8)

Do you find it more or less difficult to use than a sling?

Very nice looking. What did you use to file it down with?

Well its a bit different as the rope remains tied to the hurled object, the dart . Plus to much power and my current nylon rope turns into a big rubber band . So less energy at least at first with the only added motion , the quick step forward with the right foot to catch the falling dart  and its quick return to spinning energy by the help of gravity . Otherwise its the same . So then you can overhand throw it or spin the body 180 degrees and hurl it "backwards" underhand . There are twining techniques where the spin is redirected backwards also... :D

I think its easier and its good cross training . You save on a big balistic net and you can do stuff without involving others 100s yards away :)

I hacksawed the head off and did the point which was half done and the body taper with a 10 inch single cut mill file. I used a round file to radius edge the drill hole ;)

I finish and keep up the finish with 400 grit carborendum paper

very cool. using a figure eight throw would be interesting.

i wonder if a spike from home depot would work.

Unsapien asked  

---

Why is everyone calling the chain-link knot, monkey chain, or monkey knot? I have only heard it referred to as the chain-link knot or the chain-link hitch (when wrapped around something). This knot is actually one of the few knots I've seen that has some consistency in its name.  

---

Well, according to Willeke, whom I wouldn't want to argue with about knots.

"According to the Ashley Book Of Knots it is called a monkey chain or chain shortening. (Its number is #1144)
It is also known as crochet chain."

Well, I'll be calling it one of those three, and throw in Unsapien's two names just to confuse people  ;)

wrote on Mar 9^th, 2006 at 7:25pm:

Well, according to Willeke, whom I wouldn't want to argue with about knots. "According to the Ashley Book Of Knots it is called a monkey chain or chain shortening. (Its number is #1144) It is also known as crochet chain." Well, I'll be calling it one of those three, and throw in Unsapien's two names just to confuse people  ;)

Willeke knows her business, and Ashely's book is a major authorety. All I'm saying is we want to keep consistency.
I was looking at a more contemporary sources, like Geoffrey Budworth.

So has anyone mentioned putting this into the project yet? If knot (cough)... not then don't you think it should?
:D

-Unsapien

CanDo , How big is the spike ? perhaps it can be modified by upset blacksmithing .You want at least a half pound and thats considered light . Wheres Lobohunter when we need him ? ;D. Come on jump into the thread... :)

Here are the specs outta da book . The head is a trianular prism or a circular cone . Most common is a triangular prism with a pointed head . It is 13-23 centimetres long At the end of tail is a hole linked to a chain of three rings, the middle ring of which is linked with two other tinkling rings. The five rings are interlocked with each other, shaped like a flower petal . The last ring is tied to a 3 to 7 meter long rope . At the connection between ring and the rope are several coloured silk strips or a red tassel. At the other end of the rope is a handle , which is put on the wrist when the Ropedart is played . Among some people rings are not used and the rope is tied directly through thr hole in the dart, etc etc, A short explaination on how Ropedart was carried in old times...Now days the rope is between 3-4 meters long depending on the height of the user . And the darts are lighter ,about 200 to 300 grams .
Most of the dart heads are either tetrahedrons or cones.

As for lenght of rope...The practitioner puts the handle on the left wrist, grasps the rope with in both hands pulling the rope straight and raises the hands horizontally to both sides with the rope hanging down and the dart head just touching the ground . :)

Take my advice . Use a sand bag at the weight you want at first instead of a dart . Make your first dart dull or at least covered with a foam sheath and never NEVER JERK THE ROPE BACK :'( :o :'( at fullextension .

Why are the connecting rings needed? Wouldn't it be stronger/easier/cleaner to just tie or splice the cord directly to the spike's eye?

Matthias

The Northern Chinese prefered the simple method of directly tieing dart to rope . The Southern liked the rings thing . Perhaps that little short chain saved some wear and tear on the rope . Nowdays for more flash and jingles they add the tinkle rings and colored ribbon . I'd like to try both methods . For outdoors hunting no ribbon or tinkle rings . The extra stuff is cool to watch during a demo . :D

rope dart hurts *rubs head* been trying all morning...

Sorry ! Please try twirling same weight sandbag until you get the flow . It takes time and the Ropedart is difficult . But then is slinging . :-[

so what can you hunt with the rope dart?

Sounds like a challenge! I picture it being a human to human weapon.
Nasty looking dart, Fritz_the_Cat!

I practice on my property on trees and branchs . Witn a little sideways spin you can wrap it around anything . There is a version with hooks to catch people . :o

I'd like to try Canadian Geese . Wrap it aroung the neck then get a recipe . They are all over the place hanging out in parks . Yum ! ;D

Thanks Chaoctic Rage

Goose for dinner has been talked about before, read this thread......,
http://www.slinging.org/forum2/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=1;action=display;num=1111099895;start=0

There are more posts about it, just search for goose and geese, and remember to specify the days to a large number or the amount of posts to a large number, both is better.

Willeke

Yup . Just like the old thread , they are all over the place and easy to creep up on .  What was that recipe ? Sorta cooks up like turkey ? :P

Where's LoboHunter? ???

Perhaps hes on vaction ??? His last post was March 3rd in General Discussion . I'm out looking for railroad spikes as I've got my first order . I'm not making any money on it but it'll be part of a schools training weapons . Sort of a showcase piece . I'll make pictures... 8)

I tried his website. It seems to be out of service! :-/

He mentioned that he traveled from seattle to Lousiana and does shows to sell his wares . Perhaps he out for a little while . ???

If you're taking orders, count me in. Just tell me how much and where to send it. :)

I'll do my friends first in an AnnArbor martial arts school figure out the hours then give you an idea  ;)

Do you braid fancy slings ?

When I'm ready to sell I'll show you a picture first . You can buy mass produced ones on the net . I'd go for at least a half pound if not a full pound dart . Or do you like the railroad spike dart design ?

I'm thinking about braiding a cotton rope with interesting colour partterns . The Chinese love the color red on their weapons ? Why ? :P

Means good luck, and who dosn't want good luck on the battlefield?  ;D

-unsapien

good luck is a nice thing to have when swinging a heavy not to mention sharp piece of steel above ones head ::)

i'm going to look arond the hardware stores around here if i can find something that might work for the spike (i have no idea where the hell you guys get those railroad spikes  ???)

I Really want one  ;D

How much do you think it would cost to ship a .7 lb  spike to Belguim ? I got plenty . Your country probalbly has a Europian varity . Plus you need accesss to a railroad and even that is frowned on here in the USA . Walking along the tracks is considered trespassing . But they usally discard most of the used spikes at the site of repairs . Thats were I get mine . I look for easy causal accesss. Near sidewalks and streets. ;D

If you can't find a subsatute or just plain bar stock 5/8 inch square let me know in a private message thru this website ;D

thx   :D i'll keep that in mind  ;D

I love the railroad spike design just like the one you made. Please keep me informed. ;D

Sometime this week I'm off on a railroad spike hunt . It makes me wonder how many were converted to Ropedarts since the 1800's when they were building the railroad across the US by Chinese immigrants . 8)

That is a interesting question, but I don't think using a ropedart was a common skill even in ancient times.

I'm going to make one myself, what books/tapes are good for learning technique?

-Unsapien

it seems that i have to get the bars at the minimum length of 3meters... thats enough to make at least 20 of the spikes needed :-/ as in Darn

Soft Weapons-Nine-Section Whip and RopeDart
Forein Languages Beijing Authors Li Kequi and Li Xingdong . Wing Lam Martial Arts supply has them .  ;)

They have a website

3 meter bar stock eh ? I'll mail a spike to you . Send me a private message. :)

naah not yet i'm going to keep looking  ;D i follow the example Uzumaki Naruto sets for us Never give up  ;D

RopeDarts can be other designs . If you have thinner stock perhaps 1/2 inch you can cause the piece to swell by upset . Just heat the piece in one spot in the bar then tap on a cold end supporting the other end to increase dia. Meanwhile you can try a bag of sand for safe practice. ;)

Would it improve the performance of a ropedart to use bungi cord instead of regular rope?

if you have a death wish  ::) :P

Well, I am really not sure how a ropedart is deployed. Is it spun and thrown or just thrown straight out? It is a puzzlement ???

I was under the impression that you'd use it just like a sling, Spin it by the rope a couple times and let go. I imagine you could just through it by the steel as well. I'd be terrified of using a bungee cord, wouldn't it stretch out then shoot straight back at you?

Well yeah, but it would save you the trouble of pulling it back in. ;D

But.... it brings the trouble of pulling it out.... of your gut...

;D SlingWolf ;D

i'll just stick to making one with normal nylon rope  ;) Just to play on the safe side ;D

I heard (probably right in this thread) that nylon stretches also, giving a bungee effect. You might want to go with cotton or something like that. Ask a pro though.

Cotten or Hemp is best. nylon works . Just don't jerk the dart back . Never! :)

wasn't intenting to ;) i don't much care to find out what it feels like to get impaled :P

So I guess Bungee cord is out ??? ???..........Did we find anybody to make these things yet ??? :-/

I'll make some when I get out of the hospitable . We will figure something out . How about Donating $10 to this website and some to me later. :D

you in the hospital fritz ? :-/ hope your ok and all...

yes hate to pry but what happend? they let you on slinging.org in the hospital? cool :)

Lol... Thats all I need to get me through the hospital... A computer with internet connection ;D Then I'm set for life.... as long as i have some peanut butter!
mmmm.... peanut butter....

;D SlingWolf ;D

I'm in the VA mental ward in Battle Creek but I'm doing fine . As long as none talks about punji sticks ;D

Tomorrow the Tai Chi instuctor comes to teach the paitents wheeeeee! 8)

just glad to hear everything's sortoff ok buddy  ;D take care now ;)

Yeah take care. Good to know your feeling good.
I still havn't made a dart =(
So many projects
-Unsapien

I'm feeling OKand I'll be home in 2 weeks. So if anyone isinterested I'll help them fabricate a ropedart. Perhaps someone will trade a braided rope for the dart or something like that. ;D

if you wan't i'll send you a length of rope i'm going to use on it ;D

Hi Taiki, what kind of rope ? I got plenty of the regular stuff and I plan on making a fancy braided rope for my dart . But if someone who can do the job better than I can I'll make them a dart . I can get my son to measure the unlooped lenght before the rope gets tied to the dart or twined up for the hand tie .  8)

darn :( i'm just not very good at fancy braids

I am definately interested!! Just tell me what you need/where to send the money and it's a done deal. BTW glad to hear you are doing well. I am sorry about your recent hospitalization.

I'm sorry. I won't be out untill April 12th . I will make the darts then  :-[

HOORAH ;D

Some volunteer workers will come to the Psych ward and teach me to knit . I think I'll do a knitted sling while I wait here in Battle Creek . My brother in Law will find some extra RR spikes and I'll start on thenm as soon as I'm out . Could you finish the darts from ruff filed shape or do you want me to polish it also. And will you supply your own rope ? I have the book on Ropedarts so you can do your own rope to the proper lenght . I also would appriciate you donating some money to this forum as they are kind enough to let me do this for you .
8)

Rough shape would be fine. Providing my own rope would be fine. Sending money to the Forum would be fine. How much? and when?...............Thank you by the way for all the trouble and work. :)

Ten to the forum at least. You'll get a sling also. $15 to me when its finished . I'll either post or send you a picture.OK? 8)

Fantastic!! The funds are on the way to the Forum. ;D

BTW, LoboHunter is back!

Cool, Get Lobohunter to jump into this thread . 8)

I left a message for LoboHunter.No reply yet :-/

maybe he just hopped into a cyber cafe or something  :-/

ok i am kinda back

it seem too me that that 11 ounces of a rail spike would be almost twice the weight need for this project
hmmm use one to make two  as for getting spike contact your local rail road see wich scrap yard they sell to. then contact that scrapyard This seem like a easy project a varation of the rock tied to the string routine. And yes I have made some thing like these. i think for max aim and distance between thre and six ounces I used mine like i would a sling overhand style. Tried to jam a lot into one post. because I post from public librarry right now. kinda in the middle of a  transition.
playing in the woods a lot these days
but I will post back regularly.  ok that all for right now

H i Lobo , I'm glad you are back . Experimentation is cool and there are loads of variations of the string on a rock . I have noticed in the past the lighter weight RopeDarts were easier to use but not as lethal . Mine is an exact 8 oz dart which I made by sneaking up to the weight slowly while drawfiling . It is considered a bit under weight but still in the span of weights and measurements given in the book Soft Weapons . What do you think of the design on the one pictured in this thread ? The book has a lot of interesting variations and techniques . PM me if you want an ebook OK ? Can you make these  ? With a larger hole so that a rope can be tied to it "Northern style"  . Southern style has 5 rings in a flower pattern to make a jingle noise and perhaps to protect the rope 8)

darn i wish i could make one of those :(

Hey Fritz, any update on the darts yet?

I'll start on one this weekend . It,ll be the same size and design . 8 oz approximate . I'll try and post pictures of intermedite stages and tools used . It'll be a couple weeks at most . ;)

Lobohunter,./.......How much would you charge or trade for in railroad spikes to make some forged and ruff ? :)

I want to go for the average weights and size for the next one which is a bit longer and heavier . The specifications are given in the book "Soft Weapons". The half pound dart is actually considered light . 8)

Thanks Fritz-the-Cat :)

Meanwhile while I'm filing away do you want the book soft weapons ? Its got RopeDart and 9 section steel whip . ?

I'll send you a pdf format book . Give me your email address please .

Perhaps Lobohunter could save me some blisters ? Eh ? ;D

I guess if we are talking trade should we move to the trading forum ? And keep this to techniques and design ? Up to you guys... 8) Are you interested in a load of railroad spikes ? Otherwise pm me . I could use a nice fancy braided rope for my dart . Black and red colors ?

i would love that book too ::) :-[

OK send me your email in a PM PLease .  8) Nevermind I got it . I'll try to send it straight thru . Tell me if its good ...OK ?

Its a big file so I may have to send it thru yahoo ?

Anyone know how ? :D Lobohunter, send me your email again . All the specs are in the book plus more .... :)

thx  ;D if i don't have it by tomorrow i'll pm or something ;)

that is one cool weapon, excellent work transforming that railroad spike. I like the crosstraing idea for slinging. Would a simple round weight work on thiner rope for better simulation of slinging. With maybe fifty feet of cord. Then I could target practice at a decent range with out making the neighbors nervous. I try it let you Know how it goes. Very nice work

Thanks ...er...ah..? dork (?)

I'm interested in how it goes . My first RopeDarts were round , about 7/16ths inch diameter and 5 inches long . Sort of underweight but enough to experiment with . It had no point so it was safe to experiment with . I've used rope up to 25 feet but it becomes a drag hauling the dart back . Plus I would abhor the thought of dragging my polished dart back thru the gravel and dirt .  shorter rope ,say about 3 meters, would allow you to practice the twining and wrapping techniques without the dart touching the ground . But then a mere 3 meters is a bit short for hunting .

Hey Bigkahuna  and Taiki . Did you get the ebook on RopeDarts I sent you ? If not I'll resend it thru yahoo . Please let me know !! 8)

when i think about ropedarts, and my experiances with them(i have been playing with similar devicess since i could ge4t my grubby little mits on some string and a washer or some other kind of weight) dictate that they are sort of like a french arrow(correct name?) that you just sort of let go and watch it fly at the target(in a hunting instance), and the only difference between the two is that you intend to retrieve the ropedart.  

if you are practicing self defence, it is a different story; you will want more than one strike, and you want to be able to control the rope, so a shorter rope is desired.  

therefore, yes, a shorter rope is better for learning the techniques and for close range fighting.  a longer rope is more practical for hunting.


well...i just re-wrote what fritz wrote before me.  sorry, but i thought i would go into a little more detail or something.  well anyways...

wrote on Apr 23^rd, 2006 at 9:20am:

It had no point so it was safe to experiment with.

Ha, I'm not sure that half a pound of steel on the end of a rope being whirled around is ever safe!

Anyway, this all sounds quite cool :)

fritz i just tied a rr spike up with some paracord today. Man why do you even bother with the blade the rr spike smashes the crap out of every thing! I was greatly impressed by it :)

Way to go!! ..Douglas . LOL I've thought of that and now that you mentioned it I'll try it . My Brother in Law carries one on walks and throws it at targets . Hes pretty good at it , Thats just under 3/4ths of a pound of steel flying thru the air .  8)

Ill post a pic of it. Man it destorys trees, and it can make 2 ltrs explode. ;D

I remember doing stunts like that with a Manrikigusari . I can cut a full beer can in half . How did you attach the paracord to the spike . My first idea would be to drill a hole thru the chisel end for the rope attachment. That would leave the head fotr that "hammer " effect. Did you get the Softweapons ebook from me yet ? You'll notice theres a whole family of rope weapons . The railroad spike one whould resemble the flying hammer.  8)

Of course all the techniques are intrerchageable . The RopeDart was meant for "poking" techniques but I use it for tripping techniques anyway . Have you tried wraping the end around small tree trunks as if to set up for a pull and trip :o

HA sounds funny gotta try that on someone :D err i mean something... ::)

I did get the book :) thanks

I wonder why so few rope weapons developed in europe? Maybe the armor?

I really want one of these. Man it would be so cool to punch holes in sheets of plywood in my yard, at least untill I break the birdfeeder and my mom tells me "you need to stop before you break a window or kill yourself."
Any ideas to make something like this that is not as deadly that I could use to get the idea and prove to my mom that I can be careful. Then maybe she'll let me get one.  ;) :D

just tie bags of sand or rice to a cord that are the same weight as a dart.

I must make me one of these ropedart weapons. ;D
It looks like an awsome, but complicated weapon to use.
I got some ironbar I can grind down and about 3 meters of nylon rope. Cant wait to try this ropedart thing :)

you all are using rr spikes as the dart, but would a long nail from someplace like home depot or Lowes work as teh dart. I know it wouldn't be as thick or heavy, but it is basically the same thing right? Also, where can I get some multicolored cotton rope to make a braided rope for this?

walmart craft section usually has plenty of different kinds of string, probably including different colored cotton string.

hey, i just found this during a google search:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hdmartialart.com/prodimages/wsweapons/thumb/couple-spear-blade.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hdmartialart.com/products.asp%3Fcat%3D16&h=92&w=96&sz=5&tbnid=zHc_e3Szsto2ZM:&tbnh=72&tbnw=76&hl=en&start=175&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dspear%2Bblade%26start%3D160%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

i was thinking
"hey, daggers OR ropedarts!"
do you think that is a possibility?

they would probably be a little light, but in an emergancy?

I like the flying weight idea, similar to ropedart, but not as impaling-ish

Fying meteor, flying hammers and of course Flying Railroad spike ala Douglas the Black are all good weapons.  The sand bad or rice bag is a very good idea until you get the rythem . A foam sheath works well also on sharp darts . There a lot of variations shown in the book Soft Weapons . One page has a bunch of them shown in drawings . Anyone need a copy ?!?!? ;)

The thowing dart by Wing Lam martial arts looks like it could double as a Rope Dart also . Its a bit light but you still develope the techniques  8)

hey fritz.  do you mean a hard copy or a digital copy?  if you mean a digital copy, i wouldn't mind having a copy.  

same here

Yeah, me neither... I was about three seconds away from buying it at one point.

Ditto on the copy of soft weapons

Very interesting.

-Unsapien

No problem . Those that have their email posted on the members profile will have one sent . Otherwise PM (private message) me thru the websites message thingie... 8)

Let me know when you get the file from "You send it" .

You'll need adobe acrobat reader which is freee on the net

thnx a lot fritz, I got it!  ;D :)
One warning if you are going to be practicing with your ropedart for extended periods of time (I learned this the hard way) wear a glove, or you'll get ropeburn, or if you are lucky a few blisters, from where the rope rests and moves as you use it.

Ha, the flying railroad spike, I think I shall make a ropedart and try that one! :P :P

Fritz, you have a VERY nice signature. I got Thirteenth Warrior as a birthday present! ;D

Thanks Bjärn , I'd like a copy of that movie someday . I only saw it once . Are you familiar with Odin lives website ? It has a large archive of nordic music and lectures . They recite the line from the 13 warriors before most programs .

I am trying to figure out a good method of tieing a rope to a railroad spike . The main problem is the rope going over  the head . When the RopeSpike (Heh heh) hits the ground it could cut the rope . Anyone with a definative idea ?

Bjärn , Do you have the Soft Weapons book ?  ;)

PM me if you want a copy

I liked the 13th warrior, but i think the book was better. It was an odd book to say the least.

Was the  name of the book "Eaters of the Dead" ? :o

It's the same book.  They changed the tite to "The 13th warrior" and relanched the book when the movie came out.  One of my favourites of all time.  I saw the movie first and it was great, but I enjoyed the book even more.

The hero of the film, Antonio Banderas character was an actual historic figure who wrote about his travels in eastern europe. Hated what he did to that nice sword though! :P

Now I got to pick up the book !! :D Anyone know the authors name ? I'll stop by the secondhand book store and get a copy .

I'm going to try a new knot on the RR spike ala DTB..Heh heh...If you don't hear from me its because I've knocked myself senseless... :o

Is a french arrow a heavy dart on a string ? :P

"Eaters of the Dead" is by Michael Crichton. he is the same fellow who wrote "Congo" and "The Andromeda Strain". 8)

cool, I have to pick that up, I loved  "Congo" and I'm sure "The Eaters of the Dead" will be just as good

Historically speaking. Wasn't that the guy who didn't like the Vikings singing  (according to what he wrote)? This was during his visit to Heldaby, an old Viking village burnt down around 1050 AD . 8)

I think so. His name was Ibn Fadlan something something and he didn't have very nice things to say about the Europeans especially the Bulgars, but then nobody has much nice to say about the Bulgars. :P ;D ;D    Kidding!!

One should be carefull about what they say about other cultures. Its been over a thousand years and people still arch their brows over that statement , ;D :D ;D :D :)

hah the book is odd. But i liked it

I just picked up a used copy and started reading it today.

Interesting...to say the least :)

its borring untill you get to the vikings. I like herger he is my favorte charater in the whole book. :)

ill put it on my reading list

Anybody has it in e-book format? I think I have not a very fat chance of picking book like this one OTC.
Is he the same Ibn Fadlan that criticized Vikings for burning dead bodies? He thought that every European is some sort of barbarian... snob...

How many Ibn Fadlans are there?

stenny I could lend you my copy if i could trust you to get it back ;D

Yeah, that's the same Ibn Fadlan. He had to get out of town pretty quick as he got caught messing with some other fellows women. Thats what started his travels. After that, he seems to have kind of enjoyed it. He also was a spy for the Sultan.

I hate that guy.

I hate it that Antonio Banderas is called Ib Fadlan in 13th Warrior.

DTB: you are very kind, but sending some precious book to Europe and back is an almost sure way to lost it for good. Sob.
Bjärn: I don't know about any other Ibn Fadlan, but that don't mean that there aren't battalions of Ibn Fadlans lurking in shadows of history... hey, I am almost poetic!
I dislike people that criticize others only to prove themself worse than anybody other...

too bad the story abruptly cuts off at the end. :-/

bajarn is in canada isnt she?

how did we get onto this topic, this forum makes more outstanding jumps than a jealous woman, no offense female posters

Bulywif was my favourite character, especially in the movie.  

The whole story was suppose to be the Beowulf Saga seen from a different historical perspective. Read one then read the other and you will see how they compare.

Oh, really?  Thanks.  I'll have to go get beowulf now.

Its pretty hard to read but interesting. Tint has a better grasp of english then myself so hell do well :)
Bulywif the epic poem is very diffrent then eaters of the dead but you do see some similarites. Also read iben whats his name's manuscript there are some interesting cross overs.

Tint,
I have read a retelling of Beowulf by Rosemary Sutclife, (not sure about the spelling,) which is very nice. It might still be available.

Willeke

I think my dad has a copy.  Like DTB said it looked very hard to read so I never got started.  

Hi guys and gals . I'm back . I see we are still discussing the book , 13 Warriors .

Stenny I could send you the book by two pages at a time. Interested ?

Definitely! Hopefully, I will have enough free time in July to start compiling books from scanned pages to PDFs.

Oh Oh ! Secret is out where there are PDF books ??

I'm starting on experimenting with RopeDart ropes with 8 strands . I'm going to use two colors and I'll post a picture in future .

Meanwhile I'm filing away again .