Welcome, Guest. Please Login
SLINGING.ORG
 
Home Help Search Login


Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
Send Topic Print
South American sling (Read 4303 times)
funda_iucunda
Senior Member
****
Offline


Watt den een sin Uhl is
den annern sin Nachtigal.

Posts: 317
Germany (north of Hamburg)
Gender: male
South American sling
Feb 10th, 2007 at 3:19am
 
Some time ago I bought this sling from somebody who’s father bought it 20 years ago some where in South America.
It’s 121 cm long but the retention cord is only 37 cm long. The pouch is 6 X 10 cm and the whole sling has a weight of 58 gr. The finger loop is rather wide. You can pass at least two or three fingers through it.

...

The material is a plant fibre which tends to twist like curls. That makes the use of the sling very tricky unless you use rather heavy projectiles.

...

The cords are braided with three strands. The pouch is made by division of the main cord into two thin cords which form an open pouch. Then the space in between them is filled by a fabric in the figure eight weave manner. The release cord becomes slightly thinner towards the end. The whole making shows careful work and good craftsmanship.

...

Has anybody an idea what kind of plant has been used? I never saw it before. Further more I wonder if this is a typical South American sling, because the Peruvian slings are very different to this kind.

funda iucunda
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
wanderer
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline



Posts: 1360
Texas
Gender: male
Re: South American sling
Reply #1 - Feb 10th, 2007 at 4:16pm
 
Nice pictures. I'm sure I'm not the only one trying to figure out that pocket!

As for the fiber - without a clue about it's region of origin who can say. My guess looking at it was either yucca or more likely an agave - the fibers look a little coarse for yucca - but it could be almost anything!

You could probably identify it under a microscope - if you have the right reference materials
Wink
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
funda_iucunda
Senior Member
****
Offline


Watt den een sin Uhl is
den annern sin Nachtigal.

Posts: 317
Germany (north of Hamburg)
Gender: male
Re: South American sling
Reply #2 - May 31st, 2007 at 3:50pm
 
The pouch seems to be mades by deviding the three strands of the cord into six and than braiding two strands forming a splitted pouch. Afterwards a string seems to be woven in square to the strands and a weft sewn through in the "figure of eight" manner. That's at least my interpretation.

funda
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
slingbadger
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


Don't Badger a Badger

Posts: 3220
Akron NY
Gender: male
Re: South American sling
Reply #3 - Jun 1st, 2007 at 12:19pm
 
Some plants and hairs twist depending on the atmosheric conditions. Hemp is one. The problem is that it's been removed from the area it was grown in, so it will react more.
Back to top
 

The greatest of all the accomplishments of 20th cent. science has been the discovery of human ignorance  The main difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits.-Einstein   I'm getting psychic as I get older. Or is that psychotic?
 
IP Logged
 
funda_iucunda
Senior Member
****
Offline


Watt den een sin Uhl is
den annern sin Nachtigal.

Posts: 317
Germany (north of Hamburg)
Gender: male
Re: South American sling
Reply #4 - Jun 1st, 2007 at 4:36pm
 
It's really twisting. I have to put projectiles of at least 100 gr weight into the pouch just for getting the cords straight. That makes slinging a cumbersome action.

funda
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
Send Topic Print
(Moderators: Rat Man, Chris, Masiakasaurus, Bill Skinner, Curious Aardvark, David Morningstar, Mauro Fiorentini)