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Atlatl dart?

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stringstretcher:
Is there any specific length for atlatl darts?  What would be considered to short to use efficently and effectively?

jonathan creason:
From everything I've read (just getting in to that atlatl thing) something in the 7' range seems to be the norm.  The basketmakers evidently used shorter darts, 5' or so.

AndrewS:
The range worldwide is from 1 meter (40") from the Inuit  to 3,4 m (133") from the Aborigines in Australia.
This information is from the book of U. Stodiek "Zur Technologie der jungpaleolithischen Speerschleuder" (About the technologie of the early paleolithics atlatls)

swamp monkey:
After making dozens of spear thrower replicas and darts, I have discovered the atlatl and spears kind of fall into two groups.  There are the light weight throwers and spears.  For the longest time I used only 6 feet long river cane darts 1/2" in diameter on the big end.  My large atlatls worked just fine with these and the public who used them seemed to like them better as well.  I made a small and thin replica atlatl from the Western US and it was a rotten thrower.  Then one day I was throwing with a fellow primitive he had 4 foot long darts that looked like really long arrows about the same diameter too.  I tried them with the smaller atlatls and what do you know.  They work real well! :o 

So you may need to take stock in what kind of atlatl you have.  If it is a non-bending heavy thrower you likely will want a heavier and longer spear.  If you have a thinner or flexible thrower you will want thinner and shorter spears. 

I hope this helps and good luck. 

AndrewS:
I'm with swamp monkey. The length of the dart depends on the atlatl and individual style of the thrower.....

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