Additional information
by Nicholas Tomihama (Author)
As one of mankind's oldest weapons, there is something about the atlatl that just feels right. Whether on the river, in the woods or even in your own backyard, throwing with an atlatl can be fun and rewarding for all ages. With over 200 black and white pictures, Darts on Target shows you how to build your own atlatl using PVC pipe and other materials common to our modern world.
With a unique blend of properties, PVC plumbing pipe offers both the experienced and novice atlatlist the opportunity to build solid and dependable atlatls without previous experience. PVC atlatls can be built quickly and can be easily adjusted and tuned to fit you and your throwing style.- Build four different styles of atlatl ranging from simple to complex and learn how to customize each one to fit you. - Learn how to shape and form PVC pipe with heat to create a variety of extra features. Also learn how to taper pipes with heat to create very flexible and forgiving atlatls. - Make your own atlatl darts including solid darts and ones that can be broken down for storage and travel, as well as your own simple homemade target points!
Author Biography
Nicholas Ikaika Tomihama was raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. As a young child, he would occupy his free time by making his own toys from assorted houshold items, often causing messes and minor chaos. His very first bow was made at the age of five from steel coat-hangers that had been straightened and taped together with a rubber-band string. His father, a now-retired jeweler and former president of the Hawaii Jeweler's Association, encouraged his meandering interests in making things. Nicholas had a love of archery as a child and his father bought him his first bow, a lil' Banshee compound when he was ten. At the age of 14, and with his father's help, Nicholas began his own business crafting and marketing handmade Koa wood pens. During this time, he made many attempts at building knives and spears, and occassionally steel arrowheads. In highschool, he had little interest in archery, and in his senior year at Mid-Pacific Institute, met his soon-to-be wife Angela. After graduating, he attended the University of Hawaii at Hilo with the hopes of pursuing a degree in Business Administration. After one semester and an internal awakening of a passion for the primitive, he returned to Honolulu. Back home, he started looking for a job and was hired by Sam's Club as a Home Meal Processor. With a job and a fiance, he attempted to start a custom knifemaking business which did not make it out of the gates. After moving from his parent's house, and subsequently losing access to his father's plethora of power tools, Nicholas found himself unable to make knives or pens. Without much to do, he turned to archery, making use of his father's fiberglass hunting recurve bow. After shooting for a few months, he began building his own bows with simple hand tools, teaching himself as he went. After some time, he was asked by a friend to make a bow for him. It was broken when another friend pulled it too far, and thankfully nobody was injured. After that, he prayed and asked God what he should do. He had always made things to sell, but after much prayer, he now had a different calling. He contunued to build bows in his backyard, eventually teaching a few others to build their own bows. With that under his belt, he took his own experiences in making bows and began writing the Backyard Bowyer to help others who were interested in making bows but didn't know where to start.
