I watched an Afghan shepard kid, prob 12ish, braid a sling out of the long triangular leaves of a a small shrub. It had all the same elements: flat-braid, split pouch, a loop for his finger. It did not however have a tassel at the end. Instead he breaded a ball knot. The kids accuracy was outstanding. With any random stone he was hitting a dinner plate sized rock consistently about 25-30 meters away.
@@mitchellwilley7208 No this was like 60-70 feet away. It was nearly unbelievable how accurate the little dude was. But this was when they were showing off to me. I don't know if they slung stones during their normal day at this distance. So one unique thing I saw there was that the shepherd boys didn't have dogs with them. They would sling a stone near the goats to herd them if they started to wander off.
@@spencereaston8292that’s wild! I always knew slings were deadly but the shots of him lobbing fist-sized stones across long distances in the video really cemented it for me. The sling and dart attacks of the ancient world must have been so deadly.
Well, in ye olden days (like, Neolithic), slings were still lethal, especially towards the head. Slings were popular hunting weapons, and they even saw warfare use. Such as in the Roman Empire, in which mercenaries used slings
A Balearic here, taught to shoot by my grandfather, taught by his grandfather and all the way back to the times of our ancestors. As a note, in our language the sling is called "fona" from the latin "funda" but there's also a mysterious word, "passetja" which comes from unknown origins and it's possibly the original name in our prehistoric mother tongue.
The battle description phrase: "...and x-thousand sling shooters..." suddenly gains quite a relevance, especially when one contemplates the fact that arrows, needed in the thousands add up in weight and volume and might have to be transported across great distances and challenging terrain. In the "right battleground"! Pebbles may cover the ground. I wonder how often generals chose the location for their attack with that factor in mind.
Slingers still used ammo. Picking up a random rock was far from being that useful due to how differently they'd fly compared to purpose-built ammunition. And lead shot would have been far more deadly than rocks.
@@LordVader1094 but slings can have options, arrows do not. Lead would be better but an ordinary rock is ok, a stick is not a good replacement of a war arrow.
even if it isn't in the attack itself, sling stones can be scavenged from rivers which was a big help in ancient war logistics where you might have multiple battles or skirmishes. Set up camp near a river bed, have your men scrounge up a few dozen suitable stones each. Practiced slingers would have a feel for a good rock and it beats having to haul a massive carriage around with all the arrows for the entire campaign.
I've been years making and using this slings. They are amazing. Simple but effective, and its simpleness adds a kind of beauty to them. In the iberian peninsula, where i live, they've been used till now by some hearders with legendary aim. Simply amazing.
The dammage they can yeild in battle was comparible to bows so they were extremely effective. The only reason bows became more popular is because they were more versitile and could be used in tighter formations. I have a feeling there is some truth to the david and goliath story as well because one well placed rock could absolutely kill a man no matter how big he is.
there's something intoxicating about the power and accuracy, and the snap it makes on release... sling-shooters must have been terrifying to face on the battlefield
They used to sink Roman ships by shooting lead bolts to the hull with their slings. Not to mention what it can do to armor and shields... Romans had the idea of covering the hulls with leathers and it worked out. Only then they could invade the isles.
As anyone here I am fascinated by the design and do want to replicate it. Therefore waiting for a guide. I thought I've started to produce decent slings, but after you showing this sexy balearic design tapering to the end.... thank you for eye opening video :D
I’m very excited to see the upcoming parts to your sling series! You very clearly have a much more sophisticated and unbiased opinion on slings; a true master to teach us!
@@TomAndersonnt is. Especially using lead bullets with holes on it, the horror is that you can't see it coming, but because it has holes on it of which creates a screeching sound while it approaches you on 180 kph if my memory did not deceive me.
I strongly believe that Rafa Nadal (who comes from the Balearic Archipelago) carries his balistic talent from previous generations! Great video, cheers from Spain💃
That makes no sense though, the Balear islands were reconquered by Catalans during and after the reconquista, there's no genetic continuity between the previous population and the modern, other than culture, no blood was carried from them.
Excellent presentation of historically accurate Information! Going over the sling's construction in detail and showing what it is capable of made for a great video. Looking forward to the seeing more from your channel. You have earned a subscriber!
I remember when I was young and playing D&D, the sling was treated in the game as something of a suck weapon. It was only a few years ago when, after doing a little real-world research, that I found out how well it rivaled the bow in every category.
It packs a stronger punch, can be made from a lot of stuff easy and your ammo is literally rocks. However a major advantage bows have is that you can shoot faster and it's easier to carry 30 arrows than 30 medium sized rocks with you
. Well, there are quite a few ex-felons in the states that use black powder revolvers for self defense since they are not technically "firearms" as per the stupid laws.
And now, I'm following your work ! So excited to learn how to proper use this incredible launcher... I've tried by myself but now i just have a painful elbow ahah But I can hit a car at 30 meters... It's the beginning!
l am now 15 years old and I am still playing with bows and slings and I taught to my cousins how to use them too the longest distance I have ever shot with my sling is 118 m and my bow have a range of 30m at 45* angle
Keep up the good work, I am really excited to see your next two videos. I've tried making a sling from sisal Twine and I can get reasonably accurate with it but it twists during the braiding so its gnarled and hairy looking, still beats the paracord though.
Pass the hairy bits quickly over a flame, so as to burn the thin, loose strands down with the heat, but leave the harder, thicker body of the twine untouched.
Absolutely amazing video, crammed packed full of vital information and history. Your form is absolutely perfect starting @5:25. Looking forward to your next video! Glad I found your channel. New Sub!🙏✡🛐
definitely interested in how to make one of that type. the one i made and have been using has a split pouch made of two short lengths of leather since i couldn't figure out the braiding myself.
This is a really excellent video of the sort I haven't seen on this website in a long time. It's concise, informative, and filled with clear demonstrations of sling technique and design. Subscribing is an easy choice.
By the way, do you have any plans to cover any other ancient weapons besides slings on this channel? I did historical fencing for 3 years here in the U.S., and whenever we were discussing the usage of hand weapons from antiquity, I always felt that we were just guessing. Of particular interest to me was the design of shields from the time. Large, oval or rectangular shields were common in Europe, and they nearly always had a handle that was horizontally aligned, which makes actually handling them very cumbersome if your background is sword and buckler. I've always wondered why these fighting tools were designed the way they were.
@@DjeauxSheaux I would like to expand out to other "archaic arms" throughout history, with perhaps more focus on ranged weapons, but we'll see. The shield design you describe is quite curious. I can see them being used in defensive and offensive manner depending on the situation, but I personally have never had any hands-on experience using them, so my insight is fairly limited.
@@Archaic-Arms I would love to see more content on projectiles from your channel. As to shield design, it's a mystery lost to the ages. But if I had to come up with a guess I'd say that a large, oval shaped shield with a horizontal handle can very ergonomically lay flat right against your body, which might be desirable if you're getting into a shoving match with your opponent. In modern fencing you always try to hit your opponent with the very tip of your sword, but the wear patterns on bronze and iron aged swords show many cuts close to the handle of the blade, as if they were used at terribly close range. And they were definitely as big as they were to assist against the many projectiles of the day. Hope to see more content from you soon!
Another great vid.. Have u seen that Ken Criswell guy that make these as well as other weapons from the past? The vid i saw shows him hitting tiny targets from long distances with slings. I was amazed at how he was able to to this. The trick shots really blew me away.
I'm reminded of a line from Robert Heinlein's STARSHIP TROOPERS (the Book!) where Sgt. Zim tells his trainees - "There are no dangerous weapons, only dangerous men. I'm teaching you to be dangerous." I'm not sure I'm old enuff to see you with something that has an edge...or a point..! {Good Work, BTW}
My friend was an expert with this weapon. He explained the proper technique was like cracking a whip and that the projectile would leave the pouch near the speed of sound.
Goliath was not only the tallest but also the strongest. More like: a guy brought a gun to a knife fight, only to be met with a machine gun or AK rifle
3:42 I'm wondering if an explanation may be, that those artists were familiar with that specific style of sling, so when they came to do the painting and sculpture, when it came to doing the sling, they defaulted to their concept of what a sling was, rather than being historically accurate to the type of sling David would have used 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️ Fantastic video, very informative 🙏🙏🙏🙏👍👍👍👍 And yes, it is that taper of a whip, which means that it's tip breaks the sound-barrier as it flicks forward in the strike 👍👍👍👍
With how simple, cheap and lethally effective slings were I always wondered why bows managed to compete and reduce them first to a specialist weapon then completely out of history
@@Idolhands360 yet Iberian, Belaeric and Rhodian slingers were famously effective elite missile troops well into the late iron age, fighting foes using suits of chainmail and segmented armour. And comparable armour had existed since the bronze age, bronze is only marginally weaker than pre industrial iron. Commonality maybe? Lifestyle changes via economics that led to a shortage of sling trained rural men?
Because bow technology improved a lot across time while slings reached their ceiling faster. Also unit cohesion. A unit of slingers is more disorganised and needs to be less compact, which relegates them to the role of skirmishes while bows can also be skirmishing units or being integrated into the main army or perform defensive warfare better.
Not that anyone wants to get hit in the mouth with what is essentially a ranged flail strike, but the reason is because bows are actually better in every way except for the industry required to make them. Arrows are lighter, fly farther and faster, penetrate the kind of armor the majority of soldiers will be wearing better, bows can be used in tighter ranks and best of all they're better adapted in every way to be used on horseback.
@@ULTRAOutdoorsman Balaeric slingers were purported to shoot farther than Carthaginian archers. Slung 'bullets' were effective against armour, by denting helmets and chestplates (aka. crushing skulls and ribs). They could tear through innards and shatter bones. The force of impact was so large that Walter Hawkins (in "Observations on the use of Slings") cited findings of lead 'bullets' deep inside of walled fortifications. Your point about archery in tight ranks stands - but that's the beauty of slingers. Balaeric slingers moved in loosely packed units, with little to no armour, making them likely the fastest non-cavalry skirmishers of their period. They were effectively used to take harass and take high ground from opposing ranged units. Due to the nature of a sling, these guys could sprint around using tons of lateral motion without disrupting their offensive output (as noted by Diodorus, slingers could actively dodge projectiles while returning their own) - a distinct advantage compared to most archers who trained and shot from a standing position. Skilled slingers were in demand across the ancient world and fought alongside archers in almost every case. Both units were highly sought after - it's just that one was easily trained, while the other required nuanced skill from a lifetime of use to be effective in military conditions. Diodorus notes that it was considered almost useless to train slingers. They were hired as mercenaries from rural areas. It's not so much a conscious decision to stop using slingers. They were highly respected mercenaries. They were just unavailable to most nations, difficult to train, and the regions that produced slingers may not have continued the culture of slinging as in the case of the Balaeric (who were utilised as infantry in later history).
Excellent video! Inspired by this video (and partly in impatience waiting for the next, haha!) I braided a Balearic style sling for myself around the beginning of the month, measuring 1 meter in length, out of some scrap jute rope I broke down. Maybe not the most traditional, though jute I suppose would be for the near east in antiquity, but it works well enough for my purpose! Though I must ask; how do you stop the tassel from breaking down over time? My tassel started at maybe 5cm and dwindled down after many, many whip cracks and is now about .6cm. I assume you finished the braid with a different material that is stronger under such high speeds, also lending to a different tassel colour?
Thanks for watching! My very first Balearic was jute as well, good to learn with. Not the most durable, but certainly works. Yes I braid a different material in for the tassel, synthetics being the most durable in this application. A common solution in the Balearics is to braid the end of the sling out from the fibres of poly rope or twine. I will cover the options and my technique in detail, with the tutorial.
Thank you very much! Unfortunately, my sling's split pouch fell apart at the transition to the belly while practicing around the time you replied, but I will make another one with sisal or manila, and I think I'll do paracord innards for the tassel. Thanks again!
Nearly every TH-camr this week has done the same video on how to braid a sling, so we need at least $500 more TH-camrs to do the same thing that way we will make sure that we know how to do this
Ok, this video made me appreciate the sling in the video game Enter the Gungeon a lot more... Hell, thanks to this I may very well draw one paper, cause I can
I knew nothing about these....except for the archeological finds of Roman lead projectiles but some of these fellas shown, are really bloody good at shooting, if thats the correct terminology
"Does" rhymes with "toes" and means female deer .
Yes I agree, silly mistake on my part!
"Hoe" rhymes with "toe" and means your mom.
What?
@@coreblaster6809 exactly wtf
@@paccianiod The word "doe" means female deer
I watched an Afghan shepard kid, prob 12ish, braid a sling out of the long triangular leaves of a a small shrub. It had all the same elements: flat-braid, split pouch, a loop for his finger. It did not however have a tassel at the end. Instead he breaded a ball knot. The kids accuracy was outstanding. With any random stone he was hitting a dinner plate sized rock consistently about 25-30 meters away.
Maybe you ment feet?
@@mitchellwilley7208 No this was like 60-70 feet away. It was nearly unbelievable how accurate the little dude was. But this was when they were showing off to me. I don't know if they slung stones during their normal day at this distance. So one unique thing I saw there was that the shepherd boys didn't have dogs with them. They would sling a stone near the goats to herd them if they started to wander off.
@@spencereaston8292that’s wild! I always knew slings were deadly but the shots of him lobbing fist-sized stones across long distances in the video really cemented it for me. The sling and dart attacks of the ancient world must have been so deadly.
Anyone want to tell this guy how long a meter is? Or should I say metre?
@@exodeus7959about 3 feet
Seeing grown men practice with this as a sport makes me fully believe the lethality these things posess. Goliath never stood a chance.
Well, in ye olden days (like, Neolithic), slings were still lethal, especially towards the head. Slings were popular hunting weapons, and they even saw warfare use. Such as in the Roman Empire, in which mercenaries used slings
Should have kept his shield up.
Bro when using lead shot the size of your pinky and pointed, they would STICK INTO PEOPLE. Very lethal!
Expert slinger + Gods guidance = dead Philistine
The stone sunk into his skull. Some serious velocity right there
A Balearic here, taught to shoot by my grandfather, taught by his grandfather and all the way back to the times of our ancestors. As a note, in our language the sling is called "fona" from the latin "funda" but there's also a mysterious word, "passetja" which comes from unknown origins and it's possibly the original name in our prehistoric mother tongue.
Every other generation in your family gets a bit of a break.
@@Kuttar-jm2ce doesn't sound remotely similar.
Funny here in Portugal we still call it Funda for the sling and the slingers are called "Fundeiros" or "Fundibulários".
In Croatia we call it "praćka" .
It could be coincidence but it is a tiny bit similar and distorted in a way to be suspicious .
There is no similarity, Slověnic prašta from Proto-Slověnic pьrati «to beat», like in perunъ «lightning bolt».
The battle description phrase: "...and x-thousand sling shooters..." suddenly gains quite a relevance, especially when one contemplates the fact that arrows, needed in the thousands add up in weight and volume and might have to be transported across great distances and challenging terrain. In the "right battleground"! Pebbles may cover the ground. I wonder how often generals chose the location for their attack with that factor in mind.
They still carried their ammo. Being lead shot, river stones or fired clay. Using random rocks was not the intended use.
Slingers still used ammo. Picking up a random rock was far from being that useful due to how differently they'd fly compared to purpose-built ammunition. And lead shot would have been far more deadly than rocks.
@@LordVader1094 but slings can have options, arrows do not. Lead would be better but an ordinary rock is ok, a stick is not a good replacement of a war arrow.
even if it isn't in the attack itself, sling stones can be scavenged from rivers which was a big help in ancient war logistics where you might have multiple battles or skirmishes. Set up camp near a river bed, have your men scrounge up a few dozen suitable stones each. Practiced slingers would have a feel for a good rock and it beats having to haul a massive carriage around with all the arrows for the entire campaign.
@@aldrinmilespartosa1578can't fire a flaming rock into a load of round houses though can you.
Can't wait for the guide to build one! The ones you showed on this video seemed so perfect.
Much appreciated!
Yes i hope for a tutorial
@@Archaic-Arms hey.... no pressure but.... when that tutorial coming to make one like u have
@@mrwannabeblacksmith8831 I think a little bit more pressure now, cose it’s been 4 month
@@SaveliyShabanov yeah I was thinking same lol
Here on Menorca they still hold sling shooting competitions every year, its great to see some of these expert shooters in action.
Why am I not surprised that there is a slinging community out there? I guess there is really a community for everything out there. Very cool
Slinging and swinging
I've been years making and using this slings. They are amazing. Simple but effective, and its simpleness adds a kind of beauty to them. In the iberian peninsula, where i live, they've been used till now by some hearders with legendary aim. Simply amazing.
The dammage they can yeild in battle was comparible to bows so they were extremely effective. The only reason bows became more popular is because they were more versitile and could be used in tighter formations. I have a feeling there is some truth to the david and goliath story as well because one well placed rock could absolutely kill a man no matter how big he is.
Where can I buy one of those?
Have you tried a fustibalis?
@@davepowell7168 Never....
there's something intoxicating about the power and accuracy, and the snap it makes on release... sling-shooters must have been terrifying to face on the battlefield
They used to sink Roman ships by shooting lead bolts to the hull with their slings. Not to mention what it can do to armor and shields... Romans had the idea of covering the hulls with leathers and it worked out. Only then they could invade the isles.
As anyone here I am fascinated by the design and do want to replicate it. Therefore waiting for a guide.
I thought I've started to produce decent slings, but after you showing this sexy balearic design tapering to the end.... thank you for eye opening video :D
Thanks!
I’m very excited to see the upcoming parts to your sling series! You very clearly have a much more sophisticated and unbiased opinion on slings; a true master to teach us!
Haha thank you for very generous words! but I know there is still much to learn, so a master I am not.
Those slingers helped to bring an end to some Bronze Age empires. They were warriors. This was comprehensive and interesting. Well done.
But not from Balearic Islands?
Some good shooting there. Most under rated ancient weapon of all. More than capable of bringing down large game.
I never knew how lethal slings were until I saw this video. These weapons must've been considered OP for hundreds of years
@@TomAndersonnt is.
Especially using lead bullets with holes on it, the horror is that you can't see it coming, but because it has holes on it of which creates a screeching sound while it approaches you on 180 kph if my memory did not deceive me.
This is incredible. Ancient people were so cool, watching this weapon being used is like taking a trip back in time.
I strongly believe that Rafa Nadal (who comes from the Balearic Archipelago) carries his balistic talent from previous generations!
Great video, cheers from Spain💃
That makes no sense though, the Balear islands were reconquered by Catalans during and after the reconquista, there's no genetic continuity between the previous population and the modern, other than culture, no blood was carried from them.
Excellent presentation of historically accurate Information! Going over the sling's construction in detail and showing what it is capable of made for a great video. Looking forward to the seeing more from your channel. You have earned a subscriber!
Thank you for sharing this. Impressive marksmanship by the way. Kudos!
Awesome video, very professionally pieced together. I look forward to seeing what you'll cover next, count me in!
You have the best slings I’ve seen on internet, great job👏
I remember when I was young and playing D&D, the sling was treated in the game as something of a suck weapon. It was only a few years ago when, after doing a little real-world research, that I found out how well it rivaled the bow in every category.
It packs a stronger punch, can be made from a lot of stuff easy and your ammo is literally rocks.
However a major advantage bows have is that you can shoot faster and it's easier to carry 30 arrows than 30 medium sized rocks with you
@@nikolafeschiev3399 its easier to find 30 medium sized rocks than finding 30 arrows tho
@@miasmelanzana3334 you are right but noone uses black powder and lead anymore either . And muskets can kill people as easy as modern firearms.
. Well, there are quite a few ex-felons in the states that use black powder revolvers for self defense since they are not technically "firearms" as per the stupid laws.
Bows have much more accuracy and range but slings are super capable.
This is a very well put together video. I'm really excited to see more content from your channel, keep it up!
Awesome video. Can't wait for your video on how to make one. Especially for forming the belly. Your slings look perfect.
Thank you! I'll try to do a comprehensive job.
Great video and great aim!! Thanks
Cheers!
Looking forward to making one along with you. Your video is very informative and interesting.
This channel is incredible thank you for being one of the best!
Many thanks!
great vid - I have been looking for a good guide to making or buying a balearic sling for a number of years!!
Excited for the build video!
This is amazing! I have been using a poor quality jute twine sling. I am excited to see the upcoming videos and make one of better quality
Looking forward to you next videos!!! Thanks for this!
And now, I'm following your work !
So excited to learn how to proper use this incredible launcher... I've tried by myself but now i just have a painful elbow ahah
But I can hit a car at 30 meters... It's the beginning!
I used to play with these as I grew up as a kid, used to make our own as well as bows and sling shots from good tree branches. Awesome
l am now 15 years old and I am still playing with bows and slings and I taught to my cousins how to use them too the longest distance I have ever shot with my sling is 118 m and my bow have a range of 30m at 45* angle
Beautiful work
Fantastic video, and really looking forward to seeing more!
Thanks Kick!
How ingeniously dynamic!
Subscribed so I’ll know when the next video in the series comes out! Would love to learn how to make and use a Balearic Sling!
This was a very well made video. Please make more
Very informative ... a well designed weapon for one of the most powerful slinger these days 👍😊
Thanks Sylvain!
How to purchase one?
Keep up the good work, I am really excited to see your next two videos. I've tried making a sling from sisal Twine and I can get reasonably accurate with it but it twists during the braiding so its gnarled and hairy looking, still beats the paracord though.
Pass the hairy bits quickly over a flame, so as to burn the thin, loose strands down with the heat, but leave the harder, thicker body of the twine untouched.
Looking forward to the guide!
Fantastic video. Thank you
Very interesting video. Always cool to see someone passionate about something.
Much appreciated!
Good Video Dude! Well presented and spoken.
Absolutely amazing video, crammed packed full of vital information and history. Your form is absolutely perfect starting @5:25. Looking forward to your next video! Glad I found your channel. New Sub!🙏✡🛐
Thank you!
Waiting for the tutorial on how to make one!😮 I even activated the little bell so I don't miss it 🔔 🤩
Excellent video! 👍
Cheers, Joe!
Great video!
Man, you're pretty good with that thing.
You have inspired me to pick up this sling!
I am glad!
definitely interested in how to make one of that type. the one i made and have been using has a split pouch made of two short lengths of leather since i couldn't figure out the braiding myself.
Certainly worth a try! I'll show a few braid types in the next one, they are not difficult to learn.
@@Archaic-Arms looking forward to it. cheers!
This is a really excellent video of the sort I haven't seen on this website in a long time. It's concise, informative, and filled with clear demonstrations of sling technique and design. Subscribing is an easy choice.
By the way, do you have any plans to cover any other ancient weapons besides slings on this channel? I did historical fencing for 3 years here in the U.S., and whenever we were discussing the usage of hand weapons from antiquity, I always felt that we were just guessing. Of particular interest to me was the design of shields from the time. Large, oval or rectangular shields were common in Europe, and they nearly always had a handle that was horizontally aligned, which makes actually handling them very cumbersome if your background is sword and buckler. I've always wondered why these fighting tools were designed the way they were.
Thank you!
@@DjeauxSheaux I would like to expand out to other "archaic arms" throughout history, with perhaps more focus on ranged weapons, but we'll see.
The shield design you describe is quite curious. I can see them being used in defensive and offensive manner depending on the situation, but I personally have never had any hands-on experience using them, so my insight is fairly limited.
@@Archaic-Arms I would love to see more content on projectiles from your channel. As to shield design, it's a mystery lost to the ages. But if I had to come up with a guess I'd say that a large, oval shaped shield with a horizontal handle can very ergonomically lay flat right against your body, which might be desirable if you're getting into a shoving match with your opponent. In modern fencing you always try to hit your opponent with the very tip of your sword, but the wear patterns on bronze and iron aged swords show many cuts close to the handle of the blade, as if they were used at terribly close range. And they were definitely as big as they were to assist against the many projectiles of the day. Hope to see more content from you soon!
Just found your videos and now I wanna get one and learn to use it, I bet with practice it could be used for small game
This made me remember when we were taught this in school, an important part of Balearic heritage gràcies desde Menorca amic
awesome, great video
Very informative! Thank you
Thanks for watching!
Very interesting! I wonder how these would be used in military formations back then.
This likely varied depending on the sling length and type of projectile. I will cover this in a future video, perhaps the next one?
@@Archaic-Arms Yes please!!!
My understanding was harassing flank attacks using lead shot shaped like American footballs in Roman times, anyway.
Waiting for the build!
Another great vid.. Have u seen that Ken Criswell guy that make these as well as other weapons from the past? The vid i saw shows him hitting tiny targets from long distances with slings. I was amazed at how he was able to to this. The trick shots really blew me away.
I'm reminded of a line from Robert Heinlein's STARSHIP TROOPERS (the Book!) where Sgt. Zim tells his trainees - "There are no dangerous weapons, only dangerous men. I'm teaching you to be dangerous."
I'm not sure I'm old enuff to see you with something that has an edge...or a point..!
{Good Work, BTW}
Dang! I never knew how effective they where! ⚡️
Quality work AA
Cheers Mitch!
very cool history lesson thankyou
This was great. You earned one more subscriber sir.
Thanks for watching!
Very cool. Nice explanation. Waiting for the bell to ring. Happy new year.
Great video thanks
Here from a random YT suggestion. Well done video
That pop of the of the whip effect coupled with Roman whistling projectiles must have had an extreme psychological effect on the battlefield.
Brilliant!
What fibre you used for the slings shown in the video? They look absolutely gorgeous. Also can't wait for the tutorial!
All of the ones listed in the video. Esparto is the best natural fibre in my opinion, but I cover that in more detail in the upcoming video.
subscribed and ready for more!!
that's pretty flippin' cool
Awesomeness 👌🏻 ❤
That was pretty cool
My friend was an expert with this weapon. He explained the proper technique was like cracking a whip and that the projectile would leave the pouch near the speed of sound.
That was a great video, entertaining and educational
Great movie!!
Very impressive
Awesome!
I just imagined a bunch of these guys slinging in volleys or slightly off with those sonic cracks, thats wicked.
Used to think that the David vs Goliath story was inspirational. But now I realize that it's a story about a guy that brought a gun in a knife fight😂
Goliath was not only the tallest but also the strongest. More like: a guy brought a gun to a knife fight, only to be met with a machine gun or AK rifle
3:42 I'm wondering if an explanation may be, that those artists were familiar with that specific style of sling, so when they came to do the painting and sculpture, when it came to doing the sling, they defaulted to their concept of what a sling was, rather than being historically accurate to the type of sling David would have used 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
Fantastic video, very informative 🙏🙏🙏🙏👍👍👍👍 And yes, it is that taper of a whip, which means that it's tip breaks the sound-barrier as it flicks forward in the strike 👍👍👍👍
I agree, the artists would have likely depicted that which is familiar to them. Slings can vary a lot from culture to culture.
Awesome, thanks
I’m surprised you don’t use a hook or a vice to apply tension to the sling while you braid it.
Looking forward to the tutorial!
I never use a hook for a flat braid, but always for a round braid (not for tension, but keeps the cord out of the way).
Fantastic Thank You
Nice video
Would love to purchase one so I could use as a reference to build my own.
A good movie about David would be to start with him casually braiding something, whistling, surrounded by sheep. Then we find out it’s a sling.
Bringing a gun into a melee fight will never be fair, even a gargantuan stands no chance.
God this video is so well done. Love your work
Thanks so much!
Nice shooting
our people used to in household chores such as sheep herds or similar duties and ofcuz in fights it is a great ranged weapon
the slow motion show is awesome
Looking forward to the guide on how to make one, I am Wondering how to find / buy the Balearic sling materials
I will try and cover this in the tutorial.
excellent.
Thanks!
That is friggin cool
very cool
With how simple, cheap and lethally effective slings were I always wondered why bows managed to compete and reduce them first to a specialist weapon then completely out of history
Armor...
@@Idolhands360 yet Iberian, Belaeric and Rhodian slingers were famously effective elite missile troops well into the late iron age, fighting foes using suits of chainmail and segmented armour. And comparable armour had existed since the bronze age, bronze is only marginally weaker than pre industrial iron.
Commonality maybe? Lifestyle changes via economics that led to a shortage of sling trained rural men?
Because bow technology improved a lot across time while slings reached their ceiling faster. Also unit cohesion. A unit of slingers is more disorganised and needs to be less compact, which relegates them to the role of skirmishes while bows can also be skirmishing units or being integrated into the main army or perform defensive warfare better.
Not that anyone wants to get hit in the mouth with what is essentially a ranged flail strike, but the reason is because bows are actually better in every way except for the industry required to make them. Arrows are lighter, fly farther and faster, penetrate the kind of armor the majority of soldiers will be wearing better, bows can be used in tighter ranks and best of all they're better adapted in every way to be used on horseback.
@@ULTRAOutdoorsman Balaeric slingers were purported to shoot farther than Carthaginian archers. Slung 'bullets' were effective against armour, by denting helmets and chestplates (aka. crushing skulls and ribs). They could tear through innards and shatter bones. The force of impact was so large that Walter Hawkins (in "Observations on the use of Slings") cited findings of lead 'bullets' deep inside of walled fortifications.
Your point about archery in tight ranks stands - but that's the beauty of slingers. Balaeric slingers moved in loosely packed units, with little to no armour, making them likely the fastest non-cavalry skirmishers of their period. They were effectively used to take harass and take high ground from opposing ranged units. Due to the nature of a sling, these guys could sprint around using tons of lateral motion without disrupting their offensive output (as noted by Diodorus, slingers could actively dodge projectiles while returning their own) - a distinct advantage compared to most archers who trained and shot from a standing position.
Skilled slingers were in demand across the ancient world and fought alongside archers in almost every case. Both units were highly sought after - it's just that one was easily trained, while the other required nuanced skill from a lifetime of use to be effective in military conditions. Diodorus notes that it was considered almost useless to train slingers. They were hired as mercenaries from rural areas.
It's not so much a conscious decision to stop using slingers. They were highly respected mercenaries. They were just unavailable to most nations, difficult to train, and the regions that produced slingers may not have continued the culture of slinging as in the case of the Balaeric (who were utilised as infantry in later history).
Excellent video! Inspired by this video (and partly in impatience waiting for the next, haha!) I braided a Balearic style sling for myself around the beginning of the month, measuring 1 meter in length, out of some scrap jute rope I broke down. Maybe not the most traditional, though jute I suppose would be for the near east in antiquity, but it works well enough for my purpose!
Though I must ask; how do you stop the tassel from breaking down over time? My tassel started at maybe 5cm and dwindled down after many, many whip cracks and is now about .6cm. I assume you finished the braid with a different material that is stronger under such high speeds, also lending to a different tassel colour?
Thanks for watching!
My very first Balearic was jute as well, good to learn with. Not the most durable, but certainly works.
Yes I braid a different material in for the tassel, synthetics being the most durable in this application. A common solution in the Balearics is to braid the end of the sling out from the fibres of poly rope or twine. I will cover the options and my technique in detail, with the tutorial.
Thank you very much! Unfortunately, my sling's split pouch fell apart at the transition to the belly while practicing around the time you replied, but I will make another one with sisal or manila, and I think I'll do paracord innards for the tassel. Thanks again!
Nearly every TH-camr this week has done the same video on how to braid a sling, so we need at least $500 more TH-camrs to do the same thing that way we will make sure that we know how to do this
Ok, this video made me appreciate the sling in the video game Enter the Gungeon a lot more...
Hell, thanks to this I may very well draw one paper, cause I can
I knew nothing about these....except for the archeological finds of Roman lead projectiles but some of these fellas shown, are really bloody good at shooting, if thats the correct terminology