It looks like December 20th is the last day we can ship via priority mail through the post office and Dec. 22 for Express Mail. Please try to get your orders in by Dec. 19th if you want to make those deadlines! We do have gift certificates available which we can email to you!
THUNDERBIRD ATLATL DESIGN Part of TED Conference

In January 2006, we shipped an Osage Otsiningo Atlatl to Bix Biederbeck of Thinc Design in New York City. Two months later, the atlatl was part of the 2006 TED Conference in Monterey, Calif.
We recently ran across a blog about the conference which commented on the atlatl. The link is below. “TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out”, according to the TED web page, ” (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader.
“The Otsiningo Atlatl designed by Bob Berg of Thunderbird Atlatl was part of a display at the 2006 TED Conference entitled: “Behind the Scenes: Collecting objects of the future” The 2006 TED Conference’s theme was: “The Future We Will Create”. According to the blog on the TED website, “the stage and lobby at TED2006 were accented with a collection of distinctive objects, each representing a vision of the future. Thinc Design principal Tom Hennes led the curation effort, and talks here about how he chose.
“The idea of what is futuristic is one of the most mutable memes — nothing gets older faster, yet some objects (and ideas) seem to remain ‘futuristic’ for a very long time. When we decided to populate the stage with objects that signify the future, we thought it would be interesting to include not only things that feel like today’s future, but also a number of things that are from futures of the past. And a number of objects that represent the multitude of things that once changed the future. Or tried to.
“The yellow Atlatl, made by Thunderbird, is a modern rendition of a uniquely American spear-throwing device used about 12,000 years ago across the continent for efficiently – and lethally – hurling neolithic spears at wooly mammoths. Sustaining hunting and gathering bands for a couple of thousand years, it most likely also contributed to the extinction of the largest megafauna in the Americas at the end of the Pleistocene, about 10,500 years ago. The Atlatl isn’t part of our present future, but the message is clear enough”…

To learn more about TED, check oaut the blog and web page at:
http://blog.ted.com/2006/03/behind_the_scen.php

If you have someone you think would like an atlatl set as a gift, now is the time to put your order in! Our shop is busy getting out gift orders now. We think we can safely guarantee delivery by US Priority mail through December 19th. Beginning on the 20th, we will recommend the US Post Office Express Mail (guaranteed overnight delivery), UPS, Fed Ex or DHL. These options are a little more expensive but give better tracking and insurance. Priority mail is still the best delivery for the price (usually $15 to $20 if you are ordering darts and depending on where you live- we are located on the East Coast). If you are ordering just an atlatl, mailing costs are usually $6 to $7 via US Priority mail. Since atlatl sets with up to three darts and an atlatl are usually fairly light, the Express option runs around $30 for delivery and probably around $40 for three to seven darts.

GIFT CERTIFICATES
We do offer gift certificates if you are uncertain what to buy. Gift certificates are available in any amount and can be delivered to you or your recipient either through regular mail or through email. Email or call us and we can provide you with information. Gift certificates are available through email anytime!

Give us a call with your order at 1-800-836-4520 and we can help figure out the delivery rates. You can also order through the website, remember you can give special directions in the comment section and you need to push the “check cart” key with your mouse to see your order. You can also email us at contact@thunderbirdatlatl.com or thunderbirdatlatl@gmail.com If you get the answering machine when you call the 800 number, leave a message and we will return your call. You can also try the following cell phone numbers: 607-743-4379 or 607-222-9845.
Looking forward to talking to you!

We are taking holiday orders now! You can place orders by using the web site, sending an email to thunderbirdatlatl@gmail.com or by calling 1-800-836-4520 or 607-659-3854.
If you have any questions about any items, either email us or give us a call. Please note, when ordering from the website, you need to go to the bottom of the page and hit “check cart” to make sure your items have been placed in the shopping cart. For book and DVD orders, just list the number of items you want in the “comments” section of the order form.
Inventory is good on most atlatls. If you need a custom order, please call to confer.

Thunderbird Atlatl is ready for your holiday orders! You may order through the website and we will email you a confirmation within 24 hours. If you do not hear from us, please call in the event your order did not go through – 1-800-836-4520.
We have some new t-shirts in stock and will be posting pictures in the next few days. We will also post a running list of what we have in stock so you can place your orders.
If you have any special order needs, just write them in the comments area of the order form.
We will be updating our website in January but are still working with the current one through the holiday season. Please note when you place an order, you need to go through the “check cart” link to make sure your order has been added. The system does not go there automatically. If you have any problems give us a call at 1-800-836-4520 for assistance.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Russ Guthrie’s 7 year old grandson assisted him on a research project to determine the effectiveness of the atlatl and dart for the purpose of deer hunting. They are both from Pennsylvania. The research was conducted on a deer farm which is a legal venue for this kind of thing. I am leaving the youngster’s name out of this for privacy reasons.

The purpose of the project is to show to a skeptical public that deer hunting with an atlatl and dart is effective. Russ worked with his grandson over time to help him become proficient with the atlatl. Practice was an essential part of the process.

The equipment used was made by Thunderbird Atlatl. The grandson’s gear consisted of a 22” Kanakadea atlatl and 1/2” x 6 foot ash dart weighing 6 ounces and an Ace broadhead of 160 grains. Russ’ gear was a 26” Kanakadea atlatl and 9/16” x 7 foot dart weighing 8 ounces with a 200 grain broadhead. The reason for the lighter gear for the youngster was so he could manage it easier.

The youngster made a good shot hitting just behind the diaphragm in the liver area. The deer went down after only 15 yards according to Russ. Russ then shot the deer with a second dart to finish the deer off quickly. Either shot would have been fatal by itself. There is a report of this experiment posted at Paleo Planet:

http://p081.ezboard.com/Russ-Guthries-7-Year-Old-Grandson-Nails-Deer-With-Atlatl/fpaleoplanet69529frm68.showMessage?topicID=684.topic

And YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaEWhGHfCJA

The results are self explanatory.

Bob Berg