Home > Arrows and Arrow Making > Shaft Tamer
Shaft Tamer
Reviewed By Steve , 28 September 2009
Bent arrows or bent shafts are the bane of an archers life, when I am making arrows I first straighten the shaft, you may find that some of the arrow shafts you buy are straight but there will always be some that are not, at the worst end of the scale you can find that all of them are slightly kinked, this can be a result of having bee stored or shipped badly.
It isn't the end of the world though, most archers are familiar with how to hand straighten an arrow but the number that can do it properly is less than the number who think they can. I have watched as archers snap arrows trying to straighten them. There are many methods to straighten a shaft and this little tool is one of the simplest.
I have to admit to being somewhat sceptical about a block of steel with a groove in it. The Shaft Tamer will work on all sizes of shaft.
The method is simple, it uses compression to straighten the shaft, because it is grooved you get a nice even pressure around the shaft.
It's just a case of sighting down the shaft finding the high spot and lay the shaft on a flat surface - I have a large sheet of thick glass for this purpose, with the high spot uppermost gently rub the shaft with the Shaft Tamer. You won't need as much force as you think and it is best to start light and work up if you have to - incredibly it works !
I did have reservations that it might in some way alter the spine of an arrow but any testing I have done has not revealed this to be the case.
Use it on raw shafts although I have used it on finished shafts that have become bent through my neglect, be careful though as too much pressure on a finished shaft will crack or mar the finish.
In actual fact you could use any metal object to compress the shaft, a screwdriver or what ever you have with a flat surface but I like the feel and shape of the Shaft Tamer and the groove is what it is all about.
| Rating | |
|---|---|
| Features & Design |   |
| Pleasing shape with a groove, pretty functional | |
| Performance | |
| Yes it works, use a light touch and you will get results | |
| Value for Money | |
| Hmmm... the trouble is it will always feel like you paid $40 for a lump of metal | |
| Overall |  |
| I actually enjoy hand straightening but this tool does work and is a nice addition to the fletchers armoury | |
Steve Nicholson and Andy Gilfrin, are real archers interested in the best archery suppliers have to offer. In our search for the very best bow, arrows and equipment we have shot, used and worn pretty much everything on offer.
We value feedback from users and suppliers and are keen to hear from you if you wish to contact us about anything on the website.
Contact Steve .. steve@archers-review.com
Contact Andy .. andy@archers-review.com
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| Essential Details | |
|---|---|
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What : Shaft Tamer Price : $40 |
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Nothing miraculous here, it's all simple science.
Simple and functional design
Rub along the high spot of the kink.
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Magazine |
Magazine
We were very pleased to give our support to the James Whale Kidney Foundation shoot which we cover in this months magazine. We were also contacted by Lars Pilø with news on the archery related finds on Jovfonna, and while we couldn't get out there ourselves Lars kindly filled in some background information for us.
A mixed bag this month, me in the South West, Geoff putting the record straight, a chat with Keith Stay and the wisdom comes from South Cox of Stalker bows.
We take a tour the length and breadth of the British mainland to visit Scotland with Border Bows, Yorkshire with Aidy Hayes, the Wirral with Jason from thelongbowshop.com, down South with the Company of Canterbury Longbowman, and Geoff is in Spain.
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Your Comments
Tell us what you think, do you agree with the review or have something to add?
Posted by: Ken Ward on Jan 26, 19:53
Good review but can I buy one in the Uk or get an address to buy one
Posted by: Steve@archers-review on Jan 27, 11:53
Try Flybow… they often carry trick bits of archery kit..