Hobby Thread - June 6, 2026 [TRex]

Welcome hobbyists! Pull up a chair and sit a spell with the Horde in this little corner of the interweb. This is the mighty, mighty officially sanctioned Ace of Spades Hobby Thread. For this week, the Wheel of Hobbies (TM) is on target. It spun and spun and ended up deciding on an archery theme for this Hobby Thread.

A what? Yes, an archery thread. This is like the gun thread except with different launching apparatus and projectiles, less bang and boom, and no movies about the wonders of ball bearings. But fundamentals still matter...

What are you hobbying?

As per usual Hobby Thread etiquette, keep this thread limited to hobbying. All (legal) hobbying is welcome. We have a theme, but no need to stick with the theme. Even if the theme does not speak to you, find something else or offer something else relating to hobbying. Leave politics and religion to threads elsewhere (unless your hobby is building or restoring a church). Pants are optional. As always, puns are welcome and encouraged.

Play nice and do not be rude. Do not be a troll and do not feed the trolls.

Depending on which unreliable source on the internet you consult, archery is one of the oldest acts of human engineering. It has prehistoric roots (based on cave paintings in Europe). In the Bronze Age (16th century) the Egyptians and Persians used bows in massed formations in military action. Following the invention and widespread adoption of firearms, archery became obsolete as a military weapon in the early 1600s.

Archery debuted at the 1900 Paris Olympics and dropped after 1920, and reinstated in 1972.

Is archery a hobby? Yes! Some throw arrows against targets for scoring. Others use bow and arrow as a hunting that offers different challenges than firearms.

Are you wise in the ways of the bow and arrow? Did you get a merit badge as a youth? Do you own bow and arrow equipment? Have you practiced your bow and arrow fundamentals? Have you made your own? Have you ever split an arrow with another arrow?

Are you a military history buff and know about military tactics in the days of mass archer formations?

Looking for a lot of help in the gray boxes for this one. TRex short arms are not a natural fit for archery. The small brain doesn't help either. Before commenting, make sure your bow is adjusted for the correct density altitude and your arrows are properly calibrated with the appropriate MOA setting.

If you're saying "I'm not an archer and I have no interest in learning," feel free to sit in the corner while the rest of the class continues. Or you can make contributions from your own (legal) hobbying.

Good things to know if you find yourself in an Olympic archery contest:

William Tell and the famous apple:

Archery trick shots:

Turning arrows is apparently a thing:

Artistic interlude - Hercules the Archer

Emile-Antoine Bourdelle sent his sculpture Herakles/Archer to the Paris Salon in 1909, where it was an instant success. The Chazen's Herakles/Archer is a reduction cast from the original life-size bronze now in Paris; after Bourdelle's death his widow authorized this edition of 15.

Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

Too advanced for my small dino brain, but those of you who are wise in the ways of arrow science might appreciate this video:

How far can an arrow fly?

YouTube is made for answering the important historical questions.

DIY bamboo bow:

Arrows of a different kind:

Horde Hobbying - tcn in AK is camping in Denali State Park, Alaska with her family. Camping is a hobby and Mt. McKinley provides a fine camping companion. Thank you!

Thank you to the AK Sniper for modeling in the second photo.

Not related to archery but I love this:

Did you miss the Hobby Thread last week? We did a music theme. The comments may be closed, but you can re-live the content.

Notable comments from last week:

Words of wisdom:

"Because despite all our troubles, when things are grim out in that wide round world of ours, that's when it's really important to have a good hobby." Posted by: tankascribe at June 22, 2024 07:41 PM (HWxAD).

If you have trouble finding something in the content or comments that resonates with you, contribute your own. Send thoughts, suggestions and photos of your hobbying to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com. Do mighty things.

posted by Open Blogger at 05:30 PM

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