# The Classic Tirador - The $2 Acacia Hardwood Slingshot



## Reyben Kim (Aug 30, 2021)

*"Lola Mary's Classic Tirador"*

Now when you say "tirador", two images comes to mind for Filipinos who grew up in the 80s and 90s. The first one are the guava wood natural forks your uncle makes for you. The second one are the "tirador" you can buy from the market - fancy hardwood slingshots with a flat profile, cut from solid boards and smoothened out.

Now the slingshot is alive and well in the Philippines. Local makers like JV Baylon of Radtech Slingshots and Bert Lingat of BL slingshots have been making world-class catapults in various forms - everything from ergo grips, modern polymers, fancy wood laminates, and refined natural forks.

Despite this, the lovely flat-profiled hardwood tirador have slowly faded away from markets. In their place are poorly made, mass produced tirador roughly made from scrap pine boards. Unnecessarily long forks and soft wood makes them an unpleasant experience and a danger to shoot.

Now, browsing online, I came across this shop on a local e-commerce site (LINK TO STORE) - *"Lola Mary" (Grandma Mary)*, who sells various crafts and novelties. To my delight, I saw something familiar - the hardwood tirador we all wanted as kids! Such crafts are a rarity these days, and to my excitement, it just costs *100 Philippine Pesos* or around *2 USD*. ON TO THE REVIEW!

*Lola Mary's Classic Tirador
(LINK TO STORE HERE)*
Specs:
Solid Acacia Hardwood
20 mm Thickness
140 mm Length
95 mm fork width
60 mm fork gap
20 x 20 mm square fork tips
OTT only set up, with grooves for wrap and tuck
















Construction
The slingshot is made from a very 2cm thick slab of solid acacia wood. It feels very sturdy. With the straightforward construction, it was made to take a beating. I can confidently set it up with very heavy bands. While there are no fancy laminates or inlays, the satin polish shows-off the beautiful natural grain of the wood. It is well smoothed out, without a single rough edge.

Dimensions and Ergonomics
Now, this is a flat profiled slingshot - a form that is traditional to the classic "tirador" shape. While it may not be as comfortable as modern ergonomic slingshots, it is comfortable enough yet remains true to tradition. I did dress mine up with a paracord wrap. It gives the handle profile a bit of a swell, adding a bit of comfort for long rounds of shooting. The shape of the slingshot is well suited for pinch grip or thumb support. I like holding it thumb supported, with my index finger over the top fork.








Shooting
This catty shines best when used for intuitive shooting because of the low forks. Having my index finger over the top fork gives it a "point-and-shoot" feel that is just so natural. Mowing down a row of cans 10 meters is quick and easy. That said, it still works for serious target shooting. I get similar results with the same corner-of-the-mouth anchor point I use with the Simple Shot Scout LT. I think it is because they share a similar fork gap.

I like shooting it with the heavy black bandsets from Simple Shot. The black color and heavy pull reminds me of tire rubber that came on the classic tirador from the 80s and 90s.















Conclusion
Seriously, for 2 dollars there is no way you will regret getting one of these. Considering how well made it is, how nicely it performs, and how it sticks to tradition, I cannot think of anything more I could want. Maybe a hole for a lanyard? Honestly, the nostalgia alone is well worth the 2 dollars.

Now as much as I would like every slingershooter in the world to have one, the caveat is that they are difficult to get outside of the Philippines. If you live in the country, have relatives who do, or have some way of buying it from Shopee.ph, I do not know how else you can one. These classic hardwood tirador are becoming more difficult to come by as the years go by. If you ever get the chance to get snag one, reel it in!


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## KawKan (May 11, 2013)

Great review!
I love shooting flat slingshots. At least this one looks like it would be an easy project for those of us without connections in the Philippines!


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## Reyben Kim (Aug 30, 2021)

KawKan said:


> Great review!
> I love shooting flat slingshots. At least this one looks like it would be an easy project for those of us without connections in the Philippines!


Thanks!

Another great feature of flat slingshots is how pocketable they are. I have thought of tracing the shape and sharing it for those who can't buy one. If I can get permission from the maker, I will get around to making a PDF of it.


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## Island made (Aug 14, 2019)

Awesome review of a sweet classic looking frame. I think we all have soft spots for frames such as that.


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## Reyben Kim (Aug 30, 2021)

Island made said:


> Awesome review of a sweet classic looking frame. I think we all have soft spots for frames such as that.


Thank you! This one especially - making me feel like a kid again 😁


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## MikeyLikesIt (Oct 19, 2018)

Awesome review! I love seeing the different cultural takes on catapults.


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## Reyben Kim (Aug 30, 2021)

MikeyLikesIt said:


> Awesome review! I love seeing the different cultural takes on catapults.


 Thank you!


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