# Natural forks



## Greyhound (2 mo ago)

Do most people prefer cutting their fork tops horizontally?
I quite like the more primitive look of cutting them at right-angles to each fork/branch (sure there's a better way to describe it!).
Is there any difference in performance/accuracy between the two?

Thanks


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## brucered (Dec 30, 2015)

I prefer mine at right angle to the slope of the fork.

Like this:


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## Greyhound (2 mo ago)

brucered said:


> I prefer mine at right angle to the slope of the fork.
> 
> Like this:
> View attachment 379522


They're nice. I like the sloping bases. Do you use a round file for the grooves?


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## brucered (Dec 30, 2015)

Greyhound said:


> They're nice. I like the sloping bases. Do you use a round file for the grooves?


Thanks and yes, round file.


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## Greyhound (2 mo ago)

brucered said:


> Thanks and yes, round file.


The one on the far left us a beauty. What wood is it? It looks spalted to me (Don't know if you call it that in Canada)


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## brucered (Dec 30, 2015)

Greyhound said:


> The one on the far left us a beauty. What wood is it? It looks spalted to me (Don't know if you call it that in Canada)


Yes, it's spalted here too.

It's dogwood. It was a raw fork that @Thehappthippy sent me a few years ago. 

One of my favorites. Build pics and thread posted elsewhere.


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## Greyhound (2 mo ago)

brucered said:


> Yes, it's spalted here too.
> 
> It's dogwood. It was a raw fork that @Thehappthippy sent me a few years ago.
> 
> One of my favorites. Build pics and thread posted elsewhere.


Yeah it's really got character 👍


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## remnar (2 mo ago)

If I'm trying to keep the natural fork look, then I prefer to cut the tips at right angles to the forks. I like how it looks. If I'm carving a thick fork, then I'll cut the tips at a right angle to the handle. I think accuracy has more to do with the shooter than the angle of the tips and will vary for everyone.


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## Greyhound (2 mo ago)

remnar said:


> If I'm trying to keep the natural fork look, then I prefer to cut the tips at right angles to the forks. I like how it looks. If I'm carving a thick fork, then I'll cut the tips at a right angle to the handle. I think accuracy has more to do with the shooter than the angle of the tips and will vary for everyone.


Really nice work mate. I'm only using handtools and will be for the foreseeable future. No vice either. I'll see what I can achieve.
Do you use any power tools?


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## remnar (2 mo ago)

Greyhound said:


> Really nice work mate. I'm only using handtools and will be for the foreseeable future. No vice either. I'll see what I can achieve.
> Do you use any power tools?


Yes, I use some power tools but a lot can be done with hand tools. Good files, rasps and saws are great for removing material and shaping, and then move to sandpaper for smoothing and finishing work. The two slingshots in the first picture were done primarily with hand tools.


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## Booral121 (Jan 6, 2019)

all I use is a handsaw, jigsaw , cheap dremel sand paper 👊🎯🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👍 I personally believe that perfectly squared and aligned tips will benefit the shooter that uses aiming and alignment when shooting exponentially so this is the only way I will do them .but the small group of instinct shooters that I have met and shot alongside tend to use both types of tips equally as well as party because there not using the alignment of tips and band so much as there magic fuxxin super abilities the lucky barstewards have been gifted with 🤣🤣🎯👊🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👍


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## brucered (Dec 30, 2015)

All hand tools here as well.

Naturals don't need power tools. Aside from the odd brass lanyard hole I drill or maybe a few curves needing a spindle sander, it's all hand tools for me, right down to a torch and brass makers mark.


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## skarrd (Jul 20, 2011)

i mostly shoot PFS so fork[?]tips right angle to handle,however i have a couple that are right angle to the forks [nibbler and another unnamed one] seem to shoot the same


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