Knot of the Week: DIY Boleadora Throwing Weapon using Monkey’s Fists

On today’s Knot of the Week, we’re going to go over instructions for creating your own Bola or Boleadora from natural fiber rope and a few golf balls for weighted cores. While we’ve gone over the Monkey’s Fist Knot in a previous KOTW, we’ve never show in quite like this.

Bolas throwing weapons were primarily used by South American Gauchos to capture/hobble running cattle or game, by utilizing an over-the-head swinging motion and releasing it on target. While I’m sure our readers could come up with a multitude of uses for these, one could come in handy in case of Zombies!

DIY Boleadora

What we’ve created is a version that features two heavier weighted balls and one lightweight ball on a slightly longer cord. This follows tradition, as when throwing the Boleadora, you simply grasp the lightweight end and swing it over your head.

Upon releasing, the heavier ends allow the weapon to fly as the lightweight end wraps upon impact. Ideally you want to hit your target with the middle of the Boleadora so that both the heavier ends and the lightweight end end up wrapping.

While the traditional Boleadora utilizes stones or much heavier objects, we’re going to stick with golf balls for the heavier ends and a plastic practice golf ball for the lightweight end.

(Strength: 4/Secure: 4/Stability: 2/Difficulty: 5) – Taken from Monkey’s Fist Knot

Uses:

• Hobbling/Capturing an Animal
• Heaving Line
• Tripping up a Zombie

Tying Instructions:

• To start you’ll need two regular golf balls, a practice golf ball and 32 feet of natural fiber rope, like Sisal. (Optionally you’ll need waxed dental floss for whipping)
• Cut the rope into one 20 ft. piece and one 12 ft. piece.
• Form a bight in the 20 ft. rope and mark off 1 1/2 ft. on each side of the bight, this will be your starting point for each Monkey’s Fist.
• Rather than restate the steps to form these two Monkey’s Fist’s, please refer to this article and the video embedded below.
• After forming these two Monkey’s Fist’s using the regular golf balls as weighted cores, move over to the 12 ft. section of rope.
• Mark off 2 to 2 1/2 ft. from the end of the rope, this is where you’ll start the third Monkey’s Fist.
• Use the lightweight practice golf ball for the weighted core in this section of rope.
• What you should have now is one section of rope with two Monkey’s Fists and a single section of rope with a single Monkey’s Fist.
• Using a Beckett’s Bend (Sheet Bend), join the two sections of rope together.
• Optionally at this point you can whip the joined sections with dental floss for a more permanent attachment.
• Enjoy your Boleadora throwing! Please refer to our photos and video below for further instructions.

Photos and Video

Check out all our detailed DIY Boleadora photos on Flickr!