About the Saint Artemas nock:

The Saint Artemas nock has been in use in Caid for many years and has been a very reliable nock and APD. There is a model for golf tube arrows and a model for Siloflex arrows. These are NOT interchangeable.

The Saint Artemas nock will not work for crossbow bolts. It also will not work properly for low profile rubber stopper foam (aka Omarad) arrows, due to its weight. Attempts were made to lighten the Saint Artemas nock in order to allow it to work properly for these blunts, but these were deemed too hazardous for the structural integrity of the nock. If you try to use Saint Artemas nocks on a rubber stopper foam tipped arrow, your arrow will sail sideways a few feet after release, and could even swap ends in mid flight! Please remember that Saint Artemas nocks were originally designed only to be used with a tennis ball blunted arrow, and use them accordingly!!

Genuine Saint Artemas nocks are milled from ramin wood, a very strong, straight grained tropical hardwood available very widely in many lumber and hardwood specialty stores. Saint Artemas nocks are virtually impossible to break or split due to the very tight grain of the wood, so taping around the Saint Artemas nock in order to prevent splinter hazards is unnecessary and hazardous (at Estrella 2003 this was required and caused many problems with dirt getting under the tape, tape residue remaining behind on the wood causing messy cleanup after the war, and tape sticking to bowstrings causing lost shots) Other woods, such as oak, pine, ash and poplar, have been tried in the milling process, and all have been found to be unsatisfactory for many reasons.
Saint Artemas nocks are cut with a wide string slot, making for quick and easy nocking, and the ergonomic finger tabs ensure a comfortable grip while drawing your arrow. The finger tab position also give the archer a tactile signal when nocking as to the proper orientation of the string slot, making it much, much easier to nock and draw an arrow without having to stop and look to see which way the string slot is oriented. This is very handy if you are trying to nock on the run while being chased by spearmen!

Installing the Saint Artemas Nock:

During most of their years of use, Saint Artemas nocks were installed by stapling them through the golf tube or Siloflex arrows with metal staples, and then wrapping over the stapled areas with tape. This method was declared illegal by the DSEMCA in 2003.

Simply friction fitting the Saint Artemas nock to a golf tube will not work at all. Friction fitting the Saint Artemas nock to a Siloflex arrow is very possible, but is illegal and potentially hazardous. Please do not merely friction fit your Saint Artemas nocks to your arrows!

Gluing of the nocks was tried by the Archers of Saint Artemas. The problem is that virtually nothing will reliably adhere to Siloflex. Golf tubes will accept a glue; however, the problem is that your Saint Artemas nocks will last much longer than most golf tubes will. If your golf tube arrow is ruined it is very possible to remove your Saint Artemas nock and reinstall it on a new golf tube; but if it has been glued to the golf tube the old remnants of golf tube and glue also have to be removed from the nock.

Gluing of both the Siloflex and golf tube model Saint Artemas nock as a primary form of attachment has never been trialed to completion. Testing was begun by the Archers of Saint Artemas but as of this writing has not been completed. The only glues found to be satisfactory were the “GOOP” brands of glue such as “Plumber’s GOOP” and “Marine GOOP”, or “Liquid Nails” brand contact adhesive. After a 2-3 day curing, the nocks were found to be impossible to remove under any conditions. But gluing Saint Artemas nocks as a primary form of attachment has not been approved at the Society level.

Drilling and tying the Saint Artemas nocks to your arrows is Society-approved. Friction fit your Saint Artemas nocks into place, and then with a small drill bit that is comparable to your cord size, drill two holes completely through the nock in a cross configuration. Then, with a leather or harness needle, tie your Saint Artemas nock into place with doubled lengths of artificial sinew (leaves a very nice flat knot when tied), poly cord, or any sturdy cordage. Then cover the ties with a piece of duct tape to keep it from rubbing, and you are ready to go. If you wish to remove and reuse your Saint Artemas nock on another arrow, it is a very simple matter to simply peel off the tape, cut the ties, remove the nock and reinstall it on a new arrow.

Happy Combat Archery!

The Author:
Ingilborg Sigmundardottir is an 11th century Norsewoman. Her husband died long ago on a campaign, and her fair daughter sailed away on a longship to be wedded to a brave Viking prince. She spends her crone years as an accomplished healer, birthing the babies of her village and tending wounded warriors of all types. She contemplates the White Christ, whose teachings she finds sensible and fascinating. She is known as a very accomplished archer, meadmaker, and Healer. She lives away from her village in the surrounding forest and is rarely seen among the villagers, but is intensely loyal to them and offers the services of her bow whenever her village is threatened. Her cottage is rich with plants of all types and she keeps the company of wolves, and the wiser of the villagers know that in times of extreme, she is quite capable of running with them whenever necessary.

Roberta Ashley is a 21st century Norsewoman, a very accomplished anesthetist who is all too often seen in the hallways of various healing institutions in the City of Angels, where she assists in the birthing of babies and the tending of wounded warriors of all types. She is an accomplished archer, meadmaker, and practices in her spare time a very ancient form of Eastern hands-on healing when it is needed. Her cottage in the more remote canyons of the San Gabriel Mountains is rich with plants of all types and she keeps the company of two rescued captive bred wolves, Cheyenne and Mai-Coh. The wiser of her colleagues know that in times of extreme, she is probably quite capable of running with them whenever necessary.