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!