I once had a business card that defined journalism as simply bragging about who you know. It was kind of a joke but so true, as one of the most important things to be able to say at the start, is ‘Our friends at…’ because forming relationships across an industry is really how this works.
The ProShot and WASP folks, the ESF top brass and a slew of folks who sell and create slingshotty things, from China to Europe and onwards to the USA are all crucial to me. Without anything to offer them by way of content, I don’t have a reason to nag them, but with the magazine and website to make, it is in all our best interests to work together. Yet the best results are when you do become chums. I love it and have some proper respect and a bit of adoration for the top nutters. For one, most are still lads at heart, how ever expert they are as engineers or designers. One love, y’all!
But I DO work differently to many journalists as I use my mama’s medical ethics with my own slice of righteous slung in. This means I will go to prison before revealing a source of information, which is maybe a bit much for slingshots but if it means a poacher will happily chat to you, all the better.
And that is all why I admire Chuck Saunders so much. He is head of a human powered weapon empire, as Saunders’ archery division is their core business. This is the firm that owns the term “Wrist Rocket” and he coined the phrase, “Shoot well, shoot safe and shoot honourably.” Which says it all. He also presents a bunch of cool videos about their products, this is his sign off line.
And to my utter delight, Chuck has been in touch after I nagged him post-lockdown and he has happily agreed to send me what will be the only-one-in-the-UK stabiliser weight for the epic Pro-X starship. This is about mass and inertia and is what the big weights sticking out of Barnett products was for, and is seen on professional target archery bows as well. I am keen to see how it helps.
That and some Clod Poppers clay ammo. I hope enough so that I can do them in baggies of 25 as a free cover mount gift choice with issue five for the first folks in line. There may even be another item not seen in the UK before but I we will all have to wait and see.
It’s looking good. A packet of goodies from Chen Fei – GZK has arrived, too, with some terrifying broadhead darts that NEED me to use an armoured hand slingshot, either the Saunders WING or Pro-X! It all dovetails a treat and I am now a glowing happy editor, busying away at the issue.
You can NOT tell me that this dude is not a diamond!
