I Made a Slingshot from Ireland’s Fairy Tree

Blackthorn is one of Ireland’s most legendary woods. Known for its brutal thorns, incredible density, and deep roots in Irish folklore, blackthorn has long been associated with protection, curses, fairy trees, and the Otherworld itself. In old tradition, many people believed you should never cut a lone blackthorn tree for fear of disturbing what lived within it. So naturally… I made a slingshot from it. In this video, I take a rough blackthorn fork and turn it into a fully functional handcrafted slingshot, shaping, sanding, fitting bands, and putting it to the test. This build was a challenge. Blackthorn is hard, dense, twisted, and unforgiving—but that’s also what makes it such a special material to work with. I wanted this one to feel like more than just a build video. I wanted to capture some of the old stories and mythology surrounding this remarkable wood while showing the full making process from raw fork to finished shooter. Let me know what you think in the comments—would you cut blackthorn, or would you leave the fairy tree alone? – Chris Catapult Carnage