Chumash Arrow Straightener

Prehistoric

1" H x 3.875" L x 2.25" W

Hand Carved from Black Stone with a Deep Groove in the Center with 4 Shallower Grooves on Each Side of the Deep Groove with a Total of 8

Excellent Condition

The Chumash people, a Native American group indigenous to the coastal regions of Southern California (primarily Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties), were skilled hunters and craftsmen who relied on bows and arrows for hunting game like deer, rabbits, and birds. A key tool in their arrow-making process was the arrow straightener (also called a shaft straightener), used to ensure arrow shafts flew true and accurately.

These tools are typically small, handheld stones (often soapstone or steatite, which is soft and easy to carve) with a shallow, V-shaped or U-shaped groove running along one side. The groove matches the diameter of an arrow shaft (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide). To use it, the Chumash would heat the straightener (e.g., by placing it near a fire) and rub the slightly damp or green wood shaft along the groove while applying pressure. The heat softened the wood fibers, allowing the user to bend and straighten imperfections. This process also smoothed and polished the shaft.

Provenance:  From the Len and Toni Wood Private Collection, Laguna Beach, California