A Wham-O Sling Shot
It was one of the top 5 of my favorite toys and possessions as I grew up in the 1950’s. It was a Wham-O sling shot. I bought my first one for a dollar at Al Cohen’s Pawn Shop in Beckley, WV. My sidekick, Freddie Arnold, and I saw them on display in the store on our way from a Tarzan movie and we each had a crisp dollar bill in our wallets. We spent hours and hours with what was really not a toy, but a powerful weapon.
The slingshots weren’t at all like David used to bring down Goliath. His was a leather strip with a pouch. The Wham-Os were made of ash wood with a flat piece of thick rubber and a leather pouch, and they could launch a marble well over 100 yards and reach great speeds.
The original Wham-O came with some small metal pellets, which were quickly disposed and then we resorted to either marbles or small round rocks which we gathered from creek beds.
Wham-O has been making toys for over 75 years. The company, now based in Carson, Colorado, started as the brainchild of Richard Kerr and Arthur Melin, Southern Cal grads who were unhappy with their jobs and decided to go it alone. Their first product was the Wham-O slingshot. They held demonstrations to showcase their powerful sling shots and were overwhelmed with orders.
The Wham-O company is also known for many popular toys including Hula Hoops, Frisbees, Slip’N Slides, Super Balls, and many others.
Shooting thousands of projectiles, Freddie and I became deadly accurate with our Wham-Os and could regularly knock over tin cans at 10 yards.
When Daddy and I took the bird dogs out for walks, I brought along my trusty Wham-0 and would occasionally fire at a scurrying rabbit. The rabbits always won. They were too fast and too erratic, but there are several pigeons in my past that did not fare so well.
I understand that Wham-O sling shots are now illegal in some states, but they were certainly a prized possession for young boys growing up in the 1950’s.
