Arrow Shaft Fitment

In most cases the existing nocks can simply be pulled out of your arrows, and ours pressed into place, as press-fit-nocks are often not glued. This process can be aided by using a taught bowstring, or a slim rigid tool. Inserting said tool into the nock’s groove, and rotating the nock back and forth as you either push it in or pull it out can significantly ease installation and removal. You’re looking for a fit snug enough that, when holding the arrow by the nock, you can’t shake things and have the nock come out, however you don’t want so much force that you either split the carbon shaft or break the nock. This is actually a fairly wide range of snugness of fitment.

The fitment of nocks to carbon arrows is a deceptively simple. While nominally most carbon arrows are .246” ID, tolerances drift and when you’re looking for an interference fit these tiny changes can matter. Our nock designs use a solid shank for strength, as opposed to the more typical hollow shank. This permits less deflection on installation, making the window of working tolerances narrower. So while in most cases the nocks are simply a press fit, in some cases fitment may be required.

If a nock is too loose - included with every set of nocks is a stick of low temp hot-melt adhesive. Simply warm the end of this, and apply a little to the nock shank. (we recommend a heat gun or alcohol lamp, but most heat sources will work) Then gently warm the adhesive on the nock shank, and press into the arrow. Extra adhesive will squeeze out. Give this a moment to cool to avoid burns, and then wipe/peel the excess adhesive off. This forms a strong but temporary means of attaching nock to shaft. To remove, simply hold the end of the arrow under hot water (hot tap water is typically sufficient) and pull to remove.

If a nock is too tight - the dimensional differences we’re talking about here are very small, thousandths of an inch, so remove material from the nock very carefully. A quick twist in sandpaper or a quick scrape with a knife is typically all that is needed. If more is required, take a moment to reassess before proceeding; there may be something else wrong such as adhesive or part of a broken nock stuck in your arrow. Or, alternately, you may have an arrow of a completely different internal dimension.

String Fitment

We optimize each nock design for a string diameter of ~3.15mm. While that is a reasonable middle ground, some strings are slimmer or thicker. Adjustment can be readily accomplished with a little hot water. Immerse the end of the nock, the part which flexes to accommodate a bowstring, in the hot water for several seconds until it softens. Quickly place it over the desired bowstring, or press to the desired shape, and allow to cool. Once cooled, the new shape will be retained.

One thing to note: the vast majority, of historical nocks were not snap-fit to their respective bowstrings. While convenient, it is certainly not necessary and not always desirable either.