Below is the the email we received from Merlin Archery in response to the below questions regarding Alimax shaft Issues .. dated 12/8/26
- Whether Merlin is aware of similar reports.
- Whether this behaviour is considered an expected consequence of severe impact damage.
- Whether any manufacturing or quality investigations have been carried out into this type of failure.
- Whether there is any advice Merlin would like to offer archers regarding inspection or use of Alimax shafts following high-impact strikes.
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Thank you for your email.
I would be happy to provide you with some feedback regarding the points that you have made, I will include this in somewhat of a bullet point form below to try and help to keep things clear and easy.
- We are aware that some customers have experienced issues with Alimax arrows become damaged when hitting the wooden frame of the target or the target stand. Unfortunately this is something that is unavoidable and not covered by warranty by ourselves or any manufacturer, as ultimately an arrow is not designed to withstand hitting a solid object with the force that bows produce. It is of course possible for an arrow to survive an impact such as this but it is not uncommon or unexpected for it to cause irreparable damage.
- I would also like to make it clear that the above is the same for any brand. We have seen and heard of arrow from other companies such as Easton also experiencing internal damage when hitting hard objects such as a target frame, and their stance on situation like this is exactly the same as ours. hilst understandably not purposeful, this does fall under incorrect usage and is not covered by any warranty, as arrows are of course designed to hit soft target bosses not solid objects.
- It is also worth noting that to date we have sold over 30,000 Alimax Shafts, and have only received complaint regarding this issue from a handful of customers. If broken down this would work out to a percent of a percent complaint rate that is, ultimately, down to user error and not product fault. We believe that the Alimax arrows are still a fantastic choice for archers and are a reliable arrow when used correctly.
- Regarding your final point, we of course would advise all archers to regularly check arrows of any kind, especially if they have hit something they shouldn't have, as part of regular kit maintenance.
Kind Regards,
Oliver
Merlin Archery Team
