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what lbs makes it a warbow insted of a longbow
bow-toxo:
AD---
We have the Tudor [not mediaeval] MR bows. What evidence would you accept ?
I think that Steve is correct here. Based on my experience I can not believe that ANY MR yew longbow with MR taper from a 1 ½” x ! ¼” handgrip would draw less than 120.pounds.
Yards were ‘clothyards’ or ‘Tailors yards’, standardized in Richard Lionheart’s reign for measuring cloth or land and were at least as long as our yards. Then, paces were then not the later military pace but were measured between footfalls of the same foot. A 1495 source says “ the pace conteyneth 5 feet “.
Concerning bowstrings, we know that the served string was only 1/8 “ thick . Military strings were made of hemp and two spares were considered enough for a combat archer, but we can’t get the quality of hemp that was used at the time, and if we refuse to consider the historical information in my post on the subject, we wouldn’t know how to make one anyway.
Triton— Clout distance in MR days was 220 yards minimum and archers of 24 years or older were forbidden to shoot at a mark of less than 11 score with the lighter clout arrow or the still lighter flight arrow. Cornish archers required to practice but exempt from overseas service shot 24 score clout. For the short range shooting Ascham mentions butts at 12 score.. But he was just a recreational shooter. !5th century butts are recorded at “13 score tailor’s yards measured with a line” In 1599 Finsbury marks were up to nearly 20 score. I think pretty heavy draw weights would have been needed.
Words of wisdom. There are those that do, and those who write books, and there are those who do both, and those who think that information becomes worthless if it is written down in a book?
Regards,
Erik
triton:
--- Quote from: bow-toxo on March 26, 2009, 05:52:43 pm ---
Words of wisdom. There are those that do, and those who write books, and there are those who do both, and those who think that information becomes worthless if it is written down in a book?
Regards,
Erik
--- End quote ---
When you put what I'd said earleir with this
--- Quote ---His examination of the MR bows he found to be in support of his approximate 100lb @ 30inch standard bow.
He write that bows he made of Italian yew around 85lb @30 when drawn to 31.5 can reach the necessary distances.
--- End quote ---
It gives my statement it's proper context. Some books are very valuable but to suggest the MR bows were between 85-100LB proves that opinions are often written as fact and those without the necessary experience may take it as gospel. There are also those that have a marketing agenda?
We can't get the quality of hemp for bow strings they had because.............that strain of hemp is now illegal to grow ;)
stevesjem:
When you put what I'd said earleir with this
--- Quote ---His examination of the MR bows he found to be in support of his approximate 100lb @ 30inch standard bow.
He write that bows he made of Italian yew around 85lb @30 when drawn to 31.5 can reach the necessary distances.
--- End quote ---
It gives my statement it's proper context. Some books are very valuable but to suggest the MR bows were between 85-100LB proves that opinions are often written as fact and those without the necessary experience may take it as gospel. There are also those that have a marketing agenda?
[/quote]
This is where reality becomes fantasy, I will say this one more time, No tests were done by this person or by anyone else with regards Italian yew at the time this book and his previous book was written, also this person has not had any Italian Yew since 2004, he may have done tests later with some low altitude swiss yew that I know he had, The latest book was written well after that. Also only 10 bows were made at that time, I had 3 of them, another friend of mine also had 2, the others were sold to various people around the country and Europe, So I re iterate no tests were done by him on these bows, Any tests that have been done with bows from this wood have been done by myself, Mark Stretton and other members of the EWBS.
I am sorry to sound like I'm having a rant, but I have had enough of people asking me about the SO CALLED TESTS I DID FOR HIS BOOKS, because I never did any, however this shows how people will read something and believe its gospel because it was in a book.
triton:
Exactly
Rod:
Just an aside on converting paces into yards.
Back in the 19thC there was some contention about the ranges shot accurately with large calibre rifles and at the Creedmore range there was a study of distances accounted in paces.
The conclusion was that the average for a normal walking "pace" was from 27" to 30".
Rod.
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