Main Discussion Area > English Warbow
Medieval Fletching
triton:
--- Quote from: jb.68 on July 08, 2009, 07:07:48 pm ---when speaking to Chris Boyton some time ago the subject of the copper in the glue came up and he has a good theory, which is that the glue (being nocked up in copper pots) would have absorbed the copper.
--- End quote ---
Great minds think alike ;)
Rod:
Except that being of an age where I remember glue pots being commonplace in a workshop, I don't think I ever saw one made out of copper....
Rod.
acetate: a salt of acetic acid
verdigris: basic cupric acetate: popularly, the green coating of basic cupric carbonate that forms in atmosphere on copper, brass or bronze.
triton:
they were made from iron and only because in those days everything was made of iron. my dad still has at least one.
But as anyone that knows anything will testify, warm something up that you want to stay warm for any time and you make it from copper, not iron.
The iron glue pots were two part, an inner pot for the glue dropped inside another pot full of hot water.
anglobow:
From what I’ve heard, medieval fletching was usually applied straight. Go figure, I think it’s harder to fletch straight than it is to fletch offset (feathers are naturally curved).
I am the author of the fletching article in the magazine. I have not had the pleasure of examining any original European artifacts because I live far across the pond. I’m not a highly opinionated academic, just a guy who has been experimenting with different materials that would have been historically available in Europe (goose feathers, linen thread, etc). How can anyone say exactly how an arrow was fletched in medieval times without actually seeing it done. All I know is that the method in my article has worked for me and I wanted to share it. I’ve loosed enough arrows to learn what holds up and what does not. Of all the methods I’ve tried, birch pitch is the most durable option.
I’m sure that different techniques were used at any given time, in any given part of Europe. A lot of it probably depended on what materials they had at hand and how much time they could dedicate to the task, at least in the early days. In my experience, the most efficient way to fletch heaps of medieval war arrows would have been to use some type of hide glue brushed on once the feathers were bound in place. Still a time consuming task by modern standards. I don’t remember any references to birch pitch being used in the later medieval days. It’s just too time consuming. A beeswax and pitch mixture has to be applied the same way, also time consuming. But then again, Mary Rose was probably carrying primo archery gear, and the glue may have been beeswax and pitch. Probably the bigger question is whether the Mary Rose arrows represent the typical medieval war arrow or highly polished pieces of gear.
Ohio John:
I think you guys should both kiss and make up... Or maybe find a nice girl and go out to dinner or something.
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