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Another historical question
islandpiper:
I have a question regarding the really old ELBs, like those found on Mary Rose and possibly some other sites. Did the old bowyers chase rings? Did they do it as carefully as you all do ? Or did the men responsible for making a thousand bows before the next battle started just "crank 'em out"......getting "close' to a ring, cutting off the obvious and leaving the best parts and piling the staves in baskets when the light got too low to work?
Somehow I can't imagine a bowyer who was facing the prospect of the French or the English or the Germans coming over the next hill with utter conquest on their minds finessing each bow the way we do now?
Any comments? Historical evidence? Personal opinions? thanks, Piper
Davepim:
--- Quote from: islandpiper on September 01, 2009, 08:44:00 pm ---I have a question regarding the really old ELBs, like those found on Mary Rose and possibly some other sites. Did the old bowyers chase rings? Did they do it as carefully as you all do ? Or did the men responsible for making a thousand bows before the next battle started just "crank 'em out"......getting "close' to a ring, cutting off the obvious and leaving the best parts and piling the staves in baskets when the light got too low to work?
Somehow I can't imagine a bowyer who was facing the prospect of the French or the English or the Germans coming over the next hill with utter conquest on their minds finessing each bow the way we do now?
Any comments? Historical evidence? Personal opinions? thanks, Piper
--- End quote ---
Hi Piper,
I am hoping to see the originals in the museum in the autumn, but, I am told by others who've seen them that many were not chased simply because the sapwood layer was already very thin. Bowyer Steve Stratton tells me that with Italian yew it isn't necessary to be so very careful with the rings - you can take them down to more or less the same layer along the length. You cannot do this with English yew because the sapwood has a completely different texture, here you have to be spot on with the layers and no margin for error. You are quite right about the time you need to spend when chasing rings, it's hard to imagine every bow being done this way.
Dave
islandpiper:
thanks Dave. Yes, getting a thousand, or several thousand bows out, all somewhat identical, in a time frame would be a job. And think of 24-arrows each!! Those fellows were busy. piper
markinengland:
A well respected bowyer here in the UK has told me that cutting the tops of the grain mountains is not a good idea but leaving islands of grain in the valleys is not problem.
He has made many fine bows out of English yew and thinks it has an undeserved bad name.
The grain needs to be respected but not followed obsessively.
adb:
--- Quote from: markinengland on September 03, 2009, 02:51:54 am ---A well respected bowyer here in the UK has told me that cutting the tops of the grain mountains is not a good idea but leaving islands of grain in the valleys is not problem.
He has made many fine bows out of English yew and thinks it has an undeserved bad name.
The grain needs to be respected but not followed obsessively.
--- End quote ---
Who are you referring to?
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