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bow building grain orientation
bow-toxo:
Style"[/i] can have a number of meanings. Had I said i want to build authentic medieval bows, I would be using Spanish or Italian yew. Do you think i'm stupid or something?? I know that eucalyptus wasn't used; for heavens sake, Australia wasn't inhabited by caucasians in the medieval period. I simply use it because it is what there are plentiful supplies of at the timber merchants here. A medieval bowyer did the same thing, they used what woods were in plentiful supply, be it yew, elm, ash or any other of a number of woods. as for backings, I have read in a number of places that linen was used at the time.
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I was not sure what you would consider "medieval style" warbow and went for what I thought it might mean , and said that you could ignore my post. I didn't mean to imply you were stupid, but many people have really loose ideas about meanings and many feel that putting "ye olde" in front of anything makes it medieval. I was not sure what remained of "medieval style" in your description. Actually, medieval bowyers were limited in the number of yew bows they were allowed to make and had to make more from less desirable "mean wood", and a choice was made from a limited list of woods the Crown considered suitable. As I also said, I welcome any evidence about medieval backing, of linen or anything relse. I have read many books on the topic and still have no evidence, or even claim, that linen was used, apart from yours.
Erik
CelticArcher:
I am almost certain that I recall a passage refering to backed bows in Roger Ascham's Toxophilus. I will check that tonight though, I could be wrong.
CraigMBeckett:
CelticArcher ,
--- Quote ---despite what some say about it, i've had good results in the past with australian mountain ash, eucalyptus regnans,
--- End quote ---
Have you? What weight bows are you talking about, are they backed with something? Or used with a different wood as belly? Please post photos as I believe the wood to weak in both tension and compression, especially the latter and therefore useless for bow making and would like to see evidence that I am wrong.
By the way Bow-Toxo is correct there were no (or at least there is no evidence of there being) any such thing as a backed medieval bow. Backing came in later, far later, and was used on recreational bows.
By the way The period in which Ascham lived was not by definition the Middle Ages, but rather was the Reformation/Renaissance Period, as was pointed out to me the Bows from the Mary Rose are not Medieval but Renaissance.
Craig.
Purbeck:
--- Quote from: bow-toxo on April 30, 2011, 12:35:10 pm ---Style"[/i] Actually, medieval bowyers were limited in the number of yew bows they were allowed to make and had to make more from less desirable "mean wood", and a choice was made from a limited list of woods the Crown considered suitable. Erik
--- End quote ---
Erik, can you remember where you read this? I would be very interested see what was on the list.
CraigMBeckett:
Bow-toxo,
--- Quote ---Actually, medieval bowyers were limited in the number of yew bows they were allowed to make and had to make more from less desirable "mean wood", and a choice was made from a limited list of woods the Crown considered suitable
--- End quote ---
.
Erick, I have never read of the crown dictating what "mean wood" the bowyers used only that they had to produce a certain number relative to the number of Yew bows they produced.
Henry's statute of 1515 stated " And boyers for everie bowe of ewe, to make two of Elme wiche or othere wood of meane price, and if thei be founde to doe the contrarie, to be committed to warde, by the space of viii daies or more."
Henry's statute of 1541, which is generally a reiteration of of earlier statutes says that "Common Bows are to be made of Ash Elm etc". (This is the only text on the statute that I can currently find, as it is in modern English it may be regarded as suspect) anyone have a better version?
Therefore it appears that the list was open to all and any wood the bowyer cared to use. Of course these statutes only cover the period mentioned so there could be other periods when a prescription on the woods to be used was in force, if anyone has additional info on this I would like to hear of it and its source.
Purbeck,
--- Quote ---Erick, can you remember where you read this? I would be very interested see what was on the list.
--- End quote ---
If you are interested in a list of woods used for bows, take a look at Ascham's Toxophilus book II, I believe he mentions a number there.
Yes... found the entry! The offered list is: "Brazil, elm, wych, and ash" all of which Ascham dismisses as making "mean bows".
In addition to this the Mary Rose Trust lists a part of a bow found on the orlop deck (4th lowest deck) as being made of willow!!!!!
Craig.
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