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Medieval English Longbows and the 5/8 rule

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VicNova:
So i am building a bow with a rounded belly, but I am making it 1.5" wide and .75" thick. This bow can not be called a real Victorian style English longbow correct? But can it still be called a true longbow?

In medieval times, were all the longbows the English used conforming to this rule, or did they have bows that were wider than they were thick so as to make the belly a shallower D instead of the deep arched D shape?

When using Elm or Ash for their bows instead of yew, wouldn't they be doing something like that?

If I just want to build an English Longbow up to 50# using the 5/8 rule with white woods, will i have trouble with chrys. and fretting on the rounded belly?

brian:
Come on WILLS we want the definitive awnswer

Del the cat:
The 5/8 rule is no problem at all, it gives a reasonable amount of leeway. Anything built to exactly 5/8 would look more like an American Longbow.
I recenty built an ELM 100# longbow, wider in the belly than back, heat treated to avoid chrysals, it looked like a longbow, shot like a longbow and was well inside the 5/8 rule. Just made a stick ELB (70#) that's well in 5/8 too despite being rather flat bellied.
Del

WillS:

--- Quote from: brian on December 11, 2013, 08:08:44 am ---Come on WILLS we want the definitive awnswer

--- End quote ---

.....? I'm sorry, what?

Yeomanbowman:

--- Quote from: Del the cat on December 11, 2013, 09:22:42 am ---The 5/8 rule is no problem at all, it gives a reasonable amount of leeway. Anything built to exactly 5/8 would look more like an American Longbow.
I recenty built an ELM 100# longbow, wider in the belly than back, heat treated to avoid chrysals, it looked like a longbow, shot like a longbow and was well inside the 5/8 rule. Just made a stick ELB (70#) that's well in 5/8 too despite being rather flat bellied.
Del

--- End quote ---

Hi Del

I agree that you can make a heavy bow inside the 5/8ths.  What I have found is that sometimes there is a point 1/2 way down the limb that is near the limit with white woods.  This where the bow is the still the full width but the depth has reduced, rather than all over the bow as you suggest.   
However, the 5/8ths width/depth ration is the BL-BS' definition for a Victorian butt bow and even many of those are on the shooting line are close to the limit.  Some of the fastest on the line are flatter/wider bows made with bamboo backs.

Jeremy

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