Main Discussion Area > English Warbow
question aboute warr bow...
duffontap:
John R.
I think you have some good points but I would say they had more than an 'opportunity to search the countryside for the perfect stave.' Warbows were the essential military technology in medieval England. I question the assumption that medieval bowyers would just pound out flatbows so they could use inferior staves. It's surely possible--but not necessarily true. Most of the little empirical evidence we have of medieval bows comes from the MR bows (I know you know this--just stating it for beginners who might be reading along), which showed a selectiveness in staves that is unrivaled today by any bowyer. Why would the English go to Italy, climb to 10,000 feet (TEN THOUSAND FEET!) and carefully tend stands of Yew trees for hundreds of years so they could become war-winning bows if they could just punch flatbows out of inferior staves. It seems obvious to me that they were in it for the best wood they could get and with the King's money--they could get it. I love good bow wood but I will never take a trip to another country to get a good stave--they did it for hundreds of years. It was a different time with a different standard so why wouldn't they cultivate groves of high-density Ash for building bows?
J. D. Duff
Loki:
John R what you say is all well and good but what you said earlier in the thread implied there was no point making heavy Bow's,not untill Deer start wearing Brigandine's. ;D
?
--- Quote ---So true Badger. Until deer start wearing armor, a bow that heavy only serves itself. Just casue ya can do something doesn't mean ya should, eh?
--- End quote ---
heavybow:
marlon :)
El Destructo:
Fight Nice Children...evryone is entitled to their Opinions....until we can go back into History and see for Ourselves exactly how Hoh Yew Warbows were manufactured....there will always be speculation........and everyone will have just try to build one and see....
But when you try to get 140-160 pounds out of Hardwoods.....and they blow in your face because of Compression Fractures....dont say that you werent warned....I have seen what happens to Red Oak when you try to make a Bow over 75 pounds by ELB Standards....and it want pretty...Thats Just My Opinion ....I Could Be Wrong!!
alanesq:
I have been trying to make a heavy bow from ash for a while but I have found 110lb at 32" to be about the limit whatever shape I make it
(although I am using kiln dried wood and I am not a very experienced "bowyer")
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