Main Discussion Area > English Warbow
Westminster Abbey and Mary Rose replica arrows
ravenbeak:
Great looking arrows! I love the historical accuracy of them.
I have to ask. Why the silk binding? I can't imagine that is what they would have been using. Not a complaint, just curious.
gianluca100:
Hello Will,
thanks a lot, that you give away your "trade secrets", that's very generous. I remember that in the book "The Great Warbow" there are some photographs were the method you mentioned ist shown. I think it's Simon Stanely forging a big barbed arrowhead. Very interesting.
Thanks again and regards,
gian-luca
WillS:
--- Quote from: ravenbeak on January 22, 2017, 10:56:18 pm ---Great looking arrows! I love the historical accuracy of them.
I have to ask. Why the silk binding? I can't imagine that is what they would have been using. Not a complaint, just curious.
--- End quote ---
It's what they used :)
The MR binding was analysed revealing it, plus there are historical documents of silk being ordered for arrows.
It's thin, light and incredibly strong - not sure why it wouldn't have been used!
As an aside, there's not a scrap of official evidence that suggests linen was ever used for binding, and yet it's more popular amongst fletchers / reenactors today!
DC:
--- Quote from: WillS on January 23, 2017, 01:34:43 pm ---
--- Quote from: ravenbeak on January 22, 2017, 10:56:18 pm ---Great looking arrows! I love the historical accuracy of them.
I have to ask. Why the silk binding? I can't imagine that is what they would have been using. Not a complaint, just curious.
--- End quote ---
It's what they used :)
The MR binding was analysed revealing it, plus there are historical documents of silk being ordered for arrows.
It's thin, light and incredibly strong - not sure why it wouldn't have been used!
As an aside, there's not a scrap of official evidence that suggests linen was ever used for binding, and yet it's more popular amongst fletchers / reenactors today!
--- End quote ---
I find the use of silk to be surprising too. If that's what they used then that's what they used. But if you think about it, these are one use items, why use the best materials?
I'm sure money ruled the old world just as it rules this one and silk had to be way more expensive than linen, or was it? Maybe China had cheap labour then too. But seriously, when you are launching thousands of arrows at the enemy is silk binding going to make that much difference? Like you said, that's what they used, a "why" would be interesting.
WillS:
Arrows were expensive to make no matter what part of them you're making. The heads were expensive, the shafts were expensive, the compound and binding was expensive.
We've gone way past the Hollywood myth where archers just launched them by the thousands into the air hoping they'd hit something. Targets were most likely picked, and shot carefully. Arrows are far too expensive to waste by hoping they hit their mark, and no period artwork shows any great volleys of arrows - they do however show flat shooting at individual soldiers.
Don't forget that silk was being produced in Europe by the middle ages, not just China. Production had moved from China by the 2nd century. Green silk is mentioned as arrow binding material in a poem by Iolo Goch in the 1300s, Henry V ordered it's use in the 15th Century and it was found on the MR arrows from the 16th century.
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