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Split oak for medieval english arrows

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Bootthrower:
I just recently came across some pieces of an oak trunk. Some segments are very straight, so I thought I might try to split some arrow shafts from them.
Does oak make for a good wood when making replicas of medieval english arrows? I know Ascham mentions oak as a wood for shafts in Toxophilus, but do we have any actually examples or finds of oak shafts from the period (from The Mary Rose for example)?

Ringeck85:
I know that oak will work as long as it's straight, and will make a nice, heavy arrow.  I've made arrows from regular American red oak, they're heavy and too stiff for my draw weight, but they do shoot fine with adjustments on my part.


--- Quote ---Most of the arrows were made from black poplar, with others made from beech, ash or hazel.
--- End quote ---
https://leatherworkingreverendsmusings.wordpress.com/research/arrows/mary-rose/

(note: I have no idea if this is a good source or not, if it's bogus please let me know)

Another from this site, where the arrow shafts are made with aspen:
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=57235.0

I know that birch is a great arrow wood shaft material too!

Also a nifty short article on the verdegris:
http://www.theenglishwarbowsociety.com/TudorVerdegris2016.html

There are probably more exhaustive lists out there of what arrow woods are used!  But I hope this helps for starters and others who know more than me can chime in!

Bootthrower:
Thanks for the help! I plan on making some Mary Rose replicas and have gotten most of the materials down, but I had a hard time getting the wood for shafts. I might get an aspen from my landlord, which I know is authentic, but what I had for now was oak, which I was quite unsure if it actually would be authentic. Glad to hear it makes for a good arrow though! I guess that makes it more likely that oak actually would have been used in those days!

Ringeck85:
Ash was more commonly used, but hey if you got straight oak, make it with oak!  The arrows I've made so far are just cheapo oak or poplar dowels (really tuliptree or "yellow poplar," which are related to magnolias) from Lowes/Home Depot.

Oak will probably be just fine for short range shooting (and it's gonna pack a punch with a good forged arrowhead on there!), but a lighter aspen or poplar arrow shaft is going to shoot a farther distance if you're going for the longer range stuff.

I would say context behind arrow design matters somewhat: If designed for close range shooting (for targets or for hunting; and I realize that I am saying this "In General" so anyone feel free to qualify what I say) your arrow shafts are Probaby going to be best made from a tougher, heavier wood for greater durability and greater mass impact (on this side of the pond: things like hickory, oak, ash, cane with hardwood foreshafts, etc.)  If designed for long range (example: on the other extreme from a warbow arrow I'd put something like a Turkish flight bow arrow which are light and so short they need a bow shield thingie--what are those called?--to not overdraw the arrow!), I'd go with lighter arrow shaft materials and design, like cane/bamboo, poplar (I think??) etc. etc.

Mafort:
I have an 85lb English longbow that I love shooting and hunting with. I’ve made arrows from oak, ash, some red elm ones too which were light but I got curious, birch and hickory. Oak is heavy! So I barrel taper them to get the correct weight without messing up the spine. Some nice 175 grain broadheads and a good fletching and the deer will never notice it got whacked with a miniature spear. My hunting arrows are about 700-750 grains total. I’ve got a set of white oak ones that are 925 grain but unless a wooly mammoth comes running along I’m gunna use those for some other activities.
Point being is you can taper your shafts to the weight you desire without messing up the spine too much. Just make sure they’re spines really close together and check your arrow weight often

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