Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Horn Bows => Topic started by: stuckinthemud on July 10, 2018, 10:02:24 am
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I tried watching this video (youtube.com/watch?v=b_sb2Me3hdo )and it has fried my mind. I'd like to open a discussion on it but don't want to comment as the techniques demonstrated are totally new to me and I am not qualified to comment as I am still struggling with my first sinew job. So, any thoughts? The section on not splitting sinew fibres maybe?
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Let's put it this way: If you want to learn something about cleaning out the bundles and a good sinewing job, there's a number of valuable youtube videos of korean bowyers around.
Unbroken tradition there.
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You're not wrong and I think I've watched most of them; I'm just about finished un-bundling 6 oz of sinew ready for 2 crossbows and a hornbow - about half of what I need, I think, but, this chap is using techniques I've never seen, or, only heard rumours of, like using backstrap (?) still in its sheath, after steeping in some kind of liquid to keep it workable. Also he boils the core in some kind of chemical bath - anyone any ideas on this one? The video is fascinating and a thorough look at horn-bow building, going through each step of the process, using all the 'normal' techniques and it really is well worth watching, but it does raise questions along the way
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You're not wrong and I think I've watched most of them; I'm just about finished un-bundling 6 oz of sinew ready for 2 crossbows and a hornbow - about half of what I need, I think, but, this chap is using techniques I've never seen, or, only heard rumours of, like using backstrap (?) still in its sheath, after steeping in some kind of liquid to keep it workable. Also he boils the core in some kind of chemical bath - anyone any ideas on this one? The video is fascinating and a thorough look at horn-bow building, going through each step of the process, using all the 'normal' techniques and it really is well worth watching, but it does raise questions along the way
Using backstrap without pounding it out and splitting it up will make sure that the strip isn't saturated with glue, additionally this is inviting adhesion problems when attaching it to the core or other layers. Many things will work on weak or less stressed bows, you can get away with the wildest things. Let's ask ourselves why we will not find these "unconventional" ways anywhere else in old bowmaking manuals.
We could go on and on here, from those weird bumps to chemically weakening the stiffening plates etc.
But to get back to tradition, it's amazing how similar old techniques are across the board over a vast geographical range and timeframe, spanning from 2nd century BC Rites of Zhou to 14th century Swiss Hornbow-prod makers, to 20th century Hein's "Bogenhandwerk und Bogensport bei den Osmanen", to modern korean bowyers. There are alot more old sources that you could list here.
I'd strongly caution seeing this video as anything but a weird marketing stunt, but take it as an invitation to sharpen ones "tools" and find out more about other sources. In that sense, it can be useful.
I'm always intrigued by looking at the props of a scene. Buzzwords and materials that are on the table, that are unrelated to the workstep, what do they want to tell us with that?
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I think we're singing from the same hymn-sheet, ;) what I like best in the video is the shop-made clamps he uses. :D
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Interesting video. To me, it looks like leg sinew. The y-split at the end is indicative of that. I think its from a large animal bigger than deer based on its length and thickness. He soaks then pounds it which is normal, but here's what gets me. It appears that he is not removing the outer "sheath" first. Is he leaving that on, or was it removed somewhere along the way and he just didn't show it in the video.
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Don’t you think that’s a video full of false skills, a totally edited show?
They don’t want anyone learns true procedure of their work, but they still want to show something that makes them a master bowyers.
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If you go to his site http://www.grozerarchery.com (http://www.grozerarchery.com), he explains that he uses a newish way of adding sinew as a sinew-plate, which is the inner sinew layer shown here.
The horn is also a 'plate', starting from the floppy horn he produces after processing and then presses it into shape against the bow, instead of having to groove wood and horn, and then get a snug fit of the horn to the wood.
It seems to work pretty well.
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maybe he used sinew plate and prebent horn as new skill, but it can't be the procedure shown in the video which was too rough and simple. that's why i said he used one technique and shown you guys another.