Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: dwardo on October 20, 2009, 07:52:10 am

Title: Flat bow roots ?
Post by: dwardo on October 20, 2009, 07:52:10 am

Hi all,

I was wondering where the flat bow that we all seem to like came from ?
I see the native american bows but they tend not to have the deep handle that we all seem to like.
Is the bow an amalgamation of a pyramid, flat and other designs? Or is the design a more recent one?

The last elm bow i made is an example of what i am thinking about. Also twistedlimbs new pop ash bow aswell as many others.

Title: Re: Flat bow roots ?
Post by: Kegan on October 20, 2009, 01:17:09 pm

Sudbury (Native American). Meare Heath (pardon the spelling- Native European). Klopsteg et al. (modern American).

In the 1930's and 40's people began experimenting with different aspects of archery. They found the flatbow was more efficeint than the standard English lognbow. It went from there :)

Title: Re: Flat bow roots ?
Post by: medicinewheel on October 20, 2009, 02:15:32 pm

Well the bow of bows has that design already, so it's the ..... OLDEST!

[attachment deleted by admin]

Title: Re: Flat bow roots ?
Post by: VenomBOWslinger on October 20, 2009, 08:02:48 pm

Dwardo good day mate hows it goin...any new bows ur workin on?  Great pic of an ancient relic!!!
Cheers!!!!

Title: Re: Flat bow roots ?
Post by: snedeker on October 21, 2009, 01:40:56 pm

I've always been surprised that the narrow  rigid handle was so early in northern Europe (i.e, the Holmegaard  - Mesolithic ).  Doesn'y arise much elsewhere in the stone age world it seems

Dave   

Title: Re: Flat bow roots ?
Post by: medicinewheel on October 21, 2009, 01:54:27 pm

Well, I guess it's the best design for whitewood bows, and whitewood (elm) is what they had. When the Yew move further north long time after the ice had gone they stared using mostly yew, the design started to change and the deep narrow handle started to vanish. Below is a neolithic stickbow (from Schnidejoch/Alps) that was yew and didn't have it anymore.

[attachment deleted by admin]

Title: Re: Flat bow roots ?
Post by: dwardo on October 21, 2009, 02:57:20 pm

Loads of great info for a read, cheers :)

Title: Re: Flat bow roots ?
Post by: medicinewheel on October 21, 2009, 04:19:34 pm

PA is some sort of info bonanza...  8) 8) 8)