Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: dragonman on January 02, 2010, 04:51:16 pm
-
I just found this picture on another bow forum(atarn), I hope they didnt mind me taking it. Does anyone have an explanation for the strange 's' shape?, they didn't!! . Otherwise they look just like holmgaards. Thought you people on PA might find it interesting too
[attachment deleted by admin]
-
I haven't a Clue...but I would really love to see a Full Draw of One of Them....just to see what the Tiller looked like.... :-\
-
looks like a hybrid paddle/holmie bow
-
Hi, All the mentions I've seen of andeman bows remark on the S shape of the unstrung bow. No good explanation has been made ( that I've seen). The stiff/ narrow tips were also standard and are the reason that some people are referring to the stiff narrow tips designs as "Andeman / Holmgaard" style. Ron
-
Don't really know anything about these bows, but it always seems strange to me when someone (even if it's Tim Baker) talks of Andaman-Holmgaard style bows; these really large bows obviously have a VERY different conception to them than Holmegaard (or rather Mollegabet) bows. The only thing in common is this similarity of the narrowed tip.
Few more pictures:
[attachment deleted by admin]
-
Ps: seems like the guy bracing his bow in the 3rd pic holds the bow upside down to do so!
-
MeThinks the "S" shape may be a way of building in a forgiving way to align the string.?? Or just something that started long ago and was handed down as a stylistic feature of these folks. Tom
-
Comparing it with a yumi might help explain, as might an understaning of the materials. I doubt it is osage or yew. I also woner if they are kept strung. Maybe the S lets you take advantage of the benefits of both reflex and deflex.
-
Also.... the more curves in the limbs...the more area of power storage.
-
they are made from a number of trees, including the buttress roots of tropical rain forest trees i believe. i have held an original and they are surprising light (made from light weight wood) the tips are thin, stiff and non working. they are a bend through the handle design and the limbs have a very slightly convexed back, and slightly more convexed belly. the edges of the limbs come down to an almost razors edge. some bows i have a large ridg running down the back of the bow, full length and in the centre. the bows are also not as big as they look in the photos. i think the andaman people are a fairly small race (still living primitively today) which gives the impression they are bigger bows. i am not sure what game animals live on the andaman islands, but i think the bows were used for fishing also. the anaman people were apparantly known as the silent people, you didn't know they were there until you had an arrow through you!
i have made a couple of bows in this design and they are excellent selfbows. i know a prominant australian bowyer who prefers this bow design over any other for selfbows, as they work very well for our australian hardwoods. i don't know the reason for the 'S' shaped design and i haven't put that into mine.
i dont know how to insert images sorry so i can't show pics of mine or one with a ridge down the back.
-
otis.drum
IŽd really like to see those pics. You insert pics under additional options.
-
note the large ridge running down the back of the bow.
[attachment deleted by admin]
-
i hope these work
the first bow was based on the andaman idea with wide thin limbs and plenty of length. i changes trhe tips slightly for this bow though.
the next few shots are of another selfbow more closely representing the andaman bows. the tips were thicker than normal as the poundage was higher. both are made from australian hardwood called stringybark.
[attachment deleted by admin]
-
1 andaman bow diagram
2 andaman islander shooting at a helicopter checking for survivors after the tsunami
3 andaman style bow by glenn newell made from australian grey ironbark
4 andaman style bow by glenn newell made from australian currawang
5 a selection of aussie hardwood selfbows. andaman on the right (not mine)
6 an original reversed bamboo bow from badu island (in the torres straights above cape york australia) they also made bows from black palm some of which had weights over 100#
[attachment deleted by admin]
-
Nice bows...but why arent the andaman replica bows side profiles not the same as the andaman bnows. Their profile looks normal to me.
-
Sounds like the low density wood is the main reason. It explains why they are very long, very wide and deflexed. They need to be able to hold up to the working stress, which low density woods are not that good at. That is how some native americans made bows from willow, when that is the only available material. Same thing you might want to do if working with pine or fig. The narrow tips is an additional element that would improve the speed, as might one relexed limb, while not losing all the stress reduction durabilty of the other deflexed llimb, I suspect. The buttress roots might also vary in density front top to bottom or have natural curves lending to the design. I doubt they look like stove pipes. But, as the wide limb/narrow tips has been argued by many to the one of the most efficient designs, I think this crazy Andaman shape is the produce of a long tradition of excellent engenering from low quality, but readily available wood.
-
i read that many varieties of wood were used and that trees were chosen for already displaying the side profile shape of the finished bow. bows were also made from green timber not (seasoned). this causes them to be doughy, weak and short lived compared to seasoned bow wood. the limb reflex seems to have been chosen to account for the loss of power and efficiency of the wood type, fact that it is green, limb design (using green wood seems to be why the chose wide thin limbs). i have no idea why one island chose to have both limbs bent in different directions while the other only had one limb bent with reflex while the other was straight.
why arent the andaman replica bows side profiles not the same as the andaman bnows. Their profile looks normal to me.
the replicas i have made and seen other make were from season australian hardwoods and therefore didn't require the bent limbs to achieve good performance. it would be interesting to steam or heat the bends into the limbs to see what effects it has.
some more reading on them
http://www.archerylibrary.com/books/badminton/docs/chapter03/chapter3_2.html
perhaps i was mislead when told they were made from butress roots, but here is a picture
[attachment deleted by admin]
-
now that tree is a cool looking as their bows 8) :o
-
yes, but i'd hate to be making a bow out of it :)
i'd like to know if they really did use these trees and how the did it.
-
some cool looking bows,people and trees, no exlpanation for the S-shape, perhaps there is none, it doesnt look very practical to me, but I guess I would have to try one to be sure ( or make one) ???
-
Interesting articles and pics.