Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: echatham on January 22, 2014, 08:04:38 pm
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This is a page out of "the American Boy's Handybook" published in 1880 by Daniel Carter Beard, co founder of the boy scouts. Its a neat idea that im gonna play around with. Anyone know of any historical... Or prehistorical use of such a weapon?
(http://i1308.photobucket.com/albums/s608/echatham/IMG_20140122_184743_944_zpsa4jetf12.jpg) (http://s1308.photobucket.com/user/echatham/media/IMG_20140122_184743_944_zpsa4jetf12.jpg.html)
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Never seen it before. I'd be worried about it not releasing and whipping around and sticking me in the right butt cheek.
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Good call. Gotta check for loose nock fit. There's some incredibly dangerous stuff in this book for kids... For instance... affixing razor blades and glass shards to a kite's tail for a friendly game of "war kites"
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Made those when i was a kid. Except we made the darts out of cedar shingles. You could get 300 yds easy. Josh
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Nice
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Here's how we made the darts out of cedar shingles. Most lumberyards sell shims that are tapered like the old shingles. Using the full length of the shingle you cut the basic shape as illustrated below with the thick end being the point and the thin end being the fin. You then found the balance point of the dart and cut your string knock just forward of that point. They were two person jobbies when i was a kid. The strongest kid was the thrower and the other kid stood behind him and barely held the fin of the dart to point it in the right direction. The two man system really launched em a long way. Josh
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I'm interested in a friendly game of war kites actually >:D
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Looks like a variation on the "Swiss arrow" or "Dutch arrow". Arrows launched with the aid of strings has been around for a long time but no one seems to know when the idea was put into general use. It may never have been popular.
The string used to launch the arrow was usually attached to the hand but can also be attached to the end of a stick. The "whip bow" looks like a version of the stick-assisted thrower where the stick is very flexible. Not sure if this flexibility helps or not.
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This is gonna be fun. Hope i never grow up ;D
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Reminds me of the old SNL skit with Dan Akroyd and Jane Curtain...."The Bag of Glass and Johnny assault rifle with bayonet...Great, Fabulous Toys for kids.." LOL...Makes running with scissors look alot less dangerous...My how times have changed(Read Don'T Lawyers take the fun out of getting hurt!!!!)
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Simialer to the Baton de commandement.. A french atlatl
Thanks leroy
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There's a bit on the Ralph Payne Gallwey book on the crossbow, apparently throwing arrows (with a knotted string) was big in the North of England (Yorkshire) especially in the mining communities. Big money was wagered on who could throw the furthest, there would be a couple of thousand spectators! The arrows were naturally tapered Hazel wands with no flights. The record was 372 yards!
31" arrow, 3/16 at the tail 5/16 at the head, weight a little over 1/2 oz
Del
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I love the American Boys book, I read it so much growing up that it has fallen apart into pieces. And yes, you're right, 2/3 of the stuff in there is far too dangerous, haha, thats what makes it so great!