Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => English Warbow => Topic started by: Steve H on March 02, 2010, 09:06:32 pm
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Hello
I am new to this forum so I thought I would start off with a question.
I am interested in the Bowyers Flote. Does any one have pictures of one, know how they were made, how they are used or even made or used one them selves? I would be most interested to hear what you have to say.
Happy shooting
Steve H
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Hi Steve,
The Float or multi-bladed scraper plane is still made in China and is available from a well known German on-line tool seller and also from an Irish Archery supply store. Sorry I cannot give the name and e-addresses of them as that would violate PA rules as neither of them appear to be advertisers. Just do a search for multi-bladed scraper plane and you will find them.
Please note Float is the more usual for of the spelling than Flote.
The Arms of the Worshipful Company of Bowyers show on the left side a man holding a float while three floats are seen in the shield.
Craig.
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Them rules are.....very something in my opinion...
Just search for " Flot Dick " and you will find it directly.
I made this one a couple of month ago, but the angel of the blades is not so good. something around 80° would probably better
(http://www.fletchers-corner.de/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=12568.0;attach=2975;image)
(http://www.fletchers-corner.de/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=12568.0;attach=2977;image)
Gruß acker
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Craig and acker, you can give the name of the company as long as you don't add a direct link to their site. Folks can PM or e-mail you for more info also. We aren't really as nasty as you make us out to be. ;)
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Acker, are those just cabinet scrapers? Do they vary in thickness? If so, is it best to have the thin one first, or last in the row? I bought a set of 4 scrapers (varying thicknesses) and now seeing your picture, I may finally have a reason to own more than one! Thanks for posting that!
Garett
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Hi Pat,
Thanks for the info.
For those interested the Irish company is Flybow and the German tool supplier is Dick GmbH.
Craig.
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What good exactly is sucha chunky and unwieldly tool?
J.
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Jaro, that's what I was thinking, I'll stick to my Draw knife and cabinet scraper.
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Hello
I am new to this forum so I thought I would start off with a question.
I am interested in the Bowyers Flote. Does any one have pictures of one, know how they were made, how they are used or even made or used one them selves? I would be most interested to hear what you have to say.
Happy shooting
Steve H
The bowyers float is a coarser version of the float files we have today. Same cut. The floats, apparently used only by bowyers, were best suited to smoothing the sides of a stave. The tool marks are still visible on Mary Rose bows that had not been subsequently scraped or sanded.
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What good exactly is sucha chunky and unwieldly tool?
J.
It's very usefull tool on hardwood, you get a nice and very clean surface without any toolmarks.
Its more for the finish work.
easy to build , just try it.
You can use the steel from an old sawblade
Gruß acker
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Well I have my scrapers made from old sawblades and such, some of them profiled, but as I look at that thing good deal of versatility I get with any scraper is lost due to fact that it has such awfully big and chunky handle and the use on selfbows will be somehow limited as it wont reach into "bumps" and wont coppy the character - and should I want to make backed bow I can always use small scraper plane which will give me all the benefits (such as smooth surface) but good deal more of controll.
Besides, what this thema does in "warbow" escapes me.
J.
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Besides, what this thema does in "warbow" escapes me.
I think TS has posted in this section because these tools were used to make Warbows in England.The only one I have seen was in a museum,it was a hefty piece of kit! Nothing like a scraper,I think Floats were used as we would use a Rasp or surform.
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Besides, what this thema does in "warbow" escapes me.
I think TS has posted in this section because these tools were used to make Warbows in England.The only one I have seen was in a museum,it was a hefty piece of kit! Nothing like a scraper,I think Floats were used as we would use a Rasp or surform.
Were they? Because as far as I know we dont have any tools positivelly identified as bowyers tools of trade.
We have descriptions of operations for which workers were paid such as "chipping" - which is most probably shaping the stave by small axe and some which cannot be tied to the specific tool like "bending and afterbending" - yet there is none which would be positivelly tied to such a tool as above, much less on the split stave bow, where versatility in copying the character and treatment of knots would be preferable quality. (Frankly I dont even think that facete-like belly of MR bows is result of scraping - since that produces much better surface than that - but its rather a sign of expert handling of spokeshave.)
That is from position of somebody who makes also musical instruments which requires good deal of scraping where modern sanding is more or less prohibited.
If you ask me the tool above looks like some more modern tools used by cabinet makers for finishing veener surfaces on large areas such as table tops - which is something medieval cabinet maker would probably use to smooth out the last handplaning marks on something like table or bench, but all my experience in making bows says it is not very good tool for it.
To comment further - we have evidence of both rasps and specialised files with woodworking "single" cut both in archeological record and record of use in various woodworking crafts - thus if the rasp was needed, mediveal woodworker would take a rasp.
J.
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The artifact I seen was in Bowes Museum North Yorkshire (2003) It didnt look like the one pictured above,more like a Block plane.
thebowesmuseum.org.uk/
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The artifact I seen was in Bowes Museum North Yorkshire (2003) It didnt look like the one pictured above,more like a Block plane.
thebowesmuseum.org.uk/
How do you find anything on that site. That is one of the most confusing sites I have been on in a long time. :-\
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I never tried to look through the site I'm afraid,payed my five pound entrance fee and walked in the doors,seven years ago :P.
Dont really see the need to remove the Link.. I know they are not a PA sponsor but It's a museum,i didnt think you guys minded links like that? ???
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I never tried to look through the site I'm afraid,payed my five pound entrance fee and walked in the doors,seven years ago :P.
Dont really see the need to remove the Link.. I know they are not a PA sponsor but It's a museum,i didnt think you guys minded links like that? ???
A link to a museum isn't so much of a problem. Unlike you I did go look through the site looking for the flote. That is why I said it was so disorganized. There are so many shops and links to hire the museum for a wedding that you cannot find the actual artifacts. Maybe if I was willing to spend an hour looking, but my opinion is that a museum site should be about artifacts first and all the advertisements and commercial links are second. That is not an informational museum site, it is a comercial site.
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The original arms of the Worshipful Company of Bowyers, shown now on the shield in centre of the attached picture, obtained from
http://www.bowyers.com/arms/arms.html
show representations of floats.
The following description is from their site.
The arms of the Company were granted by Sir Thomas Holme, Clarenceux King of Arms on 10 November 1488. The main charge is the 'flote' which was a device for planing and smoothing the bow stave. The chevron has no special meaning but is simply to separate the 'flotes' in the design. It is commonly found at this time in arms granted to corporations, livery companies and others. Likewise, so far as we know the mullets are merely decorative.
Craig.
[attachment deleted by admin]
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The original arms of the Worshipful Company of Bowyers, shown now on the shield in centre of the attached picture, obtained from
http://www.bowyers.com/arms/arms.html
show representations of floats.
The following description is from their site.
The arms of the Company were granted by Sir Thomas Holme, Clarenceux King of Arms on 10 November 1488. The main charge is the 'flote' which was a device for planing and smoothing the bow stave. The chevron has no special meaning but is simply to separate the 'flotes' in the design. It is commonly found at this time in arms granted to corporations, livery companies and others. Likewise, so far as we know the mullets are merely decorative.
Craig.
The mullets may refer to the victories of Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt. The bowyer's arms are the only ones in which a float appears. I have another, more detailed, drawing of a float if someone can accept it on an email. it is not a series of scraper blades. Has anyone looled at a modern float file ?
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Besides, what this thema does in "warbow" escapes me.
J.
I posted in the warbow section as I am into Medieval warbows. Bowyers flotes appear in the inventory lists of wills of some of the medieval bowyers of London (still tracking this information currently). So I was interested in finding out more with the view to getting one made and trying it out.
bow-toxo I have pm'ed you I am very interested in seeing the drawing.
Thanks for all the posts so far they have made for interesting reading and food for thought.
Steve
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Are the flute marks on the MR bows not very like the marks left by a curved scraper?
I'm minded of the "bowyers edge" of Dean Torges which is just a variant on the spokeshave type of scraper, like those used in chair making.
Lie Nielsen also do something of this sort if high-end heirloom quality hand tools are your thing.
Rod.
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Yes they look like something made by scraper-like tool, yet, the round belly profile can be as easy faceted with straight scraper indeed like some kind of spokeshave. I have made me variation to one in ash wood, and it is amazing tool, though unless the sole is plated with bronze or say bone it wears sown very quickly.
I still think that spokeshave is the ultimate bowyers tool and can be used on "one tool does it all" much more elegantly than rasp, altough the second is sometimes neded for very dificult wood. The images of old "bowyer flotes" as presented look to me more like single cut rasp of kind, which is very fine and common tool among musical instrument makers, rather than big honking modern version, with set of scrapers, which leaves in me impression of something unwieldly and badly controlable, or something meant for diferent sort of work (like planishing table tops).
I m oggling Lie Neilson tools for something like 5 years, so dont tempt me, old satan ;D ;D ;D
Jaro
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Rod,
If the Arms for the Worshipful Company of Bowyers were granted in 1488, then the Flotes depicted on the arms are representations of the tools used by Bowyers of the time. If you choose to put a tool on your coat of arms one would assume that the tool was very important to you.
You can get convex, concave and flat bladed floates now and I can see no reason why they were not available in 1488. The concave and convex bladed floates would leave similar marks to those you describe.
Craig.
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Notice that those depicted on the coat of arms do not look at all like the modern one.
J.
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Craig,
The image on the coat of arms does not appear to show a tool that would leave flute marks or be used for finishing.
I appears to be more like some kind of coarse rasping tool that one might use for roughing out or any other rapid removal where the finish was not a concern.
Rod.
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Rod, Jaro,
Other than the placement of the handle and width, how does this tool differ from or rather in what way do you see the use of this tool differing from the use of the one depicted in the coat of arms?
As I understand it the Mary Rose bows are not made from "character" staves and although I have not seen them, the reports I have read indicate that they appear to have been made to a formula. I believe Hardy in Longbow remarked to that effect. It must be remembered that the staves used by the Medieval Bowyers of England had undergone a number of quality checks prior to their acquisition by the Bowyer and were probably the best available and if not absolutely perfect then very near to it. The checks would have been by the supplier of the stave, the merchant or his agent providing the goods for shipment to England/Wales, customs upon point of entry and the Bowyer himself. Therefore there would have been little to no need or inclination to follow dips etc, which is one of Jaro's objections.
Craig.
[attachment deleted by admin]
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Craig,
The image on the coat of arms does not appear to show a tool that would leave flute marks or be used for finishing.
I appears to be more like some kind of coarse rasping tool that one might use for roughing out or any other rapid removal where the finish was not a concern.
Rod.
The image, like others of the same tool, does not appear to me to be a coarse rasping tool but an enlarged version of a float file of today. Same name, same cut. An odd coincidence? I don't think so. It seems a human trait to ignore an explanation that fits and search for one thet doesn't.
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The image, like others of the same tool, does not appear to me to be a coarse rasping tool but an enlarged version of a float file of today.
Bow-toxo
Can you post a picture of what you refer to as a float file? I believe you said in an earlier post you don't know how to, all you do is use the additional options which appears on the left side of the reply window, gor to attach: then browse to the picture file on your computer.
Are you referring to plane maker's float files?
Craig.
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Craig, handle is the extact problem. Because unless we want to rasp we work on bowstave lenghtwise and lenghtwise you can scrap. Only - the handle on tool mean to be used as scraper on long pole will be exactly 90 degrees to the one you are posting.
Actually as I wrote above the tools on the shield look more like single cut rasp or file (as bow toxo also things) rather than a set of scrapers.
J.
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The image, like others of the same tool, does not appear to me to be a coarse rasping tool but an enlarged version of a float file of today.
Bow-toxo
Can you post a picture of what you refer to as a float file? I believe you said in an earlier post you don't know how to, all you do is use the additional options which appears on the left side of the reply window, gor to attach: then browse to the picture file on your computer.
Are you referring to plane maker's float files?
Craig.
Sorry, I don't have a picture and the small detail wouldn't show up. You can see the real thing in a hardware store or tool store where they have a good selection of files. You will be able to make the connection to the flote drawings on the bowyers' coat of arms.
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Sorry, I don't have a picture and the small detail wouldn't show up. You can see the real thing in a hardware store or tool store where they have a good selection of files. You will be able to make the connection to the flote drawings on the bowyers' coat of arms.
So you are talking of Plane makers float files.
I do not believe they or similar tools are the same thing as the flotes, the photograph I provided is I believe a modern version of the tool.
Craig.
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Which does not seem to be designed for bowmaking.
J.
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jaro,
Which does not seem to be designed for bowmaking
I have read other opinions that are totally converse to yours. As I indicated earlier the bowyers of the middle ages used excellent staves and did not have a great need to negotiate dips etc on the sides and bellies of the bows they made.
You also seem to forget that we have someone on this site who uses one he built himself, I have read of other people who have found them useful and easy to use, one description of their use was by a person who got roped into doing demo's of bow building at a re-enactment event and was given one to use, he said he found it better than any of the tools he usually used. (Cannot find the site with the report now).
I would also suggest that one could follow dips with it if one wished simply by tilting it forwards or backwards and using the front or back blade.
Now although I have not used one I am not prepared to dismiss it as useless before I try it or ask others who have used it what they think of it. To buy one and have it sent to Australia would be more than I am prepared to spend on a tool I may not like at present but I fully intend to get one and try it sometime in the future.
Craig.
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I've seen one of those and wouldn't give you sixpence for one of those things, but everyone has preferences in tools and that is their own business.
I would not even use a concave scraper without rounding off the sharp points and as for spending money on several fitted into a brush handle, I would have no use for such a thing.
Seems to me the flote on the coat of arms is for roughing out characterless staves.
Can't say I care much either way.
And I wouldn't lecture Jaro on tools knowing him, his work and his knowledge of the topic as I do.
Rod.
Jaro,
Have you seen the Lie Nielsen Boggs chaimakers spokeshave with the curved sole.
Now if only they made a scraper version of that.....
That would be an heirloom quality bowyers edge if there ever was such a tool.
I have the 212 scraper plane and the low angle block plane and they are a delight to use, but a scraper version of the Boggs spokeshave would be marvelllous.
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Rod, I have seen that spokeshave - on the picture. :D I still have only the one I inherited from a local chairmaker , and that is german cca 1925 and has seen alot of use, though I have made me new blade from old HSS steel saw. Word of caution, I bought quite expensive Veritas spokeshave, which they advocate as suitable for bowmaking and found it uselles, so caveat everybody.
This is the scraper spoke I made from ash, the screws for fixing the blade in arent instaled and it really need brass sole. Next to it my old style coachmakers spoke blades, sharpened and tuned, only waiting for nice piece of boxwood :)
(http://hawkwind.sweb.cz//tools2.jpg)
Craig, you seem to spend alot time of advocating for a tool which you dont use. Didnt you came to ask oppinions?
J.
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Craig, you seem to spend alot time of advocating for a tool which you dont use. Didnt you came to ask oppinions?
I did not start this thread, so I did not come to ask opinions but joined in a discussion on the tool. Although I have not used one I have read informed opinion by people who have.
As for having spent a lot of time advocating its use, let me see... you have posted 9 times so far more than half of which have been disparaging of the use of the tool a tool you have not used. I have posted a 8 times, my initial posts were of pictures of the tool and of the Arms of the Worshipful company, others were asking questions of some of the comments, its only my last post that I have suggested the tool is worth a look at and trying. Now I wonder who has spent more time on the use of a tool he has not used.
Craig.
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I once read that the med evil war bowyers used it on whitewood bows where bows were made in larger numbers.For the armys and in the royal ship yards where large amonts of wood can be removed easy to remove tool marks.I've never use or saw one used.Sence our bows arn't mass produced and mosty out of hardwoods and we have more detail towards workmanship and don't need such a tool.
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So you are talking of Plane makers float files.
I do not believe they or similar tools are the same thing as the flotes, the photograph I provided is I believe a modern version of the tool.
Craig.
I don't know what a plane maker is. The flotes on the bowyers arms and other drawings as well as float files all show a surface with grooves cut vertical on one side and slanted on the other side. If that does not convince you and you choose to believe that mediaeval floats were a series of scraper blades be my guest.
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Bow-toxo,
The flotes on the bowyers arms and other drawings as well as float files all show a surface with grooves cut vertical on one side and slanted on the other side.
I have blown up the arms and cannot see what you claim to see, I also have not seen any other drawings offered by you or anyone else, however if the blade angle does/did change from side to side I see no reason why the separate blades set in a wooden handle cannot be set that way. Now if you care to think that in the middle ages, when carbon steel was very expensive and difficult to get, that a bowyer could afford to have such a large piece of carbon steel then be my guest. I however will continue to believe in the less expensive option of blades being set into a wooden holder making a light weight a tool that can be readily sharpened, unlike the heavy and unwieldy file like implement you suggest and I will continue to do so until I see proof that suggests otherwise.
I don't know what a plane maker is.
Plane maker = maker of planes, woodworking planes, plane maker's floats are special files used in the manufacture of wooden or wooden infill planes, try googling it.
Craig
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It is not necessary to blow the picture of coat of arms up, I too see a tool with single chisel cut akin to that of single cut rasp. There is nothing to indicate that it is piece of wood with series of scrapers. Also notice that it is straight and that the "eye" on top isnt really a handle, but rather it might serve for sticking wooden handle through, when working on long piece of material spokeshave-style.
I did not start this thread, so I did not come to ask opinions but joined in a discussion on the tool. Although I have not used one I have read informed opinion by people who have
- You seem to imply that my opinion and some others opininon is somehow "uninformed", when appealing to invisible and unknown authority. Who are those "informed people pls? What we seem to get from you since begining is "other converse" "informed opinion" etc... Who are those people and what are their credentials?
J.
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I too see a tool with single chisel cut akin to that of single cut rasp
You too see it with whom? It seems you see something different to Bow-toxo who claims to see "a surface with grooves cut vertical on one side and slanted on the other side" or are you now going to change what you claim to see?
What we seem to get from you since begining is "other converse" "informed opinion" etc... Who are those people and what are their credentials?
Again jaro you exaggerate for your own purposes, from the beginning I supplied info on where to get one, the coat of arms of the Worshipful Company etc etc, it was only the post after your "Which does not seem to be designed for bowmaking. " when I mentioned other opinions etc. Do not exaggerate it does not become you. This is the second time in as many posts you have tried exaggeration as a means of supporting your claim or decrying what I an saying, each time it was far from the truth.
You seem to imply that my opinion and some others opininon is somehow "uninformed", when appealing to invisible and unknown authority. Who are those "informed people pls?
As for informed opinion that of course would come from people who have used one or have spoken to or read on their use, not people who have not used one or have not read of their use or spoken to others who have used one. Which I believe describes you and until you do use one or speak to someone who has you cannot comment in an informed manner, or are you claiming to be an expert in tools you have never used ?
Jaro I would take advice from you WRT self bows as being informed, you are known to make bows and have done so for some time and have a certain expertise in it, however the mere fact you make bows does not make you an expert in all things to do with bows let alone anything else..
The tool may turn out to be useless but I would not take the word of someone who has not used one and who dismisses it out of hand.
Let me ask you these questions, I will ignore the cost of such a large piece of carbon steel at a time when even Knights had little of it in their armour and when axes were the favourite weapon of many because they were less expensive than swords due to the fact that only the cutting edge needed to be carbon steel with the back of the axe being soft iron.
If all the tool is is a rasp and therefore essentially made out of metal why is it so big? It would be too heavy and unwieldy to be used on bows.
If the tool is a rasp why is it not shaped as are files today, especially as files dating from the 14th C have been found and they are similar to the shape of those used today? see:
http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/wood.shtml
If the tool is a rasp why attach the handle in such a difficult way, drilling through carbon steels is difficult, why not just make a handle as is done today and was done on the 14th C files?
If the tool is a rasp why go to the trouble of forging blade like teeth when it is far simpler to make rasp teeth by lifting small sections by hammering punches into the hot metal as is the way rasps are made today and have been made in the past?
Craig.
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Go to Richard Heads site, there is video link on first page to a display case with medieval bowyers tools. While the spokeshave and handplane are somehow more modern that I would expect (more like 18-19. century). he has there very good all forged bowyers flote, which is by means single cut rasp or coarse file.
http://www.english-longbow.co.uk/
Whillst both versions might be possible, this is actually what I see and perseive as correct.
J.
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Jaro,
I would also suggest you acquaint yourself with the rules of this site specifically rules 4 and 5.
Craig.
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That's quite enough of this kind of nonsense.
Jaro,
If you can't be polite, keep it to yourself.
Don't post it here.
Craig,
If we are going to be adult about it, let it go.
You have made your point.
Rod.
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Let me ask you these questions, I will ignore the cost of such a large piece of carbon steel at a time when even Knights had little of it in their armour and when axes were the favourite weapon of many because they were less expensive than swords due to the fact that only the cutting edge needed to be carbon steel with the back of the axe being soft iron.
http
Craig.
If I may, I will try to answer your questions if we can drop Chinese tools for the moment and return to topic The carbon steel would only be needed in a one millimetre thick blade perhaps 3” wide and 5”long. Spears were more usual than axes and used even less steel. Eleventh century Viking swords were of a Damascus core with carbon steel cutting edges, but some were already being made of solid steel. And let’s not forget case hardening as used on arrowheads.
Q--If all the tool is is a rasp and therefore essentially made out of metal why is it so big? It would be too heavy and unwieldy to be used on bows.
A—I would suggest that the cutting part is metal attached to wooden top and handle. It appears to be silver because heraldic charges were in solid colors, red lions etc.
Q---If the tool is a rasp why is it not shaped as are files today, especially as files dating from the 14th C have been found and they are similar to the shape of those used today?:
A---I consider it more like a file than a rasp. It is shaped like float files today. Same cut. It would be used like a surform tool as another post suggested. 14th century tools were not all identical to each other
Q--If the tool is a rasp why attach the handle in such a difficult way, drilling through carbon steels is difficult, why not just make a handle as is done today and was done on the 14th C files?
A---The mediaeval version is mounted to be used like a surform tool or a plane, as is done today. It would be used to cut along the stave rather than across it. Punching a hole through white hot high carbon steel is not hard at all.
Q---If the tool is a rasp why go to the trouble of forging blade like teeth when it is far simpler to make rasp teeth by lifting small sections by hammering punches into the hot metal as is the way rasps are made today and have been made in the past.
A---See above. Viking era sword mounts were sometimes decorated with patterns in silver, copper, and brass wire inlaid in narrow undercut grooves very close to each other, the whole hammered flat completely covering the iron. A smith that could do that would have no problem cutting a float file with a flat chisel.
BTW; Some Mary Rose bows, at least those that I handled, have more than their share of prominent pins and knots.
Cheers,
Erik
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Jesus, so much trouble around a simple tool.
Ok,
I have made one of them( most of my bowmaking tools are selfmade) and i thing its a good tool for cleaning wood surfaces, they will be very smouth .quit handy on my opinion.
a few guys over here in Germny do like that tool and some don´t -> like it allways is with tools.
@Jaro: get this book and you´ll find the tool in there and yes , sure for bowmaking and even on longbows:
The Bowbuilder's Book: European Bow Building from the Stone Age to Today
German orig name:
Das Bogenbauerbuch: Europäischer Bogenbau von der Steinzeit bis heute
Gruß acker
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Jesus, so much trouble around a simple tool.
German orig name:
Das Bogenbauerbuch: Europäischer Bogenbau von der Steinzeit bis heute
Gruß acker
Particularly in the absence of a clearer and more detailed image.
Rod.
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Hello
I am new to this forum so I thought I would start off with a question.
I am interested in the Bowyers Flote. Does any one have pictures of one, know how they were made, how they are used or even made or used one them selves? I would be most interested to hear what you have to say.
Happy shooting
Steve H
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Hello
I am new to this forum so I thought I would start off with a question.
I am interested in the Bowyers Flote. Does any one have pictures of one, know how they were made, how they are used or even made or used one them selves? I would be most interested to hear what you have to say.
Happy shooting
Steve H
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alan.blackham/aiuk/May10/eflote3.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alan.blackham/aiuk/May10/eflote2.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alan.blackham/aiuk/May10/eflote1.jpg
Here are detailed drawings I have located that should help clarify what I have tried to explain, apparently unsuccessfully.
Cheers,
Erik
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G'day one and all.
Its been over 10 years since I posted on this forum, I was drawn away by my work which took me to odd places around the world where it was difficult to practice archery and other interests took over. Anyway my interest in archery especially medieval and ancient European archery has recently been revived and on looking around at various videos available on the net I saw one from Richard Head in which he spoke about Boyer's Flotes and I was compelled to write on it here.
I thought I would post on this one of the last places I posted all that time ago about what I believe was the more likely makeup of the Bowyer's flote. Richard Head in his video initially shows his own "flote" which is a flat rasp similar to those used in fileing the putty like material used in car body repairs, referred to in Australia by the wonderful all encompassing name of "Bog". Richard Head mounts the blade of his flote on a long wooden former that has a handle at its end in a similar manner to a surform plane. However he goes on to say that the Worshipful Company of Boyer's has had a flote, or is it floats, made that is/are more like the one I championed 10 years ago. That is a wooden holder with inclined separate steel blades. I have not been able to locate a picture of the Worshipful Company's flote so I cannot be certain it is as I think, but from what Richard Head says it definitely is not an all metal rasp blade fixed to a handle. If anyone can post a picture of the flote/flotes in question I would be very interested.
I will also say after the argument over the form of the medieval flote in this thread I made my own flote similar to the one Acker both spoke of and posted photos of and found it a useful tool in removing wood from a bow's belly.
Craig.