[Ansteorra-archery] Wooden longbow

F & R Villafranca res05dtq at gte.net
Mon Jan 14 19:20:08 PST 2002


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Well done and said m'lord. I  had felt a similiar pride and excitement  when I
completed my rawhide-backed flatbow (64", 43# at 28") approximately 3-4 yrs ago,
which I am currently giving a "face and body lift" to. It has served me well,
although I had "first-hand" experience with the "saving properties" of a backed
bow which I discovered when I decided to re-finish the bow. As I removed the
rawhide (whitetail deer) I saw where the bow had "split/raised the grain" over an
area of appx 4-6 inches on the upper limb. I had not even noticed a change in the
bow's performance, but am looking forward to making it into a good "Period bow" (
with Period arrows of course!!!) for the target range since there will be a
decreased draw weight when I finsh performing "surgery" on it <g>.

                                    Preserving the Archer's dream,
                                          Eshtban il Andalus (aka EiA)
Sylvrfalcn at aol.com wrote:

> Greetings Fellow Archers,
>   After considerable research, study, and experimentation, I have produced my
> first self made wooden longbow. It's 72" long and draws 40 lbs. at 28".  It's
> quite honestly one of the sweetest bows I've ever shot, and after 250+ arrows
> down range during it's break in, it has lost absolutely no cast and developed
> no appreciable set (1/2" of string follow over 72").  Now, nothing I've said
> to this point is remarkable, it's a well made longbow and performs exactly as
> a well made longbow should. What is remarkable is that I made this bow from a
> SEVEN DOLLAR AND FORTY FIVE CENT red oak board (1"x2"x 8') obtained from
> LOWE'S.
>   Got the idea from the "Traditional Bowyer's Bible" and figured, what the
> heck, if it doesn't work out I'm not out much money.  Fact: You can make a
> perfectly serviceable bow out of a red oak board if you understand wood and
> are exceedingly fastidious about picking out the right board.  Fact: You
> don't need to buy special tools, ordinary woodworking tools will work just
> fine (I carved mine using a homemade sheath knife, sandpaper, and a 4mm
> chainsaw file to cut the nock grooves). Fact: Comparable bows sell on the
> internet for prices ranging from seventy to one hundred and forty nine
> dollars (I can give you three different web sites for 72" red oak longbows
> made from boards if you want to buy one of theirs. Theirs are backed with
> linen fabric so they don't have to be quite as persnickety picking wood with
> the right grain/growth ring alignment).
>   Am I excited? You bet.  Consider this, any SCA archer possessing some skill
> in wood working, and willing to invest the time and effort, can equip him/her
> self with a proper period longbow for less than half the cost of a cheap
> fiberglass kid's bow.  That's got me plumb stupefied!  My next bow will be
> rawhide backed, sporting horn nocks, and still cost around the same price as
> a large pizza with extra toppings!
>    One of my goals getting into SCA archery was learning how to make my own
> period shooting tackle.  Last Sunday when I stepped onto the range my bow,
> bowstring, arrows, quiver, and bracer were all made by my hand. The sense of
> pride and accomplishment I experienced was immeasurable, because I knew I'd
> reached a major stepping stone in my journey toward becoming an archer.
>    The journey continues, and to all with whom I share it's path I wish best
> luck and bright futures.
>
>     Cheers,
> Robert of Yorkshire
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