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On this page I intend to answer peoples questions on the sport & history of archery. Please mail me with any questions you have and I'll answer those I can on this page.
> Hello,
> I have a 62in recurve bow I made
in high school 14 years ago. I just finished work on the walnut & maple
handle, so it would fit my hand better. I stained it the woods natural color and
put 3 coats of poly on it. Anyway, I've been dying to try it out, but I'm not
sure what the length of the string should be, can you help me?
Tom
Tom,
With Recurves a lot depends on the exact shape of the bow. I would recommend a Dacron
string of 57 1/2" long (4 1/2" less than the bow length measured
around the recurve of the limb) or a fastflite of 58 1/4" if you must.
I would not recommend fastflite on a wooden bow as it has no stretch and puts a
lot of stress on the bow.
It would be a good idea to have 3 or more strings with a 1/2" difference in
the lengths and experiment with them to find out what works best, you can alter
the length a little by altering the number of twists in the string.
You can also alter the number of strands I would start with 12 strands for up to
50# and 14 or more for a heavier bow.
I hope this helps and please tell me how you get on.
Daniel
> Daniel,
>
> Recently returned from England where I purchased a
Flemish string for my Longbow.
> The string is looped and secured at one end but not
the other. This was done so it could be fitted to various size bows.
> My problem is that no directions came with the
string and the info that was verbally given to me was (sadly) forgotten.
> Can you advise on what I need to do to make this
string usable.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Joe
> Texas, USA
Joe,
The knot
you need is a timber hitch, also called a bowyers knot. You make a loop, pass
the string through the loop and then wrap it around itself 3 or 4 times, making
sure that the direction of the loops is the same as the twists in the string,
see the attached diagram.
Good luck with your shooting, I hope you do well and if you have
any more problems don't hesitate to mail me.
Daniel
Elrend Nodtvedt wrote
Daniel!
Thanks again for replying so quickly and brilliantly!
At Quicks they sell "rubber blunts" under the re-enactment section. I have read on a website, that re-enactment groups use such rubber blunts to shoot at each other... Do you know anything of this?
Thanks
Best Regards
Erlend
On the subject of blunts I would NOT recommend shooting at anyone, our displays do not involve any shooting at or near people. A shot with an normal arrow with a blunt from a 45lb+ bow can have enough impact to break bones if it hits the wrong area (collar bone or maybe a rib) and the blunts that Quick's sell are smaller than the eye socket so could KILL if you hit some one in the eye or in the throat. They are designed for hunting small game and birds. Reenactors who do shoot at people use flu flu fletched shafts usually with bigger blunts than Quicks and against armoured people. They also usually use lighter bows.
If you do decide to shoot at people use a bigger blunt and VERY large fletchings, possibly a single uncut feather wrapped around the shaft in a spiral, this will minimise the danger.
I know this may not be what you wanted to hear but it is something I feel is very important.
Please as always let me know if I can be of any more help and please visit if you ever come to England
Daniel
Daniel!
Thank you very much for the excellent "description"! It will indeed be helpful.
I have few other questions, concerning traditional archery... Where do you get you medivial-looking arrows? Do you make them yourself with a fletching jig? Do you use glue for the fletching? Is there any place where I can buy ready traditional arrows? (Something like the arrows seen on "Helmet.jpg" on your site) I have heard of a re-enactor-market in Oxford? Do you know anything of this market?
A question about my bow:
Should I polish it with anything?
Thanks! Again excuse my bad english!
BEst regards
Erlend Nodtvedt
May your bowarm never tire, and you goblet be ever full!
Erlend.
I buy the shafts from Quick's and cut a slot in the shaft WITH the grain. I then glue a small piece of hard wood (or plastic can be used for simplicity) into the slot. Horn can also be used. I then cut another groove at 90 degrees to the inserted piece (and of course the wood grain) for the string. If you don't get the string across the grain it will split the shaft when you loose the string. I then glue the points on with two part epoxy. I use field points for most arrows but I have got some Bodkins and broad heads for displays. For the fletchings I use full length feathers that I cut to size with a VERY SHARP pair of scissors. You can use a die cut or a feather burner if you have one, but do not burn feathers indoors. The smell will make you very unpopular! I glue the feathers into place using super glue or arrow-mate depending on how much time I have. I do use a fletching jig. The arrow is then ready to shoot, however, for display arrows I pull the barbs of the feathers the wrong way so that they all stand up and then bind them into place with a linen thread. This finishes them off and make them look "authentic" Again I can send pictures if it would help.
You can buy ready made "medieval" arrows but they are very expensive.
If your bow if varnished as I believe that Bickerstaffe bows are then furniture polish is fine, if not then waxing with a beeswax type polish is a good idea.
I don't know about the reenactors market but I'll check it out for you.
Thanks again for your interest, and again your English is extremely good.
Daniel
Hello Mr.Hawley!
I'm a 15 year old boy that have just purchased a Rosewood/Hickory longbow from Bickerstaffe Bows.
The thing is, I'm having problems with my aim. I don't know where exactly I should place my hand, if my nose should be on the string,which eye I should use, and so on.....
Can you manage to give me a clue on how I should do?
Thanks and please excuse my bad english!
Best regards
Erlend Nodtvedt
Bergen,Norway
Hello Erlend,
Thank you for your message, your English is excellent, better then some 15 year old English boys I know!
In answer to you questions there are a number of techniques that you can use. The one thing they all have in common in consistency of hand / head / arrow positions.
I use 2 techniques 1 for target archery outdoors and one for indoor target and field (hunting style) shooting.
The first thing to do in both styles (if you haven't already done so) is to set up the bow.
Holding the bow in your left hand (I am assuming that you are right handed) with the knuckle at the base of your thumb in the centre of the belly (inside) of the bow and your fingers curled around the bow place the arrow on the string and rest it on the knuckle of your first finger. The nock of the arrow should be about 1/8 - 1/4 (3-6 mm) higher than where the arrow touches your hand. Mark this place on the sting and always use the same place to knock (place the arrow on the string) and the same hand position when shooting.
Having done that you're ready to shoot. Standing sideways to the target push your left hand towards the target and pull your right back to your face. As you are doing this you should be bringing the arrow up to aim. When you touch your face hold for a second or two and then let go.
You'll notice that I haven't talked much about aiming yet. That is because if the preparation and technique is not right the arrow will not fly where it is aimed anyway.
When it comes to the anchor of the string hand to your face the most important thing is that it is the same place every time.
For target shooting I put the top of my hand up against the bottom of my jawbone and put the string into the centre of my chin, touching my lips and nose. I keep both eyes open but you may want to close your left eye (if you're right handed) I stand upright
For field style I put the top of my hand against my cheek bone with my middle finger in the corner of my mouth. I keep both eyes open and lean my head to the right so that my right eye is above the arrow. I tilt the bow by the same amount.
Aiming is the same in both cases I pick a point to aim the point of the arrow at so that the arrow will hit the target. At short range this will be below the target and at long range above it. The first style (target) is best for ranges above 35 metres with my bow and the second for shorter ranges.
If you look at the volley photo in the photos section (to be updated when I get the time) or on the display team page you will see both styles. Nick in the foreground is using a target style, and I (in the middle) am using the field style. Richard at the back has not yet got back to full draw so don't use that as a template for a style!
I hope this helps but if not mail me back and I will draw and scan in some diagrams and / or photos that may help more.
Thanks again for your interest, and please let me know how you get on.
Daniel.
Michael wrote,
Greetings bowmen...I seek information on bowmen in the army of Elizabeth I....uniform and equipment...service seen (Irish wars or Low Country wars?)...I realize this was the twilight of the longbow era...any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated....
Be well...................~/l\~Michael
ELIZABETHAN ARCHERS
I am sorry but I could not find any evidence of the military use of archery in Elizabethan times, The closest I could get was the forming of The Royal Artillery Company of London who were a band of noblemen who formed themselves into a body guard for the queen and the following quotes.
Elizabeth also appointed a commission to move about England to supervise the use of the bow "which was much decayed", and William Harrison included an enthusiastic defence of the skill of the English archer in his Description of Britain. "In times past the chief force o£ England consisted in their long-.bows. But now we have given over that kind of artillery . . . Certes the Frenchman, and Rutters, deriding our new archery in respect of their corslets, will not let, in open skirmish, if any Leisure serve, to turn up their tails and cry; `Shoot English f' and all because our strong shooting is decayed and laid in bed. But if some of our Englishmen now lived that served King Edward the Third in his wars with France, the breech of such a varlet should have been nailed to his bum with one arrow, and another feathered in his bowels, before he should have turned about to see who had shot~ the first. But, as our shooting is thus in manner utterly decayed among us one way, so our countrymen wax skilful in sundry other points, as in shooting in small pieces, the caliver, the handling of the pike, in the several uses of which they have become very expert."
There were some archers in the forces gathered to defend England against the Spanish Armarda (Ironic considering that the best yew came from Spain!)
From the middle of the sixteenth century the proportion of guns to bows in the muster roll slowly rose, and from 1595 the government tried to get rid of the bow entirely from the ranks of the trained bands. The Elizabethan bowman and his equipment is admirably described in a contemporary manuscript: "Captains and officers should be skilful of that most noble weapon (the bow and to see that their soldiers, according to their draught and strength, have good bows, well nocked, well stringed, everie string whippe in the nocke, and in the myddes rubbed with wax-braser and shutting glove, some spare strynges, trymed as aforesaid; every man one sheaf of arrows, with a case of leather, defensible against the rayne, and in the same fower and twentie arrows; whereof eight of them should be lighter than the residue, to gall or astoyne the enemie with the hail-shot of light arrows, before they shall come within the danger of their harquebus shot. Let every man have a brigandine or a little cote of plate, a skull or hufkin, a maule of lead, of five feet in length, and a pike, and the same hanging by his girdle, with a hook and dagger; being thus furnished, teach them by musters to march, shoote and retire, keeping their faces upon the enermy's . . . None other weapon maye compare with the same noble weapon."
For more information see the excellent book "The Grey Goose Wing" by E G Heath. It's out of print now but if you can get hold of a copy it is well worth it. Another book worth getting is "Toxophilus" by Roger Asham who was Queen Elizabeths archery coach, this was first published in 1544 and is still in print. You can get a copy from Quicks (see my links) You might also want to check out the following site, there are some excellent articles onthe longbow contained in it; http://www.student.utwente.nl/campus/sagi/artikel/longbow/longbow.html
Good Shooting
Daniel
Dale Hopper Wrote.
Hi:
I am writing this for my 11 year old son. He wants to know if you could tell him
what would be the best thing to make a long bow from and how he would go about doing it. If you could give him some pointers it
would be greatly appreciated. Thank
you for your time!
Thanks again:
Dale Hopper
Hello Dale.
The best wood for a beginner to use to make a longbow is lemonwood (or Dagame.) It is a forgiving wood and easy to work with. It makes a good self bow (one piece of wood) but backed with hickory (which can also be used to make a self bow) will make an excellent bow. Do not use yew or Osage to make your first bow as it is very hard to work with. As for tips an on line guide is available from http://www.palmerrh.freeserve.co.uk/ or you can order a booklet on how to make a longbow from Quicks at http://www.quicks.com/ Either would give better advice than I can as I have not yet made a bow myself. If I can be of any more help (with tips on shooting technique etc) please ask.
Daniel
Erlend Nødtvedt wrote
Hello! I'm a 15 year old boy from Norway. I'm thinking serious of buying a
special laminate bow from Bickerstaffe bows. I will buy it through Quicks. I
need it quickly and they just got a 45 lbs draw weight in stock. Bivkerstaffe
bows says that because of it's smooth draw you are able to pull around 15 lbs
more then before. The bow is a fast bow. The question is: Is 45 lbs way
to much? The bow is pretty expensive so I'll have to buy a that I can
grow with. Please answer my questions quickly!
Sorry my bad English! Erlend
Nodtvedt Bjorgegrend
ps! have you heard of Mark Wilson? He works at "The world of Robin Hood" . If you do, do you know anything about his bows?
Hello Elrand,
The quick answer is that 45lbs should be OK, but it very much depends on you. A member of our club is shooting in a 50lb longbow, however, he has been shooting for 4 years & has worked up to the weight. I would say that 45lbs is too much to begin with, but if you have been shooting with a recurve (Olympic) bow for a year or 2 then it should be OK. As a rough guide you can shoot about 15-20 lbs heavier with a longbow than an Olympic recurve. If there is any way to borrow a bow of this weight to try before hand do so, if not ask Quicks if they will exchange the bow if you cannot cope with it. Sorry I don't know Mark Wilson so can't comment on his bows, but I have heard good things about Bickerstaffe. Good Luck & please let me know how you get on. By the way your English is very good, much better than my Norwegian
Daniel Hawley
Ron Manson wrote;
Sir Could you answer the following 3 questions?
In answer to your questions above, my opinions are;
1. The longbow varied in length to suit the individual archers traditionally being 6 inches taller than the man who owned the bow. The bows from the Mary Rose support this being of varied lengths around the 6-foot mark.
2. This is a more controversial issue. I believe that a longbow arrow was effective into a crowd up to 250-300 yards, but it would be an exceptional archer who could pick of an individual man at 1/3 of this distance. The longest distances shot today in longbow competitions are 180 yard to hit a large circle marked on the ground with a flag in the middle, the highest scoring arrows being within 6 foot of the pole, or 100 yards at a 4 foot diameter straw target marked into 5 scoring zones.
2b. The length of arrows is also a source of much debate with some claiming 36 inches. I believe this is a mistaken interpretation of the length of a "Flemish" or "cloth-yard." This measurement was nearer 27 inches than a full yard of 36 inches and ties in nicely with an average arrow length very close to toady's 28 inches. The arrows bought up from the Mary Rose were 30 inches long.
3. I have heard the expression but do not know its origins. Have you heard of other archery related saying in more everyday use such as; Two strings to ones bow, Straight as an arrow, & Shot his bolt (crossbow), Thanks for your interest and I hope these are the answers you were looking for. Daniel Hawley.
John Hammer wrote:
How much money would it cost to buy a good bow for a
beginner???
I recommend that beginners join a local club before buying any kit, they should lend you all the gear you need for about 6 weeks. You should be able to get their contact numbers from a library, or if you are in the UK try contacting the Grand National Archery Society http://www.gnas.u-net.com/home1.htm for your nearest club. As regards to equipment it depends on what style you want to shoot. For recurve / Olympic you are looking at £100 for a basic kit that will last about a year before you out grow it. Quicks have an online catalogue at http://www.quicks.com/ and do mail order. If you want to shoot compound then you are looking at spending about£50 to £100 more for a set up but it will last longer. To shoot in the English Longbow is a little more complex and it may be worth starting with an easier bow to manage, however the best Longbow to buy is a lemonwood / hickory bow. These make a cheap(ish) sweet shooting bow I still use one today. For an English Longbow you need a draw weight of at least 45-50lbs which is a bit much to start with if you want to develop a good technique. (I start teaching adults with a MAXIMUM of 30lbs moving up after a few weeks). The American Flatbow (also known as a longbow in the States) is easier to use and faster so you don't need so much weight to get the same arrow speed. Prices are about the same for both types of longbow starting at about £150 from an UK retail outlet. (You can get English Longbows cheaper by going direct to the bowyer I can forward a list should you want one) The basic rule of thumb is to spend as little as possible for a first bow as you will use this to develop you style and technique before moving on. You can then get most of the money you spent on this bow back by selling it on second-hand. check out http://www.quicks.com/starfram.htm for more advice on starting. I know this hasn't answered your question directly but as you can see it's not as simple as it sounds. for more links that may help check out the archery top sites banner on my homepage. Hope this helps. Daniel
Now I'll post a few I've been asked at displays.
What is the Bow made of?
Longbows are made of various woods the most famous being Yew. Ours are mainly Dagame (Lemon Wood) & Hickory as it is cheap and almost as good as Yew. The best Yew is from Oregon in the USA and the mountain regions such as Spain. English Yew grows too fast and is not as good.
If English Yew grows too fast where did the yew come from in Medieval times, wasn't it grown in churchyards?
A tax was levied on trading ships coming from Spain. They had to import bowstaves in order to trade in other goods. The Churchyard yew was never used for bow wood. In fact there was a law stating that a man could cut wood from any tree in the forest to make himself a bow except the church trees which must be left untouched.
How fast is an arrow?
It varies according to the archer and his equipment. From my longbow 135 feet per second. From modern bows over 200 fps. is not unusual.