Longbow Help

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I forgot one thing, these guys make good stuff, they learned horse archery from Lajos Kassai, and sell his bows.

http://www.eastern-archery.com./unitedstates.html

They're bloody expensive, but everything, according to all the reenactors and the guys who do horse archery professionally in competition, is top notch.

You might want to get your arrows there, if you can spend that amount.

My dream was always to get a bow from these guys.

Edit: Lajos Kassai, not Kassai Lajos
 
LordOfShadows, do you know if that crossbow they're selling is any good? It's hard to find a properly functional traditional crossbow. :razz:
Thanks again Llew for the information, you're always a great help.

I'm assuming I should seal my arrow shafts as well, no?
 
Llew2 said:
Also, it's a good idea to oil your bow every six months or so, if you haven't put a finish on. I use mineral oil. You can finish it though (and I think they give some pointers on it), with a finish that keeps the moisture locked inside.
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Llew, I'd like to know what oil you use. I'm having a tough time finding the right sealant. Is it okay to use it on already finished arrows? Because I was planning on sealing these arrows since the product information does not say whether they are sealed or not.
 
Linseed oil is good, I usually end up using Mineral oil.

However, oil isn't strictly speaking a sealant, only a moisturizer. If you put oil on, you'll want to re-oil every six months or so because the wood will eventually dry out again. For me, that option was perfectly fine and I felt better about doing that than finishing and never oiling again, so that's what I do,

As for your arrows; if they are sealed (aka., have a finish on them), oiling them isn't needed and won't really work, due to the finish preventing the oil from soaking into the wood. Which is what finish is suppose to do. (From looking at the pics of those arrows, the reflective sheen on them would suggest they are finished, in which case you won't need to do anything to them.)

In case you don't know of can't tell however, oiling them and seeing if it soaks in can't do any harm.

That said, if they aren't finished, I would just leave them that way and oil them regularly. Oiling them will make them bendable and much, much less likely to shatter or crack if they hit a rock. I've had several of my shafts break that way.
 
Only several? :lol: I have shattered wooden shafts, bent metal and done amazing things to fibreglass (it is sincerely amazing what happens when a fibreglass arrow with a target point hits a a stone or, as in my case a brick wall).
 
So, I was reading my book The Crooked Stick: A History of the Longbow, and the author (Hugh D. H. Soar) wrote:

"Little evidence exists of the the style of shooting adopted by these early bowmen. Contemporary pictures suggest two distinct techniques: for distance shooting, drawing to the chest, and for at least some point-blank shooting, drawing to the face. The Bayeux Tapestry--that most enigmatic reflection of early archery--depicts each of the 27 Norman archers with their arrows drawn to the chest and elevated above the horizontal."

1217929.jpg


Maybe I'm being a bit dim, but I am not understanding how you would achieve more distance if you draw the arrow only to your chest. I would think it would have been flip-flopped. Drawing to the face at an angle and releasing would deliver more distance, being that there's more potential energy because your face is farther from the bow than your chest.
 
Well, drawing to the face the most common anchor point is the corner of lips, which gives me about 33 inches from hand to hand and to loose above the horizontal I would have to bring my arm up high, which is harder work on the muscles. Whereas if I draw to my chest I gain 4 inches in draw length, and can put my arrow on a 45 degree angle with a little bend of the wrist and elbow, which is much easier. Plus it is slightly easier to bend the back sideways, aiding in ease of angling the bow.
 
Another question!
I am buying a leather tab so I don't develop painful callouses on my fingers, and I have to figure out whether I want to use it for my left or right hand. I've been watching some videos and most people seem to draw the bowstring with their right hand and hold the bow with their left arm. But for some reason, I think I would feel more comfortable drawing the bowstring with my left hand because my right arm could steady the bow better.

Does it matter a whole lot which way you choose to shoot? If I chose to shoot like this, how will it effect my shooting?
 
Folthrik said:
Another question!
I am buying a leather tab so I don't develop painful callouses on my fingers, and I have to figure out whether I want to use it for my left or right hand. I've been watching some videos and most people seem to draw the bowstring with their right hand and hold the bow with their left arm. But for some reason, I think I would feel more comfortable drawing the bowstring with my left hand because my right arm could steady the bow better.

Does it matter a whole lot which way you choose to shoot? If I chose to shoot like this, how will it effect my shooting?
Click to expand...
Do what works for you. I personally draw with my right hand and hold with my left; I'm right handed. It seems to work for me, so that's what I do.

I don't think there's a right or wrong to it. Before you go buy it, just shoot enough so that you know what side you're most comfortable with (as I suspect you have).
 
if you haven't got a bow yet, see if you can find an old Slazenger longbow. they were made in the 1950s and 60s and I still have my Dad's 40lb bow and my Mum's 21lb bow (that would be a great one for you given your height and it is really easy to draw to 28") considering they are at least 40 years old and they spent at least 20 years in a cupboard, they are both in fantastic condition and all I have had to do is buy a new string for the 40lb bow.

I saw one on ebay for about £30 and if it is in the same condition as my 2 it is a very good deal.

if you are making your own butts to practice at, get enough bales of hay or straw to build a big wall behind the target. it is easier to find any arrows that miss and cuts down on the risk of accidents.

you might also want to invest in a chest guard and a wrist guard so you don't get twanged by the string :wink:

LordOfShadows said:
Well, drawing to the face the most common anchor point is the corner of lips, which gives me about 33 inches from hand to hand and to loose above the horizontal I would have to bring my arm up high, which is harder work on the muscles.
Click to expand...
the method of drawing the bow has changed since medieval times.
today we keep the arrow pointing at the ground and raise the bow as we draw it, but in medieval times, the left arm would be almost pointing straight up with the arrow nocked and the right hand would move towards the cheek/ear/mouth while the real work of drawing the bow is done by the left tricep.
it is easy to loose the arrows in a high trajectory in this way, often by accident, so it is safer to keep the arrow pointing down until you are ready to draw and loose.
 
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