Bows - Enviado por la barra Google
Gabriel Nugnes
I have a strong preference for the Flatbow. My very first real bow was a commercially made Lemonwood Flatbow given to me on my 14th birthday. I was strangely fascinated by this bow and was soon inspired by it to begin making my own bows of this design. The Flatbow is a very stable, durable and convenient bow. The lanceolate limb profile and low arched or flat back and belly, give this bow an aesthetic appeal recognized by archers everywhere. It is beautiful to look at, to handle and to shoot. The greater efficiency of the rectangular cross-section is well documented in experiment, and proven in practice. Unlike the Longbow*, the bending stresses are distributed evenly across a wider area and there is less neutral, non-working wood, which reduces unnecessary mass. This results in a bow that efficiently stressed, more at ease with itself, and therefore longer lasting. It can also be made shorter and thus shoots faster for a given weight. The Flatbow is found all over the world and is one of the oldest designs in existence, with actual relics dating back some 9,000 years. Historically, because it is shorter, this type of bow was favored by hunters in wooded regions, by horse archers, and by warriors who used guerrilla tactics as opposed to soldiers who faced the enemy in exposed lines. The popularity of all wooden bows declined in the '50's and 60's, but it is significant to note that the flat limb was adopted by all manufacturers of fiberglas and laminated bows and even compounds. With the great revival of wooden bows in the 1990's, the Flatbow has finally received the recognition it deserves as a truly superior design.
It is important to understand that the word "longbow" is now commonly used to refer to any straight limbed bow as opposed to a recurve bow. I insist on using the word "longbow" to refer only to a bow with a D shaped cross section, which is widest at the handle and tapers to the limb tips. Except for some reenactors and those in the British Longbow Society, very few use the longbow nowdays. Many Native American bows are shorter than four feet long, and it is silly to refer to them as longbows just because the ends are not recurved! All fiberglas laminated "longbows" are really flatbows.
With its characteristic narrow profile which tapers evenly from its widest part at the handle to the tips, and its characteristic D shaped cross section with flat back and rounded belly, this is the legendary bow of Sherwood Forest, Agincourt, and Roger Ascham, made famous by the English Yeomen of the 13th through 16th centuries. The Longbow is also found in the Americas, Africa and continental Europe from very early times.
This design was economical of wood use and easier to build than the wider limbed Flatbow. These were important factors when many thousands of bows had to be made to supply vast armies. Because of its D shaped cross section, when the Longbow is bent, compressive forces are concentrated on a very small area of the belly. To minimize the compression, the bow must be made very long (hence the name!). Even so, very few woods can survive this design without taking a rather generous, cast robbing set; and even at best, bows of this design are shorter lived than others. The wood of choice in Europe was Yew, a wood of prodigious elasticity, and immense quantities of it were imported into England from Spain and Italy when the Longbow was in its heyday there. Staves of Yew are still available, but because of the expense and difficulty of obtaining them, I only make Yew bows on special commission, and the cost starts at $600. White Ash is a very accessible wood and is able to handle the stresses quite well in lighter weight bows. Because it was used in old England, Ash makes a very acceptable bow for reenactors wishing to be as authentic as possible. Backing this wood with Hickory assures a durable bow, far less likely to fail. For an English Longbow that will endure many years, consider my composite bow, which is made of three different woods. This method of construction was widely used by bowyers in the Victorian era and has proved highly successful as a substitute for self-Yew bows. Since the Longbow is not really very efficient, it tends to break down sooner than a Flatbow. And so it is perhaps not the best choice for an archer who shoots many arrows on a daily basis, unless you are willing to buy a new bow fairly often. Historically, Longbows were considered short-lived and were replaced regularly.
The "Legend of the Longbow" still echoes in traditional archery circles. Leaving aside the above mentioned misuse of the word, there is good reason for this. Archery as a sport was introduced into the United States late in the 19th century by devotees of target archery from Victorian England. All "good" tackle was at that time imported from London. Staunchly advocated by some of the legends of American archery like the Thompsons, Saxon Pope, Arthur Young and Robert Elmer, and nourished by the history and legends of old England, the English Longbow and the English style of shooting took firm root here in America. Loyalty to this tradition kept many archers from recognizing the value of a living tradition of archery that surrounded them, viz., that of the Native American whose tackle is, somewhat ironically, much closer in style to that used by field archers today. Only with the work of several scientists in the '30's and '40's did archers "discover" the great advantages of the Flatbow. Since then, aside from some reenactors, most serious archers have left the English Longbow behind. This confusion in terms perhaps started with the so-called "American Longbow" developed in the 1930's and made famous by Howard Hill. With its narrowed handle and rectangular cross section with a perfectly flat back and belly, it bears no relation to the true longbow; it is really a flatbow. And by the end of the 1930's, the Flatbow had replaced the Longbow in target shooting when its superiority was proven beyond doubt.
Recurving the ends of a bow increases its cast.
The recurved bow will shoot faster and farther than a straight
ended bow of the same weight. But
because quickness sends any errors in shooting right to the arrow,
some stability is sacrificed. Some prefer recurves simply
for their smooth draw and irresistible beauty. I make my recurves
using the traditional method of steam-bending the ends over a
form. When dry and seasoned the result is a permanent working
recurve. While the English used the Longbow, Keltic archers were
pictured and described using shorter, gently recurved Flatbows.
On the Home page is a hunting scene showing 16th century Scottish
archers with bows of this type. On the left is a particularly
accurate depiction by Albrecht Dürer from 1521, of the Keltic
recurve bow carried by what he calls Irish soldiers, probably
mercenaries in Holland. (Note the early appearance of 'Birkenstocks'!)
Also shown in this detail is the fletching cut known as the Swineback,
now called the shield cut. See the Arrow Page for my use of this
very practical design. Recurved bows make fine weapons and for
those wishing a very short, powerful bow, Osage with a sinew backing
is the right choice.
For centuries bows have been backed with various
natural materials to overcome inherent weaknesses in certain woods.
Very short bows can be made to withstand a long drawlength by
backing them with Sinew. A thin Rawhide backing protects the critical
back of the bow from damage in rough handling as in hunting and
other field situations. Composite bows, as opposed to self bows, (and not to be confused
with 'compounds') are made by joining two or three different woods.
This is done to take advantage of the differing qualities of the
woods. Some woods have excellent compressive strength but are
weak in tensile (stretching) strength. By appropriately combining
these woods, a stave of ideal structure is created. I use Walnut
and Cherry with Hickory backing to make Flatbows that are very
attractive and durable. If you are interested in the traditional
English Longbow, consider the really great advantages of a bow
built with Hickory back, Purpleheart center and Lemonwood belly.
Wider profile, flat back and belly, a very efficient design
Long and narrow profile with D-shaped cross section
Classical lines, fast and very pretty!
Stitched Leather Wrapped Leather
Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera, or Toxylon pomifera) also known as Hedge, Hedge Apple, Bois d'arc is one the best woods of all for self bows. It is hard, resinous, durable and very elastic and is unaffected by climatic extremes. This unassuming and very special tree was originally found native only to a small area of Oklahoma, but was widely planted as a fencerow in the earlier 20th century and is now found throughout the eastern half of the US. Common and prolific, yes, but only about one in a hundred trees will yield bowstaves. When I pilgrimage to Osage country to cut wood, a sense of adventure prevails. Locating a fine straight tree is
Yew (Taxus baccata, T. brevifolia) is considered by many to be the best of all bow woods. It is truly an amazing wood and makes a beautiful bow. It is a conifer and so is softer and more delicate than Osage or Hickory, and it does not take extremes of temperature well. It can break if used in sub freezing temperatures and will lose cast in very hot weather. Yew does not grow in my region and so I must import staves from the west coast which adds considerably to the cost.
Hickory (Carya ovalis et al.). I live in a Hickory forest and cut this wood myself. I have developed a particular fondness for Hickory and have completely overcome my prejudices against it. When I first began making bows in the late 1950's, Hickory was considered inferior to Yew, Osage or Lemonwood. But I soon realized that with the heavy promotion of fiberglas, any wood was considered inferior! If well designed, well tillered and kept dry, a bow of this wood will rival any, and is virtually unbreakable. Hickory is particularly well suited to my Flatbow and Recurve designs.
White Ash (Fraxinus americana) A favorite wood for the Ancient Longbow because of its historical use (different species) as a bow wood in old England.
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra L.) A beautiful brown wood with superior compression resistance.
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) A reddish brown colored wood, very resilient, light and springy
Purpleheart (Peltogyne spp.) A tropical hardwood, extremely dense, with a dramatic red-purple color, this is used as a core wood with the Ancient Longbow, along with a Hickory backing and Lemonwood belly.
Dagame (Pronounced
dah-gah'-meh) or Lemonwood (Calycophyllum candidissimum)
Has nothing to do with lemons, but is so named for its light yellow
hue, once imported in large quantities from Cuba to supply the
wooden bow trade, since the embargo, now only available in very
limited supply from other countries in the region.
I use
only natural finishes on my bows: Linseed oil, Beeswax and Shellac.
These finishes must be maintained. Full instructions will accompany
your bow. I prefer to leave Osage bows in their natural color,
which is a bright yellow that mellows over the years into a deep
amber. Bows of Hickory and Ash are quite light when new, but soon
mellow into a beautiful honey color.
I select the straightest and clearest staves available and don't
use heavily flawed or twisted wood. However, since following the
grain is necessary, all bows will have natural undulations and
may not be perfectly straight. This in no way affects the shooting
quality or longevity of the bow.
Bows of natural materials can break and may fatigue under certain conditions such as extreme heat and cold, exposure to damp conditions, or physical abuse that damages the wood. You can expect hundreds of thousands of shots from a bow, but eventually the wood must break down and the bow will have to be retired. Though not delicate, wooden bows must be treated with respect and care to insure long life.
The now common use of the arrow rest or shelf
is a practice of recent origin. Rather than having the arrow resting
on the top of the forefinger, a small leather wedge is inserted
under the handle material. Since I do not use one myself, considering
it to be unnecessary and somewhat unsightly, I do not customarily
put an arrow rest on my bows anymore. I do offer it as an option,
so if you wish to have this addition, just let me know; there
is no extra charge.
Although I prefer Linen as a string material, I provide a dacron string with each bow. The reason for this is that Linen strings require very careful maintenance and frequent replacement. If this is neglected and the string breaks, the bow is very likely to break as well. And so, as a concession to safety I reluctantly use dacron strings which will last for years with very little maintenance. I will gladly provide your bow with a Linen string if you so request, as long as you are aware of it's need for attention.
If you are new to traditional archery or coming to it from using a 'compound', you may be puzzled by what weight bow to use and what length arrows you will need. The choice of bow weight and draw length is very important to your success in mastering the art of shooting. Unfortunately, since pulling a strong bow and long arrow is often equated with masculine potency, and there is much imagery and legend to reinforce this myth, the inexperienced archer often overestimates both.
There is hardly an archer's tale in history that doesn't refer to some hero 'easily' pulling a bow of prodigious weight. A typical story is Homer's account of Odysseus' homecoming in the Odyssey, written nearly 3000 years ago. Odysseus proved his identity to his wife and his superiority to all his wife's suitors by first allowing them to attempt to shoot his massive horn bow. But even after rubbing it with warm oil to weaken it, all the suitors fail to even brace it much less shoot. Then the disguised Odysseus steps forward and after easily bracing the bow and shooting an incredible shot through the eyes of ten lined-up ax heads, he proceeds to dispatch his rivals one by one to the last man! From Homer to Robin Hood to Howard Hill, the legend of the huge bow is a grand tradition! Enjoy the legend! If you are only familiar with the 'compound', remember that when shooting a bow, you will be holding the full weight at full draw; there is no mechanical advantage or "let-off".
Myth, mechanics and machismo aside, a good choice of bow weight for a healthy male archer would be something around 45# and about 35# for females. A good all around weight for target shooting, field archery and hunting, this is all the poundage most archers will ever need. The greatest target shooters of all time shot with bows in the 45-50# range, and this for the York round, with its 72 arrows at 100 yards! The minimum weight for a hunting bow in most states is 30# or 40#, and the legendary Arthur Young stated that a 45# bow could kill any animal in North America. Most American Indian's bows averaged around 48#. Yes, the English Yeoman shot bows of 80 to 150#, and there are some famed professional hunting archers who use bows of 75 or 80#. But these are exceptions. You probably will not be shooting 1000 gr. arrows at distant armored knights, nor are you likely to be shooting cape buffalo or elephants. By starting with a moderate weight bow, shooting every day, and gradually working up to it, a healthy man can eventually shoot well with a bow of 65# or more. But the slight gain in speed and impact might not be worth the trouble. Even if you are used to heavy weights, without carefully warming up, strained muscles, tendons and ligaments are almost certain. The fingers are especially vulnerable and can be permanently injured by drawing a heavy bow. If you are thinking of ordering a very heavy bow, it would be wise to go to an archery range or shop and actually try shooting one first. Too many 70 and 80 pounders end up as wall decorations!
Simply put, the worst possible mistake you can make in archery is to shoot a bow that is too heavy for you. So when choosing a bow weight, set aside adolescent competitiveness. It doesn't matter how big a bow you could struggle to pull back once. Consider only how much you can shoot comfortably and consistently at least 100 times in a session without trembling or straining, because only by doing this will you become a good shot. This is the weight to settle on.
The other measurement that for some odd reason seems to engender a feeling of competitiveness is draw length. It is customary to draw the arrow back to some consistent place, (called the 'anchor point' in current western style archery), often to, or even touching, the corner of the mouth or jaw. One's draw length is the measurement from there to the back of the bow hand, for men usually about 26" to 28". But there are those who believe that a longer draw length is somehow better than a shorter one. There are serious drawbacks (if you will) to using arrows in excess of the normal 28" or so; spine weight and overall arrow weight must increase, there is more difficulty in obtaining best quality shafting, and the extra length puts that much more strain on the limbs of your bow, requiring you to use a longer bow. And all this for no real advantage at all. There are forms of archery that require longer arrows, for example the formal Japanese Kyudo, Mongolian and Korean styles, where the arrow is drawn back with the thumb to a point well behind the ear. Arrows used in "compounds" are typically longer because a mechanical puller is used to draw the arrow. But for the traditional archer, 90% of men will use an arrow around 26" to 28" women 24" to 26".
Beware too of the relationship of draw weight to draw length. Bows are customarily made to a certain weight at a certain draw length. If you have a bow of say, 50# at 28", drawing only 26" will reduce the weight some 10 or more pounds. If you draw a wooden bow beyond the specified draw length the weight increases, but you also will certainly damage and may even break the bow.
Another point: I believe it is best for consistency to have
arrows cut to one's exact draw length and to draw the arrow to
the head with every shot. Some archers leave their arrows longer
than their draw length and there will be several inches of arrow
extending beyond their hand at full draw. This makes determining
correct spine difficult and can be the cause of erratic shooting.
I won't argue if you are happy with this technique, but note that
ALL really good archers have their arrows cut to their exact draw
length.
Gabriel Nugnes
Te mandamos un abrazo enorme Gabriel y Cristian
http://arquerosdeamerica.foroactivo.com
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Gabriel