Liberal Jeade IRL shooting a real 140lb Medieval Warbow

[ecorcheur_brokar]

This thread makes me want to do a thread about flint knapping, atl-atl use, and other primitive/survival skills this summer. I'm still learning and my goal is to be able to fashion a functional (won't break after a handful of uses) spear with only found materials and no tools. I can make several decent heads for spears or throwing spears in a short amount of time (they're more like bullets than a forged sword, if you spend a ton of time making one really good one it's just gonna break when you use it). Fixing the spear/javelin head to a shaft is the part I'm not really good at.

There's something about simple weapons that are really aesthetically pleasing to me. The human form drawing a bow or hurling a javelin, muscles taught and placed just so to release energy. Some ancient Greek dudes who made marble statues agree with me.

The other thing I like about flint knapping is that for something like 90-75% of our species entire existence this was it - this was our greatest achievement. To take a commonplace, useless stone and a piece of wood and turn it into something that seeks flesh, something that can fly.

I'm also a total anthropology nerd so that might be part of it too.

After the javelin, you could try to use it combined with a spear-thrower.  visitors can't see pics , please register or login

[WITCHCRAFT]

After the javelin, you could try to use it combined with a spear-thrower. 

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That's what an atl-atl is, but the word is sometimes used to describe only spear-throwers from the Americas (central America specifically). Australia has the woomera, and I'm sure many other places have their own name for that thing. It's amazing how something so simple is so effective. It's like adding another segment to your arm. Imagine a baseball pitcher with an 8 foot long 3 jointed arm... Some studies have shown that spear-throwers add up to 4 times the strength of a compound bow to your projectile. That's the stone age equivalent of augmented bodies/cyberware a la Deus Ex.

You have any interest in linguistics? Noam Chomsky has some interesting work, particularly his "language acquisition device" theory. I find it no less than fucking mind-boggling that we could, on our own, spontaneously generate language from...what, simple grunts and body movements?

I'm not too well-read on linguistics but have the same fascination on the subject as any other subset of anthropology. Trying to trace the etymology of modern day speech to the dawn of civilization millennia ago is really fuckin' cool. The origins of art, music, and religion really get me going though. Here's the oldest recorded song, from 1400BC. It's obviously not the first man-made music, but we have a complete record of how to play it from 3400 years ago. If you don't think that's the tightest shit, you can get lost.

Anthropology and prehistoric archaeology cover the birth of so many other subjects (art, technology, agriculture, theology to name a few) that it gives me shivers. Who are we? Where did every aspect of our culture come from? How did it all start? Like I said, it gives me chills to read about this shit. If it wasn't a terrible field to get into for employment I'd drop everything and go for it.

Anyway, before I spit more words everywhere and derail BOW CHAT let's try to get back on topic. Anyone ever build a crossbow? I know a few people who have a nice home improvement/craft shop thing set up in their garage. If they put the time into it they could totally make a crossbow from scratch. Semi-related, anyone ever made old-school armor before? I had a friend in college who made a chest/upper arm coat of chain mail. He had to form each individual ring by hand. It's like knitting, but with metal.

[Viriathus]

Im planning to buy some nice hickory wood plank to make my own also. Going for a round shape medieval longbow, 1,80cm and 18kg draw weight.

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Here's the oldest recorded song, from 1400BC. It's obviously not the first man-made music, but we have a complete record of how to play it from 3400 years ago. If you don't think that's the tightest shit, you can get lost.

Here is the oldest known writen song from start to finish, the lyrics were found chiseled in a stone collum (probably marble) by the composer himself, its possible to determine the pitch of the sounds (notes) and the rythm by studying the notations above the lyrics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seikilos_epitaph

[Tagora]

I already texted u what I think...that you should make me one of these holy shit you didn't say how fucking great it looked!  FUCK!

[AwesomeHail]

Gotta love seeing some IRL archers on the forum ^.^

Jona, the horsebow is nice to use with recreational use, indeed.
I have a 25-30 pound draw weigh mongolian horsebow (did not make that one myself ) , but arrows I do make, as it is quite easy.

Working further on the existing one seems a better idea, making it less costly.
A friend of mine shoots with a longbow that had been shortened, and he still shoots fine after like 5 years, no prob with that.

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just posting to see Jaede's progress

[Clockworkkiller]

Ur skinny jeans make you look gay but the beard commands respect, 7/10 would bang

Also, continue working on that one, make it wicked awesome!

[Nightmare798]

The ammunition:



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[Jeade]

wow dude thats a sweet bow, now when some nasty dudes break into your house you can dawn the war paint and spring from the bushes and rain hell upon them

heh. For whatever reason, I have a feeling CA would put me in jail for using a bow to defend my place.
Probably something about it being cruel and how I should have used a shotgun or just outright surrendered all of my possessions.

This thread makes me want to do a thread about flint knapping, atl-atl use, and other primitive/survival skills this summer.

You should! That'd be fuckin' amazing!
I do agree with you that there is something aesthetically pleasing about simple weapons.
For me, a lot of it is the history behind them; just to imagine that life used to depend on such simple technology and how it shaped the world today.

Im planning to buy some nice hickory wood plank to make my own also. Going for a round shape medieval longbow, 1,80cm and 18kg draw weight.

Very cool! You're talking about a D or C shape longbow?
I actually met a guy at the range just down the road from me a few weeks ago who had a hickory English longbow.
That guy was pulling 150lbs. The arrows he was using were about as thick as his forearms (not really, but they were intense).
Anyway, it's definitely possible to make a damn fine bow out of hickory.
If you're living somewhere humid, you'll want to back it and seal it with multiple layers of polyurethane.

I already texted u what I think...that you should make me one of these holy shit you didn't say how fucking great it looked!  FUCK!

haha, thanks Tag!
Maybe once I get my skills honed, I'll send you one.
Shit, maybe raffle one off through cRPG--we'll probably all be playing M:BG by the time that happens, though.

I call it the Lars Anderbow (though it's a bit heavy within that class)

You're just jealous that you aren't as good at archery as Lars.
Everyone knows he's not full of shit or literally retarded.

Ur skinny jeans make you look gay but the beard commands respect, 7/10 would bang

Also, continue working on that one, make it wicked awesome!

Thanks, Clock! I'm glad I'm a 7/10 in your book. That means a lot.
Next time I'll make sure to wear a furry suit for you. Hopefully that'll bump me up to at least an 8.

[Dionysus]

Wow, I really should have payed attention in tech ed. All I ever did was cut my name out of a wooden block.

[Sandersson Jankins]

heh. For whatever reason, I have a feeling CA would put me in jail for using a bow to defend my place.
Probably something about it being cruel and how I should have used a shotgun or just outright surrendered all of my possessions.

As far as I understand, you'd actually be in quite less trouble in Commiefornia if you DID use a bow. Of course, you'd probably have to prove that you attempted to flee, it being CA and all. But in places such as that, the actual law seems to make little difference. It's more a subjective "hey does it looks like this guy was a baby-killing mother-raping domestic terrorist gun-nut or no?"

And when you use any sort of firearm with the colour black on it, generally it becomes a high-capacity assault clipazine-compatible tactical edition mass murder special (tm) with the "shoulder thing that goes up".

Pretty off-topic post, but I like to read about laws regarding firearm use. In the county neighboring mine, there is actually a relatively recent law on the books MANDATING firearm ownership for heads of household. Of course, nobody has been prosecuted for NOT having a gun. That'd be fucking nuts.

But it's still a pretty neat little bumper-sticker type thing :^)

[Jeade]

Wow, I really should have payed attention in tech ed. All I ever did was cut my name out of a wooden block.

Nah, man, it's not a hard process so much as a time consuming one.
If you're not too careful but just careful enough, you could have this built in a week with a few hours here and there.
If you have some power tools at your disposal, it'd be super easy.

I simply followed this guide on how to make a red oak board bow.
Take a trip to Home Depot (better yet, a lumber store if you have one around) and grab a board for $7 and a Nicholson 4-way rasp for $5.
Granted, it'd be a hell of a lot easier with a few more tools, a workbench, and some clamps, but none of that's really necessary if you just expend a little extra effort.

The next bow I'm making is a pyramid bow, and it should be much easier due to its symmetry.
There's a number of forums out there if you just search around for bow making instructions.
For the pyramid bow, I'm using this guide.

Give it a shot! What have you got to lose?

[Dionysus]

Give it a shot! What have you got to lose?

My hands for starters...

[SirCymro_Crusader]

Start again.

Use your current one as a template and make sure you get the measurements correctly when you start again. If you can get hardwood and softwood (yew or elm) and combine them, or even better get them in a single piece of wood, this will make your bow;

A) More historically accurate
B) Much more durable

However, it's expensive!

Also don't tilt your neck when you're firing, can seriously injure yourself that way, trust me im a  cunt instructor

[Jeade]

Start again.

Use your current one as a template and make sure you get the measurements correctly when you start again. If you can get hardwood and softwood (yew or elm) and combine them, or even better get them in a single piece of wood, this will make your bow;

A) More historically accurate
B) Much more durable

However, it's expensive!

Also don't tilt your neck when you're firing, can seriously injure yourself that way, trust me im a  cunt instructor

heh, yew might be a little tricky to get my hands on out here. Osage is quite common, but I don't even want to try that until I really know what I'm doing.
I'd really love to try my hand at an ELB, but I'm thinking I'll stick with the much simpler flatbow to start.

What are your suggestions on simple backings that aren't wood? Linen and silk were the two that I most considered, and they're both quite available from thrift shops.

Thanks for the advice, too! I actually shoot on quite a cant, so holding vertically felt pretty awkward to me (but best for the pictures of tiller).

[Jona]

Also don't tilt your neck when you're firing, can seriously injure yourself that way, trust me im a  cunt instructor

He only tilted his head out of the way since he had to wear his hat to hide his receding hairline and/or bald spot. Amirite jeade? Eh? Eh?