Warbow myth?

[deerhunter97370]

I heard a tell that Welsh bowmen were able to shoot though oak doors. Does anyone know the valitity of this. Joel

[alanesq]

I think this is what you are referring to?

"Gerald of barry, who, speaking of an attack upon Abergavenny castle, states that the welsh archers discharged arrows which penetrated on oaken gate four fingers thick, and that the feat was considered by the garrison so remarkable that the gate and protruding arrows on both sides were carefully preserved. There bows where made of the wild Elm".

[heavybow]

Joel  I dont dout that. Im pretty sure 180# will slice right through. Marlon

[deerhunter97370]

Thanks guys. Im glad its not a myth.

[SimonUK]

We had a discussion about this over on the other forum.  Everyone finds it hard to believe that someone could shoot though 4 inches of seasoned oak.  Maybe the arrows hit a joint or a crack in the wood?

[Kegan]

I doubt it's a complete myth. I've seen what heavy arrows do mean things form strong bows- most of which aren't nearly as big and strong as what they used for war.

[Loki]

But 4 finger's of Solid Oak may be stretching it a bit  ,Some old Oak you cant even hammer nail's into it's so hard!

There's also one what say's the arrow penetrated the rider's thigh armour went through his saddle and killed his horse! Pinning him to the beast  .

Is anyone making Bow's out of Wych Elm? (Ulmus glabra) There's not many of them about around here anymore due to dutch Elm Disease,does it grow in America?

[markinengland]

I would say that the tale is based upon the fact that the arrows penetrated a suprisingly thick door. If it hadn't been a real feet that was hard to believe it wouldn't have been rememberd and reported.
I think I have some Wych Elm, cut here in Kent. It split a lot easier than other Elm I have cut in the past, which i think is one of Wych Elms characteristics. I am making a flatbow with an axe and it cuts easier than english elm as well. I have some other staves of this "elm" drying so will try a longbow one of these days.
The being pinned through the legs and killing the horse is possible. The North American plains indians could apparently ride alongside a buffalo and shoot it, the arrow going through and killing the calf running beside it.
Mark in England

[adb]

All sorts of wonderful stories exist. Hard to know what is true. I'm sure most of them are, but some embellishment must be expected.

[sumpitan]

Lots of wych elm here. I've made two narrow, bend-through-the-handle flatbows out of the wood, and now have a 72" trunk seasoning I'm trying to coax 70#@30" out of, more or less in ELB style. A very bendy wood, not too strong in either compression or tension it seems (seen lots of mysterious breaks in clean wych limbs) and a real bitch to try to line up the tips and string of a long, narrow bow out of a smallish tree. Wych elm likes to bend every wych way!

Tuukka

[SimonUK]

Tell me about it... They look great when freshly cut. Two months later totally contorted.

[deerhunter97370]

Tell me about it... They look great when freshly cut. Two months later totally contorted.

would they dry straighter if strped to another board?

[Kronnkk]

if you sealed the bark ,and cuts on the ends and slow seasond thestave whith glue or latex paint ,migh help the warping and twisting?

[SimonUK]

Yes I think strapping helps, but they still do their own thing.

[sumpitan]

Artificially slow seasoning, strapping etc. help avoid drying distortion, but the true test with wych elm is to start tillering it. Only then will the stave reveal what it wants to do. As in, bend sideways so severely that the string lies three inches off the handle - and laboriously heat-correcting the bend will only make it come back upon the first couple redraws. Or the top limb, shaved down to exact same dimensions as the lower limb, suddenly pulls 40# while the lower one still pulls 60# (ie. all the bend is shifted to the upper limb). Not much you can do there, if a 60-pounder is what you want. YMMV.

Tuukka