Hi Erik
Regardless of what Sir John Smythe says the fact of the matter is that the majority of the MR bows were 75-78" long and the majority of the arrows were 30", the longest of the arrows were 32". This I know as fact coz I have measured them.
What are "NORMAL MEDIEVAL MEASUREMENTS"? and where are they, Self Yew bows do not and cannot have a specific set of NORMAL measurements by their very nature, every stave is different and as such must be treated in its own way.
Steve
Smythe did not dispute the lengths of MR bows and I haven't done so either. He gave the reason for their length.
Normal measurements both before and after the Hundred Years War specified arrows of ten fists length [the archer's own fists] from base of nock to shoulder of the head. For me thet is 31 1/2 inches, like the longer MR arrows. The bow was to be twice arrow length plus one fist for a short lived flight bow,or plus two fists for a longbow for hunting or mark shooting,which gives me a bow of 5' 11" between nocks. These specifications are in the 'Book of Roi Modus' and again in 'Lartcarcherie'. An act of Edward IV required Englishmen in Ireland to provide themselves with bows of their own height plus a fist. I still get 5' 11".
I have made bows to this measurement of yew, osage orange, elm, hickory and lemonwood. All have been problem free except for the lemonwood which broke when someone else tried to draw it. I can't imagine why anyone, given a decent stave to start with, would have a problem with these measurements.
If you can get over your book phobia, you could learn lots of useful information from people you have no opportunity to talk to.
Erik
Hi Erik
I do not have a book phobia it's just that very few books give accurate information on the bows of the period.
Lets look at your information with regards to a 75" MR(This is one of the shortest bows on the MR) bow and see what we get.
If the arrow length is supposed to be 10 fists length and the bow 2 Arrow lengths + 1 fist (=21Fists) then using the equation of Bow length = 21 Fists:
75" MR bow (This is one of the shortest bows) is 75 divided by 21 = 3.57". So 1 fist is 3.57".
So Arrow length must be 10 x fists size which is 10 x 3.57 = 35.7", There are NO arrows over 32" on the MR.
So lets look at it another way, nearly all of the arrows on the MR are 30" from Nock to Shoulder.
So using your equation, the archers fist would be no more than 3" wide, (This is a Childs fist size, not a seasoned archers).
So Archers fist is 3"
Arrow length is 10 x fist size = 30" (Correct length of MR Arrows)
Bow length is 2 Arrow lengths + 1 x fist (2 x 30" + 3") = 63".
The vast majority of bows on the MR are 75" or more, this is a whole 12" longer than your equation allows.
THIS IS WHY I TAKE VERY LITTLE NOTICE OF WHAT'S WRITTEN IN BOOKS!I applaud the fact that you have made bows of 5'11" between the nocks, however as a 71" bow has no baring on the actual MR bows, I have no interest in making one of this length.
Steve
