Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: WillS on April 25, 2016, 04:40:02 pm

Title: Peacock fletched medieval arrows
Post by: WillS on April 25, 2016, 04:40:02 pm
This is a set of medieval war arrows I made for a customer recently.

The shafts are ash, and 3/8" parallel profile.  The nocks are reinforced with 1mm thick, 2" long slices of cow horn.  The peacock wing fletchings are cut 7.5" x 5/8" with a natural trailing edge, and bound to the shaft with pure red silk thread.  They're armed with hand forged Type 10 heads, and each arrow is 30.5" long, weighing between 46 and 56g.

Hope you guys like them!

(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1508/26550827482_84e8cb033d_k.jpg)[/url]

(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1692/26040520823_c655cccb2f_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GscVZC)

(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1606/26617693946_9c1fd6ecd3_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/FF7tAX)

(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1594/26578651751_7a1eb87927_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Gy7D4G)

(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1628/26038422454_c3c8362f34_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GuExbp) (https://flic.kr/p/FEVHQb)
Title: Re: Peacock fletched medieval arrows
Post by: Lucasade on April 25, 2016, 04:47:17 pm
I love the colour on the fletchings  :)
Title: Re: Peacock fletched medieval arrows
Post by: Pat B on April 25, 2016, 05:25:47 pm
Nice arrows. I also love the peacock fletching.
Title: Re: Peacock fletched medieval arrows
Post by: tattoo dave on April 25, 2016, 10:27:33 pm
Those are sweet! Fantastic work Will!

Tattoo Dave
Title: Re: Peacock fletched medieval arrows
Post by: WillS on April 26, 2016, 06:57:00 am
Cheers guys!
Title: Re: Peacock fletched medieval arrows
Post by: Blackcoyote on April 26, 2016, 08:04:02 am
shoot-able art Will!  Excuse my ignorance but it the cow horn reinforcement typical?
Title: Re: Peacock fletched medieval arrows
Post by: Part time Archer on April 26, 2016, 08:11:46 am
Very nice!
Title: Re: Peacock fletched medieval arrows
Post by: Urufu_Shinjiro on April 26, 2016, 10:10:35 am
shoot-able art Will!  Excuse my ignorance but it the cow horn reinforcement typical?

Yes, not sure what these are going to be shot out of but considering the typical war bow of the time these are from was between 120-190lbs the horn reinforcement prevented the arrow from splitting when shot.
Title: Re: Peacock fletched medieval arrows
Post by: WillS on April 26, 2016, 10:12:59 am
shoot-able art Will!  Excuse my ignorance but it the cow horn reinforcement typical?

Thanks!

The horn reinforcement is required once you're past about 80lb in draw weight.  At that point, the string starts imparting so much force on the nock that it can split fairly easily.  These were made for a guy who bought one of my 120lb ash bows earlier this year, so they definitely need the reinforcement for that!

You see the horn strips in very many medieval "type" arrows, as the arrows found on the 1545 warship The Mary Rose had them as well as the earlier medieval arrow recovered from the roof of Westminster Abbey, and those arrows are what everybody bases theirs on. 

Normally you see people make them from big chunky slabs of 2mm or 3mm black buffalo horn, but "true" medieval horn reinforcements are actually very, very thin.  Possibly thinner than my 1mm ones, actually!
Title: Re: Peacock fletched medieval arrows
Post by: Aaron H on April 26, 2016, 02:12:50 pm
Nice work, perfect even spacing of your silk thread wrap.
Title: Re: Peacock fletched medieval arrows
Post by: bjrogg on April 26, 2016, 07:47:14 pm
Very nice work. I love the hand forged points. Did you make them?
Title: Re: Peacock fletched medieval arrows
Post by: tipi stuff on April 26, 2016, 07:49:39 pm
Nice batch of arrows! CC
Title: Re: Peacock fletched medieval arrows
Post by: WillS on April 26, 2016, 08:59:09 pm
The heads are not made by me, no.  That's the final stage!  My forge has been built, the bellows are ready... Just need to get some heads into production and I'll be "self sufficient"
Title: Re: Peacock fletched medieval arrows
Post by: Blayne on April 27, 2016, 03:30:56 pm
Those are awesome!
Title: Re: Peacock fletched medieval arrows
Post by: Trapper Rob on April 27, 2016, 09:43:29 pm
Nice work.
Title: Re: Peacock fletched medieval arrows
Post by: Sasquatch on April 29, 2016, 01:01:13 pm
Very clean!!!