Crossbow identification help

[Zuma]

Tried this on another forum. I had no replies.
There can be many reasons for this. # 1 it's not American or European.
I thought I would try here as I would really like to know the province of these crossbows.
The vintage would be a plus.
Zuma

[Josh B]

Vietnamese montagnard.  Probably1960's or 70's vintage. Rattan prod and string.  Don't know what they made the tiller out of.   You can bet whatever wood it is, its the cheapest that could be had as these were sort of tourist trinkets.  Hope that helps.  Josh

[Zuma]

Josh,
Heck yeah, it helps.
Although it's not a bummer for me.
I have friends who worked with those forgoten allies of the US Army.
Through out the time period in your post.
I was in theater 66 to 68.
The only tourists were with Bob Hope and the USO. LOL
Oh yeah Jane Fonda, guest of the enemy.
Can you provide any links, books or mags that might feature the bows.
I would love to know how they made it here to the US.
Double thanks Josh,
Zuma

[stickbender]

     Doc is right on.  You got a fancy one, with the metal trigger.  Most of them had a flat wooden trigger, that just slid in a trigger notch, and then was turned so the flat ears were against the raised arrow shelf, and notch, and the string was put over the flat ears, and when the trigger was pulled, it caused the string to rise up and over, whacking the arrow.  The trigger looked like a double ended "T", or capitol I.  Very simple, but it worked quite well.  The bow wood I have seen, looked sort of like teak, or dark camphor wood, though I doubt it was either of those. May very well may have been rattan .  My Brother brought home a carving he made, it was like Moai, (Easter Island statues) or what we used to buy to wear around our neck in the sixties, like a real surfer dude.  Any way he carved one about three or four inches, and wore it on his helmet for his tour of duty there.  The wood looked similar to the crossbow wood, or prod wood.  Enjoy.

                                                                                Wayne

[mullet]

I was leaning toward Thailand or India. Most of the Montagnard bows I've seen from the war years were not fancy.

[stickbender]

     You could be on something there also Eddie, as it has the carvings and the trigger looks like bronze, and the style it is in looks sort of like Thailand.  So it could very well be something some tourist brought back from Thailand.


                                                                               Wayne

[Josh B]

You are right about the x-bows that the montagnards actually used being plain and utilitarian.  That's why I said that these were souvenir trinkets.  I have one that came back with my great uncle that was an air America pilot.  It has the fancy carving and fancy paint as well.  It still has the rattan string although its in two pieces.  It has the t-trigger that Wayne described.  He said the real ones were much sturdier in construction and actually shot pretty good, all things considered.  Josh

[Zuma]

Thanks for the help guys.
You all have given me at least a for sure localized area.
What if the CIA bought a bunch at a gift shop in Bangcock.
Then flew then in on Air America and gave them to the Montangnard special
forces  assassin squads.
Then my bows could have been used to take out key NVRAand Cong
officers traveling down the Ho Chi Minh trail.
Well, not so much. Day dreamin.
I do have some research to do and a good begining.
If they are just cheap stuff I may string one and give it a Ho. err go
Zuma

[Josh B]

Here's mine.  Not exactly the same, but close enough.  Josh