English medieval arrows

[WillS]

One of my recent commissions was for the Buckingham Gaol Museum here in the UK, as they're doing a summer exhibition on the 100 Years War and wanted a selection of arrows for the display.

These are as close as I can get to historically correct arrows from that period.

The shafts are black poplar (Populus nigra) and tapered to meet the exact measurements of Mary Rose arrow MR82A1892/9.  This is a two stage taper which seems to be the true "bobtail."  Most people think a medieval arrow is a straight taper from head to nock, but I've found that's not the case with any of the extant arrows I've examined.  They also have a nock diameter of just over 8mm, which again is what most arrows I've seen tend to have (if not smaller), instead of the 10mm or 3/8" nock diameter that's become the accepted standard.

The nocks are split with a blade and fitted with blonde cow horn that's peeled like an onion from the main horn, instead of the bulky 2 or 3mm strips sold in archery shops.  The horn is glued in place with hide glue.

Fletchings are white swan, bound with red silk into a compound of beeswax, kidney fat and copper verdigris.

The heads are all hand forged by myself, from wrought iron which is about as close as we can get to medieval bloomery steel without sending the budget through the roof!  They are a long Type 7 with diamond section, a short Type 8 with square section, a heavy Type 9 with diamond section and a barbed Type 16 which has steel barbs forge-welded to the iron body.

[Mikkolaht]

Some beauties there!

Great job, outstanding forging skills too.
I could only dream to have my twentyseven slotted arrowbag full of these

So you just split the nock and slided in the cow strip with some glue without boiling the end to make it softer?

How did you process the cow horn strips to the right shape?

[stuckinthemud]

Hi Will, could you elaborate on the taper, the term 'bobtail' is new to me in this context. Thanks, Andrew

[WillS]

Mikko - yep, just split with a good sharp blade, and the horn slotted in.  Not much glue is needed, as the pressure of the split is enough to hold it in place.  The cow horn is simply peeled off the rest of the horn.  It grows with very thin layers, just like an onion so you simply push a knife blade into the horn, open up a split and let it strip itself for you really.  You end up with paper thin sheets that naturally taper towards the tip of the horn which is ideal. 

Andrew - Bobtail is the "normal" term for a tapered arrow shaft, and has generally meant a straight taper, but I'm not sure why as I'm yet to find an existing arrow from the period that has a straight taper!  The actual profile is almost full diameter save for a very subtle taper from the head back a few inches, to keep the mass as high as possible at the business end, and then a more deliberate taper from that point down to the nock.  By the way - this year's camp is at the beginning of August, if you fancy it again!

[Hawkdancer]

Will,
The horn insert appears to be several inches (75 mm+) long, correct?  Also, what ratios of beeswax, fat, and copper verdigris did you use.  That might be hard to find here in the states.  The head diameter is about 10mm?  Very nice arrows!  Btw, be sure to post pics of your August camp. 
Hawkdancer

[stuckinthemud]

If at all possible We'll be back, Joseph and I had a great time last year, the masterclass on heavy bow technique totally changed my shooting approach.  The gothic crossbow is nearly finished and I'll be bringing it with us.
Incidentally, you can peel buffalo horn the same way as cow horn...

[WillS]

Hawkdancer - the inserts are usually around 2", but I don't measure them and keep them the same.  When splitting the nocks you end up with varied lengths anyway, so you just cut the horn to fit the slot.  Some of the originals are as short as 1", and as long as 4".

All the heads are 1/2", or 12.7mm.

The compound mix for these was completely on the fly, I just make the mixture by eye now.  I tried working out ratios when I was researching the mixture, but found it kept changing because the materials are natural, and always different.  It's all easy stuff to get hold of - beeswax is obvious, kidney fat you can render down yourself, or ask a butcher and the copper verdigris is made by hanging sheets of copper over vinegar for a few months and scraping the verdigris into jars or packets, ready for mixing.

[FilipT]

Is "bobtail" actually a "torpedo" shape?

[WillS]

No, not at all.  Torpedo is full diameter for most of the shaft, then a heavy, short taper at the end.

Bobtail is almost the exact opposite.

[FilipT]

Ah gotcha, thanks! So the arrow is actually full diameter at arrowhead and maybe 2" behind it and then it has acute taper to nocks?

Btw, what did you mean by splitting the nocks with knife? How do you do that without ripping apart wood at the grain?

[meanewood]

Hi Will

Nice arrows

Can you clarify if the 'barrelled' shafts are 1/2in at the socket and if so, what diameter are they at the widest point?

[WillS]

Ah gotcha, thanks! So the arrow is actually full diameter at arrowhead and maybe 2" behind it and then it has acute taper to nocks?

Btw, what did you mean by splitting the nocks with knife? How do you do that without ripping apart wood at the grain?

Yep, exactly!

Very carefully good timber selection and location of the best grain when hand planing the shafts is crucial.

[WillS]

Hi Will

Nice arrows

Can you clarify if the 'barrelled' shafts are 1/2in at the socket and if so, what diameter are they at the widest point?

Do you mean the MR arrows?  If so, there's a wide selection of sizes amongst the barrelled ones, from 10mm and less at the head to 1/2".  I'd have to check to be sure, but from  memory the 10mm ones generally taper up to 1/2" and back down, and the 1/2" ones taper to around 15mm then down. 

The really big ones tend to be of willow or very light alder, instead of aspen.  That way the overall weight stays the same.

[FilipT]

So for example, these arrows with 1/2" socket taper in length of inch or two behind the socket into a 15 mm diameter and then they taper again to 8 mm at the nocks? Very interesting design, it is obvious now how they wanted to have as heavy front end while still having rest of arrow gracefully so it can fly properly.

[Tuomo]

The really big ones tend to be of willow or very light alder, instead of aspen.  That way the overall weight stays the same.

Why they used soft woods? Had soft woods some kind of advantage over hard woods (oak, ash, beech, etc.) as war arrow material? Why they wanted to make really big arrows? Why soft and light woods? Why not hard wood arrows? Spine and weight are always adjustable.