Simple Prehistoric Bowmaking, help please gents?

[Home Guard]

Hello,

I'm handy with steel and spanners, it's what I do for a living. But for a while I've wanted to make myself a bow. I really enjoy using traditional skills, methods, tools and materials. I really enjoy history, especially my local history which includes some of the first people to cross "doggerland" and end up on what is now the shores of Norfolk.

I'd like to make myself a traditional prehistoric or early warbow. Ideally it would probably be whatever came before the longbow which we all recognize.

I'm no archer, bowyer, fletcher or carpenter, so please forgive me for my ignorance.

Where do I start, what do I need, etc?

Thankyou very much.

 

[Wayne]

Hi. Get yourself a piece of ash. Draw a bow shape. Chop away till its looks like a bow. Then bend slowly on a tiller stick. If it's too stiff take a little off return to tiller. Continue till bow is bending beautifully.

Read bowyers bible volume 1&2.

Wow I managed to condensed 3 day bow making course. Be bold in the beginning towards the end mm count

 

[boatman]

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/downloads/pdf/Holmegaard-Bow-Making.pdf

http://digitaldigging.net/meare-heath-bow-reconstruction/

But you could make a "longbow" such as the Ashcott Heath

And really any bow cut from hazel, elm or ash would qualify as a prehistoric bow

 

[bobnewboy]

I would suggest you get yourself over to

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/board,2.0.html

for a good browse..and then search for "stellmoor" or "stone tool", or "Holmegaard", for example. The guys on there are really very helpful and produce some fantastic bows. But like Wayne (and myself), they will certainly suggest "The Traditional Bowyer's Bible", vols 1 and 2 at least, and vols 3 and 4 if you get into it. Other helpful books include "The Traditional Archer's Handbook" by Hilary Greenland, and "The Bent Stick" by Paul Comstock. All worth a good read.

 

[ateallthepies]

I like the Mere Heath design for a primitive bow design. One of the first bows I made was this design from Ash. It has wide limbs about 2.5" wide for about two thirds the length then tapering to half inch pin nocks.