Authentic middle age finish on bows

[adb]

I said the warbow, not the longbow, was long gone by the 18th century. Long gone as a livery weapon, issued by the English Crown as a military weapon.

[mikekeswick]

Well I am sure pine resins can be used for varnishes...i've done it!

[Robby101]

By golly your right mikekeswick!!! A company called Rockler sells a linseed oil and pine resin varnish. I'm always looking for authentic formulas for varnishes, thanks.
adb, Sorry for my misstatement, I was only trying to show that even in the late seventeen hundreds, men like Franklin were well aware of the English Warbow and its capabilities, and by inference, the associated crafts such as varnish making would also have been passed down through families engaged in that craft, and or guilds of the same nature.
Robby

[Thesquirrelslinger]

I think they used beeswax and rubbed it in.

+1
pine resin+ turpentine(distilled from pine resin) was sometimes used according to my history book- big trade in turpentine for other uses.

[mje]

Linseed oil and other organic oils will continue to oxidize and eventually turn black, so those black bows may not have started out that way.

[Archeress]

I thi nk you are all pretty much on the mark.  Bows for war were prolific and i dont believe an archer had a favourite only becuase they were shot that many times they didnt last long..Being mass produced for war,  they were lost, damaged, burned, broken, used as fighting staves.  i just dont think they had time to cherish one and keep it all pretty.  I would hazard a guess and say that the ones that were painted would have been so the owner could recognize it and to protect it from the elements.

 These days we all want pretty bows, works of art, beautiful grains and natural colours and we look after them well because they cost so damn much. just  my OHO

[Archeress]

Having just read "mike Loades new book "the longbow"  i could also be very wrong lol