Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Weylin on May 06, 2018, 02:58:22 pm

Title: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: Weylin on May 06, 2018, 02:58:22 pm
I made another bow based off the Hedeby bow. This is not an exact replica. The original bow was thought to be over 100# so I scaled it down to be more efficient at the lower draw weight of 55#. I made this bow about 67" long from nock to nock. One of the characteristic features of the Hedeby bow is the the flared, deflexed tips with side nocks. These create a bracing handle that makes stringing the bow much easier at higher draw weights. It was handy during the early tillering stage when the bow was still stiff. It shoots quite well with little hand shock. It's not the fastest bow in the world but it didn't suffer from the bulky tips as much as I thought it might. I would imagine at 100# the weight of the tips would be completely negligible. It is a simple design but a fun bow to make. 

(https://i.imgur.com/c9JYuYK.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/nGBwh3t.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/ogSGbgD.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/ZzH1vJi.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/r5XydHL.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/T2wGgGl.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/soP4pTk.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/AlSVUds.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/jz2RXeo.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/Ywgtnru.jpg)
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: burchett.donald on May 06, 2018, 03:14:12 pm
  Great bend Weylin and interesting nock design...Fantastic pictures also...
                                                                                                                Don
                                                                                                 
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: FilipT on May 06, 2018, 03:18:19 pm
Hedeby bows look always cool although I find them a bit weird at the same time because of these tips. They surely must have had some practical application like you said, otherwise they wouldn't make sense. I see that you put side nocks. How do you make them, at what angle you cut them, how wide and deep are they?
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: bushboy on May 06, 2018, 04:35:33 pm
Another beauty!those hooks throws my Google's off!
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: BowEd on May 06, 2018, 05:59:20 pm
Another nice bow Weylin.There's merits to ease of bracing and shooting.
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: bjrogg on May 06, 2018, 07:19:05 pm
Interesting bow Weylin. It does get my curiosity going wondering about those tips.
Bjrogg
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: upstatenybowyer on May 06, 2018, 07:39:51 pm
Very cool. I've got quite a bit of Nordic ancestry, so perhaps I'll give this design a try. Thanks for posting  :)
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: stickbowbeard on May 07, 2018, 03:27:08 pm
Way cool bow.  Another beauty!
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: Dvshunter on May 07, 2018, 05:10:23 pm
Looks pretty slick!
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on May 07, 2018, 05:45:57 pm
That's a unique one, tips look as if stringing them at heavier weights could be easier, maybe even safer. On a side note, better watch how you use up that precious yew supply. Once you're a full fledged Carolinian you wont have anything but crappy ol' osage from Clint to use.
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: Carl Galvin on May 07, 2018, 09:01:46 pm
Beautiful bow
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: Redhand on May 08, 2018, 06:38:55 am
Way cool looking bow! great job!
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: Bayou Ben on May 08, 2018, 08:40:44 am
I love looking at the bend of those bows.  Especially when they are tillered so nicely!  Great job as usual
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: Whiskeyjet on May 08, 2018, 02:54:15 pm
Does it have a round belly, like the ELB? Should we stop giving the English credit for inventing that idea?

Beautiful work as always!
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: Weylin on May 08, 2018, 08:19:01 pm
Thank you, everyone for the kind words. It's cool to play around with designs that don't get a lot of attention.

Hedeby bows look always cool although I find them a bit weird at the same time because of these tips. They surely must have had some practical application like you said, otherwise they wouldn't make sense. I see that you put side nocks. How do you make them, at what angle you cut them, how wide and deep are they?
I heard the bracing handle idea from Will Sherman. It made sense to me. as for the side nocks, I basically made them like a self nock but only on one side. a little deeper than a normal groove. You put one on the right side and the other on the left and they pull against each other to maintain balance. I didn't think to hard about them. They are pretty simple and hassle free.

That's a unique one, tips look as if stringing them at heavier weights could be easier, maybe even safer. On a side note, better watch how you use up that precious yew supply. Once you're a full fledged Carolinian you wont have anything but crappy ol' osage from Clint to use.

I know! People keep asking for yew bows. I'm going to try and get out for one last haul on yew wood before I go. Then I'll have to settle for that osage garbage.

Does it have a round belly, like the ELB? Should we stop giving the English credit for inventing that idea?

Beautiful work as always!

The belly is rounded but the cross section is more like a squashed oval than a deep D. It's a wider and flatter than a typical English longbow.

Here's a picture of the original bow.
(https://i.imgur.com/Fczwk9R.jpg)
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: Parnell on May 08, 2018, 08:36:11 pm
That's a great project Weylin.  I've always been curious about those bows.  Maybe an homage to their longboats?  Maybe just simplicity...

Fun to see something different.  Shoot, maybe it could have doubled for a rudder, or ski, or a paddle...ok, I'll stop now. :)
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: Badger on May 08, 2018, 09:02:51 pm
  Reproductions are fascinating. Our imagination can only try to imagine why they did things the way they did. I think it is relatively certain they had good reasons. Nice job on that one.
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: Bryce on May 09, 2018, 03:30:49 pm
Wooo doggy!
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: bookworm on May 10, 2018, 06:27:34 am
Incredibly beautiful! Did you have to bend/heat treat the tips?
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: selfbow joe on May 11, 2018, 03:52:53 am
Beautiful bow.
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: Pappy on May 11, 2018, 06:46:03 am
Beautiful bow, very nice job. :)
 Pappy
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: Hrothgar on May 11, 2018, 11:23:31 am
Beautiful replica.
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: Weylin on May 11, 2018, 09:01:20 pm
Incredibly beautiful! Did you have to bend/heat treat the tips?

Thank you! I boiled the tips and then bent them into deflex. The one thing I learned the first time I made this style bow is to bend the tips and then carve the nock. if you do the nock first you will get some splitting right under the nock. I felt pretty stupid after I did it. Should have known better.   ::)
Title: Re: Viking Style Yew Longbow 55#@30"
Post by: NorthHeart on May 31, 2018, 08:15:22 am
On your second to the last pic, you have runes trying to form in the grass to the left of your bow.  Strictly coincidence i'm sure. ;)