Del's Hedeby Viking Bow

[Del the cat]

This is in the style of the Hedeby bow, it's a sort of scaled down version being 68" tip to tip and 60"ntn.
47# @28"
The Yew is from a churchyard, but it's ancient Yew not the decorative stuff.(One of the skinny bits in the pic).
One problem is when people want low weight versions of big bows but expect it to look right.
"I want a Mary Rose Warbow but 30#" It just isn't going to happen.
A bit of deflex in the stave helps to give a fat bow at a low weight.
You can see the deflex and the waggle in the upper limb in the unstrung shot, which is still visible in the FD shot.
I was very sceptical about the excess tip weight, but it seems to shoot like all my other Yew bows, pretty smooth and fast. I have a sneaking suspicion that the lady who wants it may back out , if she does, I'll measure the speed, then take off the handles, slim the tips and see what difference it makes.
Enough chat, here's the pics. More on my blog of course.
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/hedeby-bow-detail-full-draw.html
The original bow in the museum has a strange iron peg/nail in the back below the top nock. This stave had a convenient knot there, so I left that protruding as a peg, which acts as a string keeper.
Del

[Bearded bowyer]

Gorgeous Del.

[Holten101]

Crazy bend:-)

Nice one....wish I had quality yew like that

Cheers

[blackhawk]

Do ya know the reasoning,or theory behind why they made it with such  long tips past the nocks? I can't remember if I ever read anything anywhere on that? Hopefully she backs out and you can chop those hideous things off and tiddy them tips up   .... other than that nice job del

[Del the cat]

Do ya know the reasoning,or theory behind why they made it with such  long tips past the nocks? I can't remember if I ever read anything anywhere on that? Hopefully she backs out and you can chop those hideous things off and tiddy them tips up   .... other than that nice job del

One theory is they are handles so it can be used as a ski pole... dunno, seems daft to me.
I quite like the string retainer peg tho'
Del

[Parnell]

Do ya know the reasoning,or theory behind why they made it with such  long tips past the nocks? I can't remember if I ever read anything anywhere on that? Hopefully she backs out and you can chop those hideous things off and tiddy them tips up   .... other than that nice job del

One theory is they are handles so it can be used as a ski pole... dunno, seems daft to me.
I quite like the string retainer peg tho'
Del

Sounds sensible.  Replica bows are always fun to check out.  Very cool, Del.  Like the bend.

[Buckeye Guy]

Nice bend Dell !
You may want to reduce the tips a we bit ! 
Looks like you had fun!

[Del the cat]

BTW,
It would be no good for hunting the side nocks creak alarmingly as the string moves up the side of the limb opposite the groove.
It would spook anything for 1/4mile and it sure scared the heck out me first time I drew it!
Del

[Carson (CMB)]

Very cool Del. I recently say that in the book, Archery: Bow Builders Guide European style Longbows Wood Crafting & Arrows and thought that was an odd design, and would be fun to recreate someday.  Glad to see it done by you Del.  That is a beautiful piece of yew.

[Aaron H]

Sweet bend Del

[wizardgoat]

Cool piece of wood and nice bend

[Hrothgar]

Nice job reproducing a strange looking duck, Del. That looks to be a perfect tiller too.

[RBLusthaus]

Real sweet bend.  Love the look of yew. 

[burn em up chuck]

    very very cool, still enchanted w/your horn knocks

                                                   chuck

               

[SLIMBOB]

Sweet looking profile.  The tips on the original are puzzling.  Nice work sir.