This increases the Turco-Mongol bow’s speed and performance as the siyahs are lighter in mass. Wayne and Menes (1995, p.75) state that the Turco-Mongol bows are improved designs as they do not require the siyah reinforcement of bone or antler. The longer rigid ends of the Hunnic and Mongol composite bows serve as levers that allow a longer draw-length, stores more energy into the bow, and increases the speed of the arrow. As Adam Karpowicz (Karpowicz 2008, p.16) stated '' horn and sinew can take enormous amounts of deformation without failure''. Examples of materials are sinew (which is good in tension) and horn (which is good in compression). ![]() In contrast, the short limbs of composite bows require the addition of other materials against the wood to bend it without breaking. A wooden self bow has to be long enough and match the archer's height as well as draw length. Self bows require long limbs, as shorter limbs would break. For these mechanical characteristics to function properly, composite bows must be constructed with two elements in mind: the working flexible limbs and the static recurves (Kooi 1994). Their shorter form makes them especially convenient for mounted archery. The materials provide the ability for the limbs to quickly retract once released back into their starting position, providing additional arrow speed at a smaller draw weight than a self bow. The advantage of composite recurve bows, lies in the combination of materials. The most common variation was the recurve bow, in which the limbs bend away from archer in an unstrung position. The concept of a composite horn bow exists in many variations from a diversity of cultures through the millennia. A disadvantage in composite bow making, is that each aspect of bow construction, whether big or small, must be performed during a specific season of the year. Depending on the climate zone, as well as the characteristics of the materials, the composite bow production itself demanded higher precision and a longer period of time than other bows, such as a self bow. In view of the sensitivity of certain materials used, especially the organic glue, the composite bow was commonly covered with different materials such as birch bark or animal rawhide in order to ensure protection from weather conditions that affect its durability and performance. Each one of these composite bow materials contain certain technical and mechanical characteristics, whether the bowyer is considering the tension, compression, juncture, shape or stability of their bow, or strengthening its construction. Depending on the historical period and methods of construction, other animal products, such as bone and antler were also included. The materials for a composite horn bow primarily include wood and animal products such as sinew, horn, and glue. Unlike self bows (which are made from a single piece of wood), or sinew-backed bows (which are made from two materials: a single piece of wood and a laminate of sinew), the concept of a composite bow is based upon using three or more materials during its manufacturing. ![]() The overview of the bow design includes all types of available and valid sources that speak in favour of its construction and other historical solutions these construction decisions were based upon. This article also aims to provide a historical background to a modern 2016 reproduction of a composite horn bow dating from the period of the Mongol expansion. Bow styles varied from bowyer to bowyer, so while bowyers duplicated basic fundamentals of construction, there were many different methods of construction, and individual styles of bow-shaping. Unfortunately, there are only a few pictorial representations of what bows may have looked like during 14th century AD Mongolia although, there are many other variations of bows during this time period with similar characteristics. In this article, I will describe, step-by-step, the gathering and processing of materials, and the construction of this design of horn bow. This horn bow could be classified as a post-conquest design from early 14th century AD Mongolia. This bow was a concept, commissioned from Ulrich Velthuysen, a Swedish archer.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |