Viking Inspired Ash Longbow build
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ส.ค. 2022
- Hello everyone!
This has been a lot of fun to make because I have never made a bow or video quite like this. Though this is not exactly war bow draw weights, it is pattern after a bow I think a Viking would have had and used for both hunting and war. This is a 68# ash long bow with a 36" draw length. Elk antler for both the nocks and strike plate with a linen string and leather handle wrap. This is by far the longest bow and longest draw length I have ever made but I doubt it will be my last. Thank you for watching and enjoy the video.
Video music notes
Folk Round by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
Journey in the New World by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: www.twinmusicom.org/song/258/j...
Artist: www.twinmusicom.org
Absolutely love how it turned out and it felt so smooth and great to shoot. One of the nicest bows I've ever used.
I am very glad!
@twintwo1429 Yes, I'm the Archer in the end of the video test firing it and the one who commissioned the bow to be made. It is a bit odd with out explanation as you pointed out lol
absolutely beautiful bow! Thank you for sharing
Thank you very much!
Beautiful bow! The first bow I ever build was a very similar white ash longbow, minus the horn tips. I still have it to this day, it shoots well :)
Holy shit that bow is gorgeous.
Nice bow.
Your carpenter bench is beautiful too.
Thank you. Bench is nice and came from 3riversarchery.com
That is so awesome man. I’m looking for a good Viking bow that I shoot with for my channel. I got to learn how you built such an awesome bow. Great job man.
Thank you. I do have other videos on my channel where I make a similar bow to this but actually go through how to make it. Or there are a lot of great bowyers on TH-cam with tutorials you can follow. Best of luck!
@@BowtellBows thank you so much. I will definitely check out your other videos
@@AllofArchery this design has no historical evidence to back up the ‘viking’ claim. What we see when looking at the finds from (1) the Nydam Bog weapon sacrifice in Denmark, (2) Balindièrry, Ireland and (3) Hedeby, Germany we have over 30 intact bows and at least shards from another 8 broken or partially burnt bows that all share similarities in shape and profile: all are made from either yew or wyrch Elm, all intact bows show excessive set at the handle indicating either the bows being made in a hurry or without allowing the wood to cure properly. The unstrung shape of a selfbow is Allways a indication of the bow’s tiller: regarding the Viking bows that is a lot of set at the middle to hardly any set at the nocks and in many but not all cases a bit extra beyond the nock that’s been suggested to indicate the bow being used as a walking stick. The bajeux tapestry is a unique historical source from the era because it is the only source that indicated other types in of bows being used by people strongly related to Viking culture, but even with when speaking of the possibility for a Viking or Norman warrior to have obtained a different bow through either trading or raiding the use of a different kind of bow that originated from another culture by a handful of Viking warriors does not make that bow ‘Viking’.
For what little we know from historical arrows found from that era (just a handful of them) is that the arrow had a length of 20 to 25 inch. This rules out a 36 inch drawlength for Viking archery and strongly indicates towards the chest draw that’s shown in the bajeux tapestry.
The Viking bows (or early medieval European longbows as I’d prefer to call them) all had self nocks meaning nocks carved into the wood. Most had just a single nock on the side of the upper limb and either a wedge tied to the bottom limb or made use of a natural feature in the wood like a small knot in the wood to tie the string at the lower limb.
In my opinion this bow looks very much like a Americanized English longbow, slightly stiffer at the handle, most of the bend occurs midline and the last 4 to 6 inches to the nocks is close to static/ hardly bending at all. Still a nice and decent bow by the looks of it, but absolutely 0 Viking heritage involved.
Awesome job! Looks great!
Got to lvl 99 fletching listening to this type of music. 😂 IYKYK
Well done, great!!!
My mother is half Irish and she taught me woodworking and fine woodworking cabinetry and before I was fifteen and I was fifteen and a half I was going to apply at the college of the redwoods in Northern North Coast but I didn't have enough finished pieces so I didn't go but there was no King available huh
Work of art♥️👌
That’s a nice looking bow
Very nice!
Nice work. Whoever that bow is for has a super-long draw length.
He sure does! Big hands too but it made for a fun build.
An awesome build!!
May it protect you n your's, hearth n home..
Very well!!!!
Cheers!
🏹👍🧙♂️🐺🏹
Awesome shooter and great job on the video!
Thanks Dan and thank you for supporting all us online Bowyers!
Amazing work.68 pounder.
Could have been heavier but the customer wanted it 65-70# but I do like how it turned out. Feels very nice!
Circle needles make the grip sewing easier. Thanks for the video
Nice!!!!
Very nice. I'd really like to build my own for hunting as well. Great work. Cheers
Best of luck!
Great work brother!
Díky!
Super Video vielen lieben Dank 👍
Very interest video. Thank you for your work.
Thank you
Thanks for sharing subscribed great work
Thank you
Great skill and. Art.
Thank you.
bel lavoro!!
Go Aggies!
I learnt that Vikings used bows. Thanks.
Why did you use bees wax and not boiled linseed oil or similar?
9:15 I was waiting for the cat to jump up on the table
Haha, he sure did just not in that part of the video.
If you could, try Service berry for a bow. I find its umm, like hickory . .but Not drawknife friendly, yet tougher and more durable.
I'd appreciate another point of view on how this wood works out. Thanks for your work!
Service berry sounds fun! Got to try that for sure. I found if a wood isn’t draw knife friendly, I like to use my rasps to shape the bow. Then finish with a scraper
Nice video and great craftsmanship!
36" drawlength is impressive - even at 68#!
What is the length of the bow NTN??
Thank you! The bow is 78" NTN.
Que madeira é essa irmão.
😮
White ash
Cómo los vikingos hubieran tenido que luchar con ese arco...
So impressed by the clean simplicity and blown away by the draw length. I shoot thumb draw with a 71in sarmat ash bamboo hankyu but would love a bow more sturdy still. How long is this one please and how half the draw weight would influence draw length?
Thanks.
This one is 78” nock to nock and is the longest bow I have made. If the draw weight was less, like 30#, I would have built the bow much shorter because the wood wouldn’t have been under as much stress with such a low draw weight. Usually you take the draw length, multiply it by 2 and add any length of handle that isn’t bending just as a starting reference. The rest comes down to the bow design and wood you are using.
@@BowtellBows thanks for your detailed reply. I imagine yours bends in the handle?
This one actually has a 6” stiff handle section. Another reason I made it longer but it has no hand shock because of this design.
What's the music? My wife really loves it.
It is free music on the TH-cam music site. Don’t remember what it is called exactly
@@BowtellBows Thanks! I'll look for it. My wife has a practised Celtic ear.
Could you do a historical Norse/Germanic bow with Pacific Yew? I’m doing an Ancestry project and those are the bows of one of the Tribes. Also how would Norway Spruce arrows be?
I took a look into it and that looks like a very interesting bow. Might try out of a different wood since yew is expensive but still want to try it. Not sure on the spruce but I think it would be good. Haven’t done a lot of work with arrows yet.
Question about such a Longbow.
Is it actually, 35 pound draw, at 26 inch draw?
Are the limbs 'maxed out' at that draw? Would it not draw further without, 'stacking', for an archer with a longer draw?
And, further follow up, at 26 inch draw, what speed is the arrow being launched?
(arrow specs...)
Thank you very much, it is a beautiful bow.
I don’t quite remember what the draw weight was at 26” but the general weight of bows goes about 2lbs per inch of draw so around 35 to 40# draw at 26”. The bow could be drawn further than 36” I imagine but that is how it is designed and further drawing could lead to premature bow failure. If I was to make the bow for a 26” draw, I would make it differently than this beast. Speed would be less for sure but not sure how much. Cool idea for another video though.
😁👍
Forti quelli che tirano in garage. C’è l’avete nelle testa il garage. L’arco è oltre!
What's that material inside that mason jar that you mixed with the beeswax for the finish?
Rendered pork fat from a local butcher. Mixed with the beeswax, there is no smell and makes for a pretty nice finish.
@@BowtellBows nice, I've heard tallow lasts a long time so I'd imagine pig fat would to some degree
around 3:17 you used a heat gun to stiffen the limbs or straighten them?
Yes to both. I induced a little bit of backset on a form and stiffened the belly wood at the same time. The wood was inline from tip to tip already.
Awesome build! This is exactly the video i needed cheers! Did you follow a bark layer on the forward side at all? doesn't seem necessary this method. oh the music though, all i hear is "Brave sir Robin ran awaaaaay!" :P
I did follow the bark layer because I feel like it makes a better bow in the end but you can make the bow from a board without doing that step. Glad you enjoyed it
@@BowtellBows no one expects the Spanish Inquisition! :D
were the horn tips not strong enuf? to attach the string on them, farther up? would have given the bow more speed n snappy with those long lightly recurved tips..
I have had horn tips brake before when the string grove isn’t resting on the horn and wood so I wouldn’t want to change it but might be interested in testing that in the future.
Lovely bow and a lovely piece of work! Can you tell me what makes it a 'Viking' Longbow as it doesn't look like the ones I have seen previously?
From what I read, the Vikings used bows similar to the English so this is a bow they probably shot from amongst the many different designs.
@@BowtellBows I actually attended a bow making class with a norwegian archaeologist and master bowyer. I got to make my own viking longbow as well as ask alot about them. A viking style longbow had a fairly flat profile unlike the typical D profile that we find on English longbows which makes them a little less comfortable to hold and shoot. The edges of the profile on the belly of the bow were slightly more rounded than the ones on the back. Although the profile was more flat, it is not the same profile as a flatbow because it was more narrow than that so the belly and the back were flat and parallel yet still being thicker towards the handle to give it an elliptical bend. Viking longbows also varied in limb thickness based on the purpose of the bow. Some would be narrower for better accuracy and comfort while shooting while others would be wider even in the tips to be over an inch in thickness at the tips for durability. These were very uncomfortable to shoot because the wide limbs caused alot of handshock. Vikings would also use these wider bows as walking sticks and for skiing. However the viking longbows weren't that fancy and didn't have neither horned tips nor leather handles. There was typically only one grove cut into the tip on one side of the tip on each end for the string. The tips were also fairly long so they wouldn't take to much damage from being used as a walking stick or while being used for skiing. These bows did the work and were good for the purpose they were made but they were by no means fancy. From the information I gathered from the archeologist, the bow you have made here so beautifully, is not an accurat representation of a viking longbow. It is a beatifully crafted bow still and seing you make it was a pleasure! Coming by accurate information about a viking longbow especially in terms of details, is not that easy which is why I'm happy to have had the opportunity to attend such a class. Keep doing what you are doing though, love the video :D Best wishes and take care😄Skål From Norway🍻
@Ole Johannes O. Friestad , thank you very much for such a beautiful comment! I did some research online and, as you said, it is really hard to find good information on Viking longbows so I went off of what I found. This is incredible information and I bet it was an awesome experience. I would love to learn more
The name for a “Viking” bow is so named a holmegaard bow. There is a lot of history for this bow and when you have time it’s well worth the effort. Your bow is a great looking bow, more European but still a great looking bow. I’ve been making bows now for the better part of 14 years. Any person I know would love to have a bow like you made. Fine craftsmanship, thank you for sharing.
@@ThePauljhall1 holmegaard isn’t Viking lol. That’s 8,000 years to old.
Is there a website to buy these bows?? Especially wooden arrows with real feather fletching???
I just finished my website a few weeks ago if you want to go check it out.
www.Bowtellbows.com
Tell please what type and part of wood do you used? Thank you for your answer
It is Ash sap wood I purchased from a lumber yard then followed the growth rings to make it like a stave
Nice bow , what poundage is the bow
About 68# @36"
@@BowtellBows nice draw weight and nice job
as a leather crafter don't use a metal hammer to make the holes. Use wood or nylon instead. Otherwise you might bend or break the chisel.
Thank you for the heads up.
What's kind of wood that you made from ?
White ash
Che tipo di legno stai usando? Grazie.
White Ash
I recognise the soundtrack from somewhere,but I can't remember,can anyone tell me please?
TH-cam studio special.
Where to get that square raster on wall?
You can get it on Amazon but I got it from a local fabric store. It is a large pattern cutting mat.
Ash? I think spruce root or juniper would be more suitable but what do I know
A flat bow in American style.. how is this Scandinavian?
I think if you upload this without the music and only the workshop sounds it's going to do a lot better.
I will have to try that on my next video. I like both ways myself
war bow starting over 100-120# but its nice bow anywAY
There is very little evidence for that.
Wouldn't those huge lumps of bone on the end of the bow, slow it the hang down. I certainly wouldn't want those things hanging off the end of my bow.
They do slow the bow down but that is what the customer wanted. If you make them lighter and narrow the limb more then it can compensate for the weight. Most of the time, they are just for aesthetics.
Hi, do you sell them ?
This was a custom commissioned piece so yes. I have a Facebook page, Bowtell Bows, where you can see more of my work and contact me. Website is under construction currently.
How did The belly hold up? Still shooting? And how long is that monster?
So far so good. The heat tempering of the belly is helping for sure. 78" from nock to nock.
@@BowtellBows Did you really get a 36" draw? That's insane! And everyone says ash is terrible bowwood.. Do you think you could get 100 pounds from ash? If you made it really wide?
@@tonymaurice4157 a well tillered bow from ash should last a long time from my experience. The heat treatment really made it possible. I have a friend that made a 110# ash bow but I don’t think he was drawing to 36” but the bow was about the same length. Higher the draw weight the longer or wider the bow should be to help it survive. I have never tillered a bow to 36” so it was quite the experience. I don’t have long enough arrows so it hasn’t been shot at 36” yet but eventually for sure.
@@danielbuhler2067 same here I've seen 130lb ash bows! That are 20 years old... no probelms... I don't understand why people say it's terrible
@@tonymaurice4157 I guess you could say any wood is “terrible” if it is a poor piece of wood. Pick a great piece of pine and you can make a great bow. Pick a bad piece of yew and you need quite a bit of luck and skill to get a decent bow from it.
Definitely an english longbow style. Archeological finds of "viking" bows show them to be side nocked.
You are correct. Will try that sometime
4get the music otherwise great!
should fix that short leg on yr bench that they showed in the opening scene.. less wobble..lol
Definitely on the “get around to it” list. Guess it feels more like a horse shave than a shave horse.
Awesome video but holy OSHA violations lol
Love the bow and your work vise. I would rather some narration than just useless background music.
Thank you. I’ll try that next time
Due to the Ash die back disease, there should be plenty of felled Ash trees.
Might not be best wood if has a hole in it but find the sections that are clean and it will work great
I couldn't watch this video. Watching him using a dull draw knife made my skin crawl.
I think you need a strait draw knife and not the round,easy on the arms
I have both straight and curved blades but their bevels and sharpnesses are different enough I use them for different stages of the build.
@@BowtellBows ok ,seemed like it could gouge and rock left or rite..thanks for the reply .your great.just have all the tools you need .i have no draw knifeor expieriance .i do autobody.
@@calebswanson462 I have actually used a small hand planner just for that reason. When it comes to carving away material, I am not sure if there is really a best way to do it every time because each piece of wood is different. I can always respect the comment of someone who knows how to work with their hands and appreciate your response.
@@BowtellBows yea sometimes your just drifting down you know where the shape is,but to others watching they dont see it till its all done. Your signature tells. The B ...tells. Bowtells. In England Mick Grewcock got me makeing a bow,he commented back ,Richard Head dident. I sugested since i dont have a fender to compare that he make a kit with full size plans. Numberd arrow plate ,with a personally sighnd autograph on every set of plans.dvd ,and all you need in the box. A kit sugests it can bedone,put togeather.. you choose your stavemany would like to try i think.i wanted to try.. .. .i traced Mary Rose knocks off my phone and made them out of bondo,leaveing much of the starter cut nock as i could ..just to see if i could make that shape..well it worked..i added beef rib bone fileings..plans to look at help. You could make many Bowtell kits,the 80 lb. War bow,or the mary rose, the lite target,etc, etc. like a modle airplane kit. But yea make it out of bondo befor you use the kits horn supplys. You could probobly get 75 dollers for a kit.The Heads dident respond,but you did so thank you for crafts sake. I got trying because all my work rolls away. I wanted a bow.. im proud to see it on the tiller. I realy like your shave horse. Your just a classic it seems fitting as well as Richard Head so you could offer a kit .moch one up and see if there is interest ..you mite be suprised
@@BowtellBows i wonderd if autobdy guy could make a bow.so your rite it dident matter how the material was taken off. I used,a grin der, a da sander,80 grit block,and tillerd it ,made knocks from bondo with rib bone filings ..i watched your vidio again and i see the strate draw knife.
Just laying ther.im sorry i comment too much
Great to see medieval gorilla glue...😂😂😂😂
Vikings were pre- medieval so it was obviously a lost art.
I wonder if it’s made from pine sap hmmm goes to google
no explanation of what is being done
I dont think they had gorilla glue back then.
Agreed, but if they did have it, I would bet they would have used it.
Njaa... 68# is a war bow nowadays...
Generaly, the minimum poundage for a warbow os 80# or 100#.
68# is a powerfull hunting poundage.
We dont use commonly theese poundages nowaday, but 20-30 years ago, 70# was the poundage you "must" shoot for hunting in the mind of many archers...
It's not a bad thing, many archers hurt themselves by shooting too much poundage...
@@benji280792 @ahakcapx
Specifically with the making of this bow between the 65-70# range was based from historical and practical information of the period in the Viking age from reading I've done and what I would be using it for as well. As unlike stuff anywhere from the range of 90-210# warbows later on in England, "warbows" in Scandinavia of the Viking age would have likely just been the hunting bows available to the archers at the time taken to battle, which for general use was common to see anywhere from 50-70# with room for higher or lower poundages depending on the use of the bow. Just to add some additional context to this bow specifically in the video.
Which my common hunting # is 55-60#. I wanted this bow just above that for hunting so I could shoot closer to my target bows which are anywhere in the range of 50-80# depending on which bow I'm shooting of mine. And 65-70# felt like a good area for all uses I'd do, that being hunting, roving and stumping, target shooting, tournaments, historical fun, etc.
@@WolfStar08 Even the evidence that English warbows where heavier then 100 pounds is very unreliable.
Why would the Vikings not build a bow equal to this bow? I believe they could..just saying...
From what I have read, the vikings used bows similar to the English so I don't see why they wouldn't have used a bow like this.
Ash tree significa frassino e non albero della cenere. La cenere non c'entra nulla
So thats how the Vikings did it with Gorilla Glue
Well you're right. If they had it, they surely would have used it. Otherwise, I bet they would have used anything from pitch to hide glue to stick them on. Maybe I will try that next time.
Gorilla glue been around for a long time
Would love to watch this. But can't stand over produced stuff. Leave out the music. All that crap is for TV
sorry but some automaker in Detroit could not build motors so they were imported from China in wooden crates of Ash. The crates were not fumigated there or here so Emerald Ash Borers came along and established themselves. no natural enemies in North America. Soon all (ALL) our Ash trees will be dead. P.S. The EU mandates fumigation of all wooden packing and products.
The Chinese business wouldn't spend a penny and the US business wouldn't either - so, no fumigation - lotsa moths, no Ash trees. How stupid we are. And our elected officials.
Another success story on the merits of globalization 👏
You mean Scandinavian inspired not Viking
I can't stand the noise which is playing in the background, I suppose you would call that music?
Awful music
ABSOLUMENT NUL de travailler sur un établis qui bouge. Ce n'est pas du bon travail. . Patrick Dupré artiste scupteur depuis 50 ans.
====================
ABSOLUTELY ZERO, négatif to work on a workbench that moves. It's not good work. . Patrick Dupré sculptor artist for 50 years.
👎👎👎👎
Hey you sure vikings stuck to the English style long bow,,I mean they did travel down south east couple of times and they did come across the horn sinew composite bow sold by the arabs
I imagine they used all sorts of bows. Hard to say what they really did because even remnants of bows are such a small sample of their history.
your tools are so dull !!!
Yeah, I am working on that. It would make my life easier for sure