Re: question on bows
Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 10:22 pm
Ringulf hit it on the head, I'd say. Also, it's important to remember that the term "longbow" is not clearly defined, and never really has been. It doesn't necessarily have any direct correlation to the draw length of the bow, or to the length of the bow, nock-to-nock, but mainly that it is a straight bow (not a recurve) that is longer than a "short-bow" (which is also a debatable term). I have a 30" to 31" draw, myself, therefore I had to have a bow custom-made to my specifications so that I would not break it (which I have done to several other "stock" bows over the years, unfortunately). Furthermore, from what I understand (though I admit that I have an incomplete knowledge of the subject) there is some debate as to whether or not all or even most archers of the middle ages drew to an anchor point on their faces, versus an anchor point on their chests. Several period images do seem to show archers drawing to the chest rather than the cheek, which would cause the draw to be somewhat shorter.
