| A longbow is a type of bow that is tall
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| | societies, for recreation and hunting.
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| (roughly equal to or greater than the
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| | Longbows are much more stable and quiet
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| height of a person), is not recurved and
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| | shooting bows than shorter recurves and
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| has relatively narrow limbs, that are
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| | crossbows.
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| circular or D-shaped in cross section.
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| | Design and construction
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| The traditional English longbow is made
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| | Because the longbow can be made from a
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| so that its thickness is at least 5/8 of
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| | single piece of wood, it can be crafted
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| its width. If the thickness is less than
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| | relatively easily and quickly. Amateur
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| 5/8 of its width then the bow would be
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| | bowyers today can craft a longbow in
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| considered a flatbow. Typically a longbow
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| | about ten to twenty hours, while highly
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| is widest at the handle. Longbows have
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| | skilled bowyers, such as those who
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| been used for hunting and warfare, by
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| | produced medieval English Longbows, can
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| many cultures around the world, a famous
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| | craft wooden longbows in just a few
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| example being the English longbow, during
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| | hours.
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| the Middle Ages.
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| | One of the simpler longbow designs is
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| History
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| | known as the selfbow. By definition, a
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| Traditional longbows are made entirely
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| | selfbow is made from a single piece of
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| from wood and have been used for hundreds
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| | wood. Truly traditional English longbows
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| or thousands of years, for hunting and
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| | are selfbows, made from yew wood. The
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| warfare by, among others, the ancient
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| | bowstave is cut from the radius of the
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| Nubians, Native American tribes such as
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| | tree so that the sapwood (on the outside
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| the Cherokee, South American tribes like
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| | of the tree) becomes the back and the
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| the Bari, African tribes such as the
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| | heartwood becomes the belly. Yew sapwood
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| Bassa, Neolithic Europeans, and medieval
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| | is good only in tension, while the
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| Europeans. As a hunting weapon, longbows
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| | heartwood is good in compression.
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| are simple, reliable and capable of
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| | However, one must make compromises when
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| taking game as large as African
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| | making a yew longbow, as it is difficult
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| elephants. As a weapon of war the longbow
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| | to find perfect unblemished yew.
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| has been instrumental to several
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| | Longbows, because of their narrow limbs
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| cultures. World wide the average power
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| | and rounded cross-section (which does not
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| for bows of all designs is about 50
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| | spread out stress within the wood as
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| pounds (220 newtons) at 28 inches (70 cm)
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| | evenly as a flatbow’s rectangular cross
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| of draw which is suitable for most
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| | section), need to be either less
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| hunting applications. Bows for warfare
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| | powerful, longer or of more elastic wood
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| tend to be much more powerful, with the
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| | than an equivalent flatbow. In Europe the
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| most powerful bows being the English
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| | latter approach was used, with yew being
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| longbow and the African elephant bow,
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| | the wood of choice, because of its high
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| both of which topped the 200-pound (900
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| | compressive strength, light weight and
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| N) mark. It may seem unlikely that,
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| | elasticity.
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| compared with modern day poundage bows
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| | Hard woods, like elm, oak, ash or maple
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| shot in archery, so many men in medieval
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| | are good for flatbows but yew is the only
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| warfare were capable of shooting bows
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| | common European wood that will make good
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| from 150-200 pounds (670–900 N).
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| | self longbows. A narrow longbow with high
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| However, these men would train often
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| | draw-weight can be made from these woods,
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| weekly from a very young age and over
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| | but it is likely to take a permanent bend
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| time would be able to shoot such strong
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| | (known as "set" or "following the
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| bows. There are modern day examples of
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| | string") and would likely be outshot by
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| men who are quite capable of shooting
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| | an equivalent made of yew.
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| these bows so we know it is possible.
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| | Wooden composite longbows can be made by
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| Mark Stretton currently holds the world
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| | gluing together two or more different
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| record for shooting a 200 pound (900 N)
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| | pieces of wood. Usually this is done to
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| longbow.
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| | take advantage of the inherent properties
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| In ancient Japan, very distinctive bamboo
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| | of different woods: some woods can better
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| and wood composite longbows, known as
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| | withstand compression while others are
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| Yumi, became important to mounted samurai
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| | better at withstanding tension. Examples
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| warfare. Modern Japanese archery (called
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| | include hickory and lemonwood or bamboo
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| kyudo or kyujutsu) still uses this style
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| | and yew longbows: hickory or bamboo is
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| of longbow. Modern yumi can be made of
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| | used on the back of the bow (the part
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| fiberglass or carbon-fiber, as well as of
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| | facing away from the archer when
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| the traditional wood/bamboo laminate.
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| | shooting) and so is in tension, while the
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| Yumi are recurved bows, and have the
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| | belly (the part facing the archer when
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| unique characteristic of being
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| | shooting) is made of lemonwood or yew and
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| off-center. That is, the lower arm of the
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| | undergoes compression (see bending for a
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| bow is shorter than the upper arm; this
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| | further explanation of stresses in a
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| is useful when the bow is used from
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| | bending beam). Traditionally made
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| horseback, so that the archer can turn
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| | Japanese Yumi are also composite
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| without the bottom of the bow hitting the
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| | longbows, made from laminated strips of
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| horse.
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| | wood: the core of the bow is bamboo, the
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| In the Middle Ages the English were
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| | back and belly are bamboo or hardwood and
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| famous for their very heavy, long-ranged
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| | hardwood strips are laminated to the bows
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| English longbows, used to great effect
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| | sides to prevent twisting.
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| against the French in the Hundred Years'
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| | Today, good composite longbows may be
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| War (notably at the battles of Crécy
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| | made of wood or can be purchased
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| (1346), Poitiers (1356) and Agincourt
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| | commercially. Any wooden bow must have
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| (1415)).
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| | gentle treatment and be protected from
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| Although firearms supplanted bows in
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| | excessive damp or dryness. Wooden bows
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| warfare, wooden or fiberglass composite
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| | may shoot as well as fiberglass, but they
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| longbows continue to be used by
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| | are more easily dented or broken by
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| traditional archers and some tribal
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| | abuse.
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