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