Roman bow and arrow

[mpferrell]

I am under the impression that the standard combat head is like the pic that Cacaius has above, three blade either socked or tanged. I have found a dealer that has the socked wrought iron style here in the US but they are $8.00 each. Those are nice and cheep though. :wink:

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

Does anyone of you know where to obtain a proper (and inexpensive) Yumi Japanese samurai longbow?

Ik know it has naught to do with Romans, but well..........

M.VIB.M.

[mpferrell]

Try this:

http://www.woodlandarchery.com/ProdYumi.htm

Hope it helps.

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

it sure helps!! bummer he has not got a lacquered one.... but may do that myself..... however it isnt the genuine shape which makes it a big no-no for me....

should be like this:



:?

M.VIB.M.

[Robert]

Aluscladiusmaximus,

Thanks for your posts on Roman arrows. The length of 6" or 150 mm is fine for arrows with broadheads or heavy fieldpoints, so I don't think they are to long. I was amazed by your fletchings, they look the wrong way round, but this shape does prevent the back of the feathers being crushed. I also had a look at your site and the tombstone of the auxillia archer is a very usefull reference. To me, the object held in the other foto is not of a single arrow, but of a bundle, fletchings forwards. No ax or machete! This would make good sense in regards to the bow held.

[TFLAVIUSAMBIORIX]

is it possible that they may have used a 'native american' style release? i only need theoretically a tiny portion to grasp when i shoot, though in my tribe we use a cut little bulge in the nock.

[Robert]

This is the point I was trying to make in my comment on the fletching looking the wrong way round. With the nock cut into the arrow, I can shoot an arrow with the fletch just 1/2 " to 3/4 " up the shaft without any bother using a three finger hook on the string and the fletch used would avoid me crushing the feather all together. Native American techniques are unfamiliar to me, pinching the arrow, but I have just tried a technique inspired by this thread. I hold the arrow with thumb and forefinger, and hook the string with middle and ringfinger. It feels most strange and the arrow tended to roll of the rest to the left, but the drawweight was no great problem.

[TFLAVIUSAMBIORIX]

dont use any finger but your thumb and index finger, pinch the arrow, but be holding it with the 2nd knuckle of your index, and the tip of that finger on the string to help draw.

[Robert]

Painfull!! :lol: Oh well, guess it takes a lot of practice. Too dark outside now (its almost midnight here), will try properly at a later time. Thanks for the clear description, will give it a try. What poundage are the native American indian bows?

Just wondering, do the American indians refer to themselves by a different name in general, like the Eskimo people are more correctly refered to as Inuit (the name they call themselves) and not as "rawfisheaters" ?

[TFLAVIUSAMBIORIX]

25-90 lbs, mine are 30 and 70.
it is painful until you develop the callous on your index finger, then it becomes very easy.

i call myself cherokee or iroquois since im both, depending what i feel like i guess, i dont like to be lumped in with other groups, the Navajo for example are as different from us as Asian people are from europeans.

[Robert]

OK, thanks. Yes, I am somewhat familiar with the different Native American tribes (grade school in the VI) and I can see your point. No dig at the Navajo (not Navaho as my schoolbooks said?) but different surroundings bred different culture. Much on Native Americans was written by the later immigrants/occupiers, this sparked my question.

[TFLAVIUSAMBIORIX]

BTW, reed arrows float, so if they were to use them for hunting of certain things it would help with retrieval.

i think they may have used more self bows or longer recurves than many of us might think, most evidence from the west is partial, nocks etc., which tell us little, i think that especially for hunting self bows may have been common, that is just a guesstimate though

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Cacaius!

Thanks for that link to the Grozerarcher site! The Roman bow looks great!
While I haven't done any archery since I was a teenager, aside from modern crossbows, I am sorely tempted to have one for my collection!
One day! :roll:

regards

[Virilis]

Byron, I have two grozer bows (laminated wood & fiberglass), 50# basic hungarian and 70# assyrian. I can warmly recommend Grozer bows, they are well made, very durable, very nice to shoot with, surprisingly accurate and powerful.

[Theodosius the Great]

Avete,

I may buy a bow soon for my mid-sixth century impression (Romano-Byzantine) and was wondering which model would best suit it from a historical perspective.

The three choices are :

• Hunnish,
• Magyar,
• and Scythian

All three are available in two draw weights : 35 and 50.

Recommendations would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

~Theo