What do you use for Classical arrowheads?

[Dan D'Silva]

Hello again,

As you may know, I'm trying to get together an Achaemenid Persian group. One of the things we'll need in quantity is arrowheads. While perfectly accurate ones are available, they're on the expensive side for purchasing in large numbers, and I'm searching for a passable substitute for the less well-off reenactor. The closest thing I've found so far is the Delma MA-3, which resembles some of the three-bladed types, but it's much too big.

Not rejecting steel yet -- if the next-best thing to a Classical bronze repro happens to be made of steel, so be it.

[john m roberts]

You might inquire of Suhel at AlHamdd. He can supply bronze scales in bulk so he might be willing to do the same with arrowheads.

[Dan D'Silva]

I'll keep him in mind. However, if I understand, he's a wholesaler? Would his services be best-suited if and when the group grows to a large number?

[Robert]

[attachment=4548]Trilobatecomp..jpg[/attachment]

Hi Dan,

What kind of type are you looking for? Are they to be shot? Trilobates are often barbed and very difficult to extract. This is a type from Xanten, but they have been found elsewhere, too. You could go for a mor simple socketed and barbed biblade, again, using barbs is hell on your target extaction.

[Dan D'Silva]

Any type that was common in the period. I think the important factors are that they should be narrow and light, compared to modern broadheads.

The most authentic ones (with bronze points from Neil or Manning) would be for display and for target-shooting, but I understand reed shafts break more easily than wood or bamboo. So I'm thinking of cheaper points with sturdier shafts for shooting.

OIP 69 has a plate of ones found at Persepolis and I understand the ones from Skythia and Greece aren't a whole lot different. One of them is a tanged, barbed trilobate that looks similar to that one.

[Robert]

No scale to the picture, but it does look a lot like number 16, but nr 7 would be ideal for you, as this is socketed, so easier to mount and fix and can be removed from the target with ease, plus being totaly authentic. Are these bronze or iron? The ones I have are 3 inch long, half an inch across, iron. They weigh 9 grams. What sort of quantity are you talking about?

[Dan D'Silva]

I can't tell the scale either. The catalogue doesn't give dimensions. I think it was blown up when scanned -- the plate says "Scale, 1:2" but zooming in to 200% makes them much too big according to what I've read about their typical dimensions.

Xenophon at Hippeis posted an overview (fifth post down) on the socketed bronze ones. The biggest ones are two-bladed, up to two inches long, almost 4/5 of an inch wide and weighing up to 6.5 grams. The three-bladed types are significantly smaller than that.

From the scan, nos. 4, 5, 15 and 21 are iron, the rest are bronze. I'm thinking about a dozen arrows per archer (plus at least that many safety ones). Each archer could start with cheaper points and replace them with more authentic ones when he or she can afford to.

I cut out nos. 1-3 because they're polearm heads. No. 7 is a lot like the ones Neil makes.

[Robert]

Well, I too can recommend Suhel for sourcing arrowheads. He has made me several hunderd excellent ones. In iron, but I have heard he also does goed work in brass/bronze castings. Just make sure to send him a good, detailed drawing, in scale, showing different angles and inside. Best thing would be to make one arrowhead yourself in aluminum or so, which he can make the molds with.

Good luck!

[Dan D'Silva]

Would you say there are any passable ones on the market already? The thing is, the group is not exactly growing fast. For the time being, I think each archer will have to buy arrowheads as an individual. What I'm hoping to do is simply find out what options are out there for a new reenactor who might be on a tight budget.

If there aren't any, I might bite the bullet and see about developing a new product -- when I'm working again, and if the result is less expensive in small orders than the perfectly authentic options that already exist.

[Robert]

I have found both prices and quality to be very reasonable on the whole, but yes, I do think you will have to go out on a limb and organise the retailing within the group (and perhaps wider) yourself. Just be sure to send Suhel a type trilobate which fits your needs and is not already commercialy available. If you do not claim exclusivity, it could be interesting for both parties.