Got the longbow bug...

segolden · Got the longbow bug...

But I have to watch the budget here. Was looking at the Bickerstaff Standard or Traditional with horn nocks in the Quicks catalog. Looks pretty authentic, like the set with arrows, quiver, etc. Would like some feedback on this and shooting ELB in general.

Robin Hood

its great like i just got yesterday and it so smooth but it's 60lbs so i was buggered after shooting it 8 times only use to 25-30lbs but it good, the cowhorn knocks help re-inforce it plus it look good, the quiver thats is pictured here look pretty ratty by my standards is it factory made or mass made? but the bow itself look good.

segolden

Like anything else, you gets what you pays for.

I imagine everything but the bow is factory-produced, but I like the style better than the back-quiver I have now. Don't want anything over 45-lbs. myself, prefer 35-40 actually, as it'll be my practice/fun bow. Y'll better do some weight-training, man, ouch!

Robin Hood

yeah i know but i wont have time to shoot now might have to work from know on

Dawn

You having to work Robin

Have you finished your studying now

Hope you will find time to practice with you new bow

Bushy

My Longbow is 70* at 31 inch and I know what u mean bout the change in weight when my recurve is only tillering at 44* but speaking from experience your muscles soon get into it and build up and then the problem is when u shoot something else it seems weird like wheres the rest of the weight I have benefitted from shooting long bow over the winter as now when I'm shooting Barebow I can hold the bow longer at full draw and dont feel the weight as much making me more accurate

kirk

Seagolden, you won't go wrong with a Bickerstaffe bow, not only do they look good they are built to shoot. I had one at 45# at 28" and shot sweet as a nut, wish i still had it now, having seen that pic.

Robin is right about the quiver, a bow like that deserves a matched set of shafts in a good quality quiver.

segolden

Good to know, Kirk, seems like an elementary question, but I like to have input. As to quivers and arrows, I hate cheap stuff in general, prefer to buy the best. The quivers I have are from thirty-five years ago (I've even got some of the old fiberglass arrows), and they weren't top end at the time. This set will get me through until I can pick up better quality, main thing was the bow.

PS: Since you do nice work, I'll be checking with you about the leather. Have a design in mind that might prove interesting.

TimS

segolden - how did you get a Bickerstaff Bow out there ? I thought he no longer exported to USA due to some silly liability and import restrictions.

As kirk says, you have a bow from an undoubted quality source - I use a Bickerstaff Bow myself (and its performance has led many of my club colleagues to follow) and meet him fairly regularly - a nice guy, great bowyer and an endless font of knowledge on the subject of the longbow which he is always willing to give up his time to share.

Enjoy the new toy!

segolden

Wish I did have it! Sorry Tim, hope I didn't fool everybody here, but I was making inquiries about the bow before I tried to get hold of one. Was not aware that there was an import/export problem, and I was intending on buying it from Quicks. Now ya got me worried, going to have to investigate further. Glad to know that it's quality stuff, at least.

kirk

Seagolden, you could always go with a sleeved take down, don't know if Pip Bickerstaffe makes them but i have seen them about. When they are strung you can't tell they are two piece as the handle covers the sleeve, although they are more expensive.

TimS

OOOps, should have read more closely !

Anyway, having gone to Pip's (recently revamped) site in order to quote his statement it is no longer there, and it may not have applied to Quicks anyway !

I will check first in future !

Sorry ......

segolden

Seen several of those here as well, Kirk, slick little system. Real handy in a longbow, but its adds more to the price than I can afford (I'm good at begging, but not THAT good!

). Only reason I've got permission to look is we've got a substantial tax refund coming (fingers & toes crossed), so we'll see what happens. If all goes well, I might be able to afford some decent arrows, maybe even those fancy Medieval jobs from the Longbow Shop.

No problem, Tim.

Put in an email to Quicks about it, so hopefully there won't be a bother about it. Several people here have had no trouble in getting bows from a Scottish outfit recently, though I heard there was some screwups last year. Bureaucrats, detest them all!

Robin Hood

Segolden siad "If all goes well, I might be able to afford some decent arrows, maybe even those fancy Medieval jobs from the Longbow Shop"

Yeah but you'll pay through the nose for them i looked at them on a coulple of websites and it's $200 made up and complete, much cheaper to make them and if you tie the feathers down it looks even better, very satificing but very time consuming.

Dawn

For those who haven't seen them that are interested, I put some pictures of Bickerstaffe's workshop in the Archers Arms forum, 'cant wait' thread, from our visit earlier this month.
We will be going again in a couple of weeks and if I can get some more interesting pictures I will post them too

segolden

Between your pics and the Bickerstaff website, Dawn, the bows seem even more fascinating, looking forward to handling one.

The shop's "central heating" is interesting as well, kinda like ours.

Robin, you are spot on, those arrows are dear in cost. Just want a few as an example to work from, plus I can do the old "See, this how I did it" vs. "See, this is how it was supposed to be done" routine.

BTW, found out the export problem is a matter of warranty. Coverage of shipping damage, or breakage of wood products after arrival due to environments outside the UK, and that kind of thing, blah-blah-blah. Oh well, Quicks will ship without guarantee or warranty, so as the song says, "it don't matter to me". Not sure about Bickerstaff, suspect they have same view about it.

Robin Hood

you'll have to be careful buying made up ones with tied feathers i reakon some of them are done so poorly then they try sell them, some people!

segolden

That's why I'm interested in the Longbow Shop's arrows, unless I see somebody here that's known for their good work.

Hint-hint.

Glennan_Carnie

I'm on my third Bickerstaffe bow - the quaintly-named 'Little Bastard' - 115lb MR replica, a laminate of Osage, Satinwood, and Hickory.

Pip's bows are tough as anything, sweet to shoot, with excellent cast. The guy just doesn't make a duff bow. Get one if you can!

segolden

Well, I had ordered a KG deluxe model ELB from fred, and his package arrived today. I must say he's very nice to deal with, and I can now testify that his products are fabulous! The bow looks and feels like absolute quality, and the handmade wood arrows are painfully wonderful. Unfortunately, I won't be able to shoot them until the weekend, but I'll have some pics and an evaluation ASAP. In the meantime, Kathy keeps nudging me out of my stupor as I sit staring at the whole set leaning in the corner. Will Saturday never come?

Steve B

Why are you waiting for Saturday to come, get out there with a light if necessary and get shooting Bro ....common you know what to do

So get out there and do it

jaselpool

segolden

Patience, Steve, schedule's a bit crowded right now due to certain social obligations, but I'll get to it. Technically, we're not supposed to have too good a time until this mourning period is over, but I can sneak in a few activities on particular days.

JP, I'll give you a yell when I'm ready to replace the arrows I got just recently from fred. That might be real quick knowing my shooting! I want to order some authentic war arrows from him, as well.

fred · Medieval Arrows

Just sent a set of 3 needle type7- 3 bodkins type10- 3curved broad heads- 3type 15 swallowtype- 3type 16 warheads hand cut fletchings bound with silk self nocked 23/32" shafts to a customer in Oregan.these were for a 100lb bow. He is well pleased.
Fred

BobSpoons

Bickerstaffs bows always look great. From the little ive read on this forum so far, everyone always seems amazed and awed at anything Fred produces too.

Just to throw another name into the mix for anyone researching in the future...

Ive seen some lovelly bows from Michael Wrightson (own one too) although these days cant seem to find the website. They also used to be available through Eagle-Classic-Archery but they dont seem to do much archery stuff anymore.

Just thought id throw that in there too

Alex

fred

Gone down the shuff mate.Michael Wrightson is still making bows as far as I know.
Fred

BobSpoons

Which went down the shuff?? Wrightson Longbows (company not the person) or Eagle Classic?

Shame either way. Nice bows.

Hope you didnt think I was saying anything against your stuff Fred. Ive only seen great pics and everything I read tells of how great your stuff is.

Alex

Dawn

As far as I know Eagle Classic Longbows is winding down and will close soon

segolden

Always hate seeing craftsmen going under, though business is always a matter of survival of the fittest. Going to have to look into some of those war arrows a bit later on, fred, I'm getting inspired.

Scare the heck out of the locals to show them what would be shot at people through an ELB.

segolden

Since I received the KG Deluxe Longbow and matching arrows from Fred last week, I've been taking a close look at the bow itself whenever I've had a few moments to spare. This is the first all-wood bow I've had, so I've been looking up data before it arrived, and the characteristics are interesting. The KG is made of laminated hickory with red heartwood highlights, similar to what I've seen of nineteenth-century longbows, except for the traditional horn-material tips. I've no idea how single-material bows made of yew or hickory would've looked like or acted, save that the Welsh bows were known to be rough in outlook despite the reputation they held among opposing English forces.

I've not taken any photos of the bow and arrows, but will try to amend that, no promises as to when though. First impressions from shooting are extremely positive, however. After stringing, adjusting and proper warmup, I actually hit the target butt! The touch-release method that Fred advised took some getting used to, as my recurve has an SRS sight which requires a non-canted upright form, and I've never gotten past hesitating slightly when reaching anchor anyway. Not sure if I'll quit doing that with this bow either, but I'll try most anything, once. If this form works out over time, I may yank the SRS off the Quinn so that I don't have a lot of problems with consistency. That will make three bows I shoot that are traditional: American "trad" recurve, Magyar horsebow and ELB.

When the Monster Bows Phoenix gets here, that will be another story. About the difference between an Uzi and a sniper rifle there, since the Phoenix is a precision weapon that generally uses the accessories that have developed with shooting other compound bows. It's due for arrival around the end of the month, and will be an interesting contrast.

Meantime, I'll use one wood arrow at a time for practice, and experiment with aluminum and/or carbon arrows for general use (yeesh, people, stop howling, I can hear it clear across the pond). Which, BTW, seem to work well with this KG so far. The target-alloy and Gold Tip XT Hunter shafts that I use with the Quinn flew straight with field-points in the longbow, so the next step is trying hunting broadheads. I did have to encase the wood arrows' fletching in plastic bags for storage, as I've had problems with mites and ants that like the taste of real feathers. I've also put some moleskin on the riser where I noticed some wear from the arrows' passage.

Got the longbow bug...

Medieval Arrows