Longbows: Flat Limbs For Power

Longbows have flat limbs because of the way they are designed and the materials used to make them. The traditional longbow is made from a single piece of wood, usually yew, and is characterised by its simplicity. The flat limbs of a longbow are circular or D-shaped in cross-section, and the bow is usually widest at the handle. The flat design of the limbs allows the stress to be spread more evenly than with rounded limb sections, making the longbow a powerful weapon.

Flatbows are more stable and efficient

Flatbows are also more stable and efficient than longbows because they are easier to make. A longbow has to be made from a specific type of wood, such as yew, which is light, resilient and has exceptional compressive strength. Yew is difficult to find and expensive. Flatbows, on the other hand, can be made from common hardwoods that are easily available. Flatbows are also easier to make because the flat design means that the bowyer does not have to cut through the growth rings on the back of the bow.

Flatbows are also more stable than longbows because they are quieter, faster to reload, and more forgiving of shooter errors. They are also more stable because they are longer, which gives more stability to the archer.

Flatbows can be made from a wider variety of timbers

The flatbow is a superior bow design for almost all materials because the stress is more evenly spread out than with rounded limb sections. A bow limb is essentially a flexed beam undergoing bending, and in any flexed beam, the farther from the neutral axis (the line in the middle of the beam that is not under tension or compression) the more stress there is within the material. When a limb is rounded, as in a longbow, some material sticks out farther from the neutral axis, and thus is put under greater stress. In a flatbow, the flat belly and back ensure that all of the most strained material is a uniform distance from the neutral axis, spreading the load over a wider limb, minimizing stress, and making weaker woods far less likely to fail.

In most parts of the world, common hardwoods may be used to create excellent bows. Suitable and easily available timbers include elm (used in ancient Europe), maple, sycamore, hazel, and ash. The flatbow design also lends itself to very dense, high-strength woods such as hickory and especially osage orange (a wood favored by many Native American tribes for bow-making). Good quality yew wood is still much more expensive and difficult to find than woods suitable for flatbows, and beginning bowyers are strongly recommended to start with a flatbow made from easily available wood.

Flatbows were used by Native American tribes such as the Hupa, Karok, and Wampanoag, prehistoric ancient Europeans, some Inuit tribes, Finno-Ugric nations, and a number of other pre-gunpowder societies for hunting and warfare because, unlike longbows, good flatbows can be made from a wide variety of timbers. Flatbows fell from favor in Europe after the Mesolithic, replaced by yew longbows, which depleted the stocks of yew over a huge area. Flatbows survived in cold areas, such as Finland, where yew does not grow naturally due to the unsuitable climate. The traditional Finnish flatbow is made either from ash or as a birch/pine laminate glued together with fish or hide glue.

The American Flatbow (AFB), also known as the American longbow, was developed in the 1930s. It resulted from scientific investigation into the best cross-sectional shape for a bow limb. This research was expected to explain why the English longbow's D-section was superior to all other extant designs. Instead, it showed that the best cross-section was a simple rectangle. The AFB was developed by applying these research findings to the English longbow. The result was a more efficient and stable bow that could be made from more common woods.

Longbows are made from resilient timbers

Other woods can be used to make longbows, but they may not be as powerful or durable as yew. For example, elm, oak, hickory, ash, hazel, and maple are good for flatbows but require heat treatment and a wider belly/narrower back to be used for longbows. Osage orange is a dense, high-strength wood that is excellent for flatbows but is not mentioned in the sources for longbows.

The demand for yew was so high during the heyday of the longbow that mature yew trees were almost extinct in Northern Europe by the 16th century. As a result, laminated longbows became more common, with the belly made of yew and the back made of another wood, such as hickory or bamboo, to take advantage of the inherent properties of different woods.

Longbows are harder to make

Longbows are made from a single piece of wood, typically yew, which is cut from the centre of the tree. The outer third of the wood is called the sapwood, and the inner two-thirds is the heartwood. The sapwood is used for tension, and the heartwood for compression. The heartwood resists compression, while the sapwood performs better under expansion or tension. The raw material is living, so finding the perfect balance between the belly and the back is challenging.

The English longbow is made from a single piece of wood for the back and the belly of the bow. The limbs are relatively narrow and are either circular or D-shaped in cross-section. The flatbow, on the other hand, has flat, wide limbs that are approximately rectangular in cross-section. The flat design of the limbs means that the stress is more evenly spread out than with the rounded limbs of the longbow.

To make a longbow, the bowyer must cut the stave from the centre of the tree, ensuring that the sapwood forms about one-third of the total thickness of the bow, with the remaining two-thirds being heartwood. Different combinations of sapwood and heartwood are possible, but it is not recommended to go over a 50-50 distribution. The heartwood should constitute the main part of a longbow, but finding the right balance between belly and back is difficult because the raw material is a living tree.

The construction of a longbow consists of seasoning the yew wood or any wood for a few years, and then working the wood into the desired shape. This process can take a long time, and the bowyer must be careful to avoid permanent damage to the bow. The wood must be periodically waxed, and the bow must be left unstrung when not in use.

The flatbow, on the other hand, can be made from a wider variety of woods, including elm, maple, hickory, and osage orange. These woods are more readily available and cheaper than yew, which is difficult to find and expensive. The flatbow design also lends itself to very dense, high-strength woods. The flat design of the limbs means that the stress is spread out more evenly, making it less likely that the wood will break or become permanently bent.

The flatbow is also easier to make in terms of achieving the desired shape. The flatbow limbs are flat and wide, so the bowyer starts with a wider stave and works to achieve the rectangular cross-section. The longbow limbs, on the other hand, are narrow and rounded, so the bowyer must start with a narrower stave and work to achieve the rounded shape. This process is more time-consuming and difficult.

In summary, longbows are harder to make than flatbows because they require specific types of wood that are difficult to find and expensive. The construction process is more time-consuming and delicate, and the bowyer must be careful to avoid permanent damage to the bow. The flatbow, on the other hand, can be made from a wider variety of more readily available and cheaper woods, and the desired shape is easier to achieve.

Longbows are more difficult to aim

Longbows are much more difficult to aim than other modern bows. They do not have arrow rests or sights and do not have nearly the same velocity as compound or recurve bows. The longbow requires more practice and patience to master, but many archers enjoy the challenge of learning to use them effectively.

The longbow's limbs are thick and narrow, which is why it generates more hand shock than a recurve bow. The vibrations can be felt in the grip when shooting. The limbs of a recurve bow, on the other hand, are wide and flat, usually made of layered wood, fibreglass and/or carbon.

Longbows are characterised by their simplicity. They consist of a long, slightly curved piece of wood the same height as the archer. The bowstring was once made of hemp, flax or silk and attached by "horn nocks" at the ends of the bow. Modern synthetic materials, like Dyneema fibres, are now used for the strings.

The English longbow, the most common type, is made from a single piece of wood (a single bow stave) for the back and belly of the bow. The wood used is yew, with sapwood for tension and heartwood for compression. The stave is cut from the centre of the tree so that the sapwood becomes the back and forms about one-third of the total thickness of the bow, with the remaining two-thirds being heartwood. The yew tree was almost extinct in Northern Europe in the 16th century due to the demand for longbows.

The American longbow, also known as the American semi-longbow, has narrow limbs and a handle that is a similar width. It was developed in the 1930s as a result of scientific research into the best cross-sectional shape for a bow limb. It was popularised by Howard Hill and quickly displaced the English longbow as the preferred bow for target shooting.

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