Designing the optimal "ranger" bow.

[Ursus]

So in addition bladesmithing I've begun to take up the family bowyer trade. I've had to come to grips with the fact that my father is beginning to age and within the next decade will likely lay down the trade. In my spare time I've been learning the craft with modest success. Which leads us to the topic of this post. My first true bow build is going to be an attempt to design a stave that suits a rangers needs. Any that know me know that I favor a heavy warbow but what I want is something that is purely ME ranger. I want to focus more on a Ranger of the North, nothing Ithilien at this time please. It is stated in the books that they carry bows but as ever Tolkien's details on weaponry are seriously lacking. This is where my fellow rangers come in. I would like everyone's input on what they would want most out of a "ranger" bow in regards to how it relates with the culture in the realm of style, shape, length, draw weights etc. Once up and running I plan to offer this bow to exclusively to forumites at a steep discount. Pull up a chair and fill your pipe I'm eager for everyone's opinion.

[Greg]

I would make a point to ensure that the bow is not only effective, but highly practical within the setting of the old North Kingdom, which sounds like it's your goal as well. I'd have several criteria to paint a picture of a bow that, in my mind, fits this bill. For starters...

1) Materials
Wood used in bows in Arnor is not known to us...they, as you said, didn't describe them in gross detail, so we have a bit of liberty there; I would look to historical sources for options that seem appropriate. I would, of course, prefer Yew above all, but it sounds like you're trying to make this reasonably priced, and Yew would be cost-prohibitive. Osage may be a good substitute, since it Ambers with age and looks great in the woods in that color stage. I would recommend it being a backed bow, using a material that WOULD be readily available...Deer Rawhide. Less labor-intensive than processed sinew (which doesn't really seem to fit culturally anyway, being very middle-eastern in bow use historically) and easy to make, it seems like a good viable option.

2) Size Practicality
I've been carrying various 48" bows for years, and though they're super practical, accuracy under pressure can suffer simply because there just isn't as much mass present, and a shorter working limb. They tend to be violent on the side of handshock, and the long limb travel just isn't conducive to accuracy, especially for an archer such as a wandering Ranger that doesn't have a target butt handy to keep his skills sharp often, etc. I think a healthy balance between bow mass and woodland practicality could be found between 56-58" nock to nock.

3) Construction
I would lean towards a shallower D-cross section. The D-section bow is iconic of western Europe, but making it a shallower D would enable less stress on the limbs and lower poundages without risking explosion...as much. The flat back would still lend itself to Rawhide backing, and a bend-through handle area would give us plenty of working limb at these shorter AMO lengths to avoid breakage. The possibility of a slight reflex out towards the tips comes to mind, as something that is historically plausible, since recurved limbs of various designs have been accounted for in just about every part of the old world, without throwing a sharp hook on the tips, to keep us looking European. Basically, just enough to give it a midle-earth flair and a little extra cast without forsaking historical design altogether. And, of course, we don't want to get it looking too Elvish...these are the men of the west we're talking about, here!

4) Poundage/Cast
I would recommend the bow be made for hunting first and combat second, since a wandering Ranger would shoot their bow at game significantly more often than orcs. Even a 45# bow can put a bodkin through chainmaille, and since Tolkien was kind to us and left out plate armor...that'll do, pig. I'd stay between 40-55 lbs. (though, of course, customers may ask for less or more from you). A very wise old bowhunter once said that any game in North America, large or small, could be taken on a 55 lb. bow, and he was right. That weight range gives you plenty of options, and will provide enough cast for hunting or occasional combat in a wooded zone, where flight shooting would never occur.

I happen to be embarking on a quest for this exact bow, so I may be a bit biased...I'll be beginning a build-along on the forum here, shortly, so I'm going on this journey with you! Looking forward to seeing what kind of stuff you churn out!

[Manveruon]

Soooo... Basically... Everything Greg said.

Haha, seriously though, I think he nailed it, beginning to end. Every one one of those specifications sounds right at home on a ranger bow. I, too, like the idea of a shallow-D cross-section, because deep-D's were mainly made to make as many bows from one yew tree as possible, and one must remember that the rangers were a scattered, nomadic people, who therefore would probably not need to be as economical with their materials as a large standing army making longbows for soldiers. Also, I definitely agree about the poundage. I could see a ranger bow maybe pulling up to 70 pounds or so, but I don't think anything beyond that. Once again, it's not the battle of Agincourt we're talking about, it's woodland skirmishes and hunting.

Length is a concern for me, because I think a ranger would want a shorter bow, if possible, but all of the points Greg made about length are extremely applicable. I think the compromise he's suggesting is an excellent one - however, I would say that above all, the bow should be safe to shoot (it goes without saying really), so if longer limbs are needed to account for a longer draw-length on the specific archer using the bow, well then so be it.

The only thing I'm personally not as into in Greg's description is the deer rawhide backing. It's an aesthetic thing for me - I just don't much like how it looks, but it would certainly be functional. Still, if the bow is backed, I'd go for linen or cloth backing of some sort. Just a personal preference.

Otherwise, yeah: yew, osage, ash, or hickory. Some (but not overmuch) reflex in the limbs. etc. etc. All good stuff.

Can't wait to see what you come up with!

[Ursus]

Thanks for the replies gents! Solid ideas all around. It sounds as though we're all more or less on same page. The bows will be osage as we have an abundance of staves already dried and ready for carving. I probably wont go for backing on my own personal bow but could pull it off on others. The length will be somewhere in the 60ish inch range and have a very subtle recurve. Also I will likely do horn knocks on the first few.

[Manveruon]

LOVE IT.

[Peter Remling]

If I might add something. I havn't seen this done before on a bow but how about an alignment pin. A small pin raised against the grip so you will always feel the pin in the same place on your off hand. This will ensure you are always gripping the bow in the same spot. It would be much like a menukii on a katana.

[Greg]

I've considered a riser under a leather wrap, much as on a sword grip, for the same purpose. On my current project, there's a knot in just-the-right-place that I'm planning to use for this 'positive grip'.