English Longbow

Description of the Product

English longbow like this is perhaps the most famous bow model in the world. However English longbow can mean two different types of bows - either a war bow or a bow made for sport shooting. A very rigid, long bow made from a single piece of wood was used as a weapon in wars in the Middle Ages, until the 17th century when it was replaced by firearms. In the 18th century, archery was revived and became a recreational sport. For target shooting English longbows became lighter, thinner and more ornate compared to the earlier war bows. According to the English archery tradition, the longbow is a simple and clear-lined bow made from single piece of wood or laminated from two pieces of wood, whether we are talking about war bows or bows made for target archery.

Although people have competed in archery throughout the times and the first recorded target shooting competition was held in Finsbury, England as early as 1583, the target shooting era, when people started shooting for fun and sport instead of preparing for war or hunt, began in earnest in the 18th century and was most popular in the 1800s. Archery competitions with traditional wooden longbows continued until the early 20th century. Archery was considered a nostalgic, romantic hobby and archery competitions were important events with opportunities for socialising and courtship. Since archery did not require any special sportswear the shooters also dressed in their best and the competitions were full of festivities. Archery was one of the first sports where women participated equally, right from the early days of the sport. Since the royals of England had been active archers since the Middle Ages, archery retained an elitist and high-class vibe throughout the centuries. For example in the Tudor era in the 16th century Henry VIII was an archer, as was his second wife Anne Boleyn who seduced Henry partly with her archery skills. Also their daughter Elisabeth I was an active archer.

The English longbow (the model used specifically for target shooting) has a long and glorious history as this bow also gave birth to modern competitive archery sport. For example the various forms of archery competitions that are still in use today (for example the FITA round) and shooting distances are based specifically on the English archery tradition. If you want to go back to the roots of target archery this English longbow is the right choice for you! Although this bow is called the English longbow bows like this were used throughout the Europe and USA. This bow style was developed in England from medieval war bows, as it was England where bows were used so successfully in warfare during the Middle Ages and archery as a sport was first practiced.

This English Longbow is our version of the English longbow used in target shooting, style commonly used from the end of the Middle Ages to the end of the Victorian era, i.e. the beginning of the 20th century. This bow is laminated from maple (back of the bow) and red variety of elm (the stomach of the bow). The combination is very similar in appearance to yew from which the war bows in particular were commonly made of. The top and bottom nocks are made of water buffalo horn and the handle has been wrapped in green cotton velvet.

These longbows have a draw weight of approx. 35 pounds, which allows for easy and pleasant practice shooting. Perfect if you are starting a new hobby or don’t practice shooting regularly. In Finland 40 pounds or more is required if the longbow is to be used for hunting so this bow is not suitable for hunting use.

The bow comes with a bow stringer (additional long string to help you string the bow) and a mock arrow for checking the correct draw length. This arrow has no fletchings or tip, and it is to be used as a simple guide against which to check that your arrows are compatible with this bow in length.

This traditional 100% wooden bow is ready to shoot and enjoy, as it requires no adjustments or preliminary break-ins. The bow has a one year warranty from date of purchase, and it is entirely hand made in Finland.

• Can be shot ambidextrous
• Total length approx. 194 cm
• Approx. 35 pound draw weight with 28-inch (71 cm) draw length
• Laminated from maple and elm (red elm Ulmus rubra)
• Nocks made of waterbuffalo horn
• Handle wrapped in green cotton velvet
• Dacron string
• Locally hand made 100% wooden traditional bow
• One year warranty

Due to the length of the item, please contact us first if shipping outside the EU.