A Medieval-style Arrow Vs The Telephone Directory - Video 19

[pisquilah]

Thumbs up for the recorder.

[passwordresetisbroke]

My ears imploded at 0:41 and I am now deaf. Thanks.

Seriously, did it need to be so loud :D

[bigbowbrum]

@passwordresetisbroke Ha ha, yes that note does go right through you doesn't it?! Unfortunately the audio level is set by the maker of the track and is not under my control. I just add the track at the default volume level as an overlay.

[MattFrisian]

Picture at 1:11 appears to be at full draw. But the video of the actual shot at about 1:32 he holds momentarily and appears to lose some of the draw length. Perhaps better penetration if the arrow were fired at full draw? Good video, thanks for posting.

[huyked]

Wow! 100 pound draw! That's crazy! ;D

[Wiegieboard]

Damn, yellow pages! You tough!

[demomanchaos]

Making my phonebook armor for my medieval time travel exploits will not be a waste of these last years and this proves it. Now to go conquer ye olde England, and make a few calls when I am done.

[lakotadak]

I need a trow self longbow!

[VRJensen1]

AWESOME!!!

[camrion]

Hello, I am relatively new in the longbow world, and I wanted to give the traditional bows a shot. I would appreciate very much, if you could refer me to a website that sells quality longbows. I would like a 35 pound draw at 28". Thank you very much.

[bigbowbrum]

@camrion Sure. I will send you an e-mail.

[DumblyBrilliant]

My worst mistake as a young man was firing into a tree with a fiberglass arrow, pulling out and firing it again. The arrow had split along its length halfway down the shaft and I did not spot it. When I fired it again the sharp split opened and the pointed end of the split embedded itself in my hand between my thumb and first finger in that web shaped piece of skin. It went straight through and just hung there while I screamed and bled a lot. Lesson learned.

[UnIuckyChucky]

that would be to big for a long bow because back then wern't people like small?

[bigbowbrum]

@UnIuckyChucky They were no shorter than Martin, who is only about 5' 5". There are bows from archaeological digs in existence dating back to 2665BC and they all seem to fall within the 5' 6" to 6' 6" range. Even a very short man can easily shoot a 7' bow as he grips the bow in it's centre, but holds it at chest height.

[ViolentEncounter]

woa, u use your hand for the sheld?? i still have a scar on my hand from a fletch

[bigbowbrum]

@ViolentEncounter Yes, longbows don't have an arrow rest so you have to use your finger instead. If the fletchings cut your hand then it is because the arrow is lying too flat. Either lower your hand slightly or raise the nocking point where the arrow fits on the string. The nock end of the arrow needs to be slightly higher than the tip resting on your finger when at full draw. This will cause the arrow to lift on loosing and fly just above your hand, so the fletchings will not cut you.

[ViolentEncounter]

@bigbowbrum thanks, i think the arrow fell of the shelf as it left the bow. i was young and couldnt cant the bow for some reason?? but thanks. id like to get one of those ancient warbow

[cbrusharmy]

@bigbowbrum I just learned this with some new 1/4 pounder arrows. The hemp cordage I used to wrap the fletching to the shaft tore me up! You live, you learn. :-) I always enjoy coming back to read your recent comments.

[Lukos0036]

@bigbowbrum This helps actually. I was having the same problem with mine. Thanks for the tip. =D

[ZuparHiero]

@bigbowbrum, I've been shooting a restless bow for awhile now. And during that time I've found an awesome way to stop my hand from getting smacked and provide for more consistent shots. Acting like a fallaway arrow rest used on many compound bows i use my index finger to hold the arrow up and a half-second after i release the arrow i move my finger down to let the arrow fly contact free. NOTES, Light bow grip helps drop. Drop after release but before fletching has time to impact finger.

[bigbowbrum]

@ZuparHiero Interesting idea. You must have very quick reflexes! :)

[Supercukr]

@ZuparHiero or just wear a gloves on your bow holding hand :)

[littleminikid]

How many pound in draw weight is you bow?

[NoisemakerArrow]

@littleminikid Did you watch the video? Cause in the video it says 100.

[swedishlongbow]

nice movie :) 

[CaptainFeltcher]

NICE ONE! deffo a killing shot! So if I wanted to get cheap long bow (for a not so strong arm yet) then where should I look? It would be for me, my friend and my friends dad to shot with. I see cheap long bows from china on ebay but I am worried about quality. I have no wood craft skills os can not make one.

[bigbowbrum]

@CaptainFeltcher I will send you a list of recommended suppliers. The best way is to phone a few and discuss your requirements, but I wouldn't bother with any bows from China as they won't be the quality you require. Unfortunately good wooden bows take skill and decent materials, both of which add to the price.

[roglet123]

@CaptainFeltcher is it a longbow you are looking for, because if it is just a bow you can get recurve bows fairly cheap

[MasterArcher97]

I must say i had my doubts on weather the bodkin arrow would fully penetrate the telephone directory,

Great video;-)

[TheLukaszH]

Great video !! its poplar arrow ?

[bigbowbrum]

@TheLukaszH Yes most of our arrows are made of Poplar, though we do sometimes use Ash or Birch too, but only rarely.

[Treifla]

@bigbowbrum odd, i was always under the impression that ash arrows were more poplar

i deserve to be shot for that pun.

[warbowgeeks]

wow, that is a really interesting thing to see! your videos are always a pleasure to watch and are really inspiring , what type of wood is the bow made of ,

thanks

[bigbowbrum]

@warbowgeeks The bow in this video is made from Italian Yew, cut from trees that have been growing at around 2,000m altitude in the Alps so the grain is very dense.

[michelthegreatable]

1:16 to skip to where i actaully shoots

[Rivannous]

phonebook wins

[WolfOfBloodAndBone]

@Rivannous Excuse me?

[TaylorBrosTV]

Excuse me, but how do you contact Ron Palmer?

[bigbowbrum]

@TaylorBrosTV I used to see Ron frequently at shoots but haven't seen him for about 5 years now and I don't have his contact details. Sorry.

[TaylorBrosTV]

@bigbowbrum Thank you anyway, I am also being worked into a mad fit trying to find the name to the piece of music used in the beginning of this clip. You wouldn't happen to know would you?

[bigbowbrum]

@TaylorBrosTV Both pieces of music are listed in the end credits. They can be downloaded off the Soundclick website. Just search by author. Best wishes.

[bigbowbrum]

@TaylorBrosTV I am sorry to relate that Ron passed away 3 weeks ago, aged 86. He will be sorely missed.

[DLD024]

@bigbowbrum Sorry to hear of his passing. Best wishes to all of his family, friends and followers.

[SilentHillmaniac]

@bigbowbrum was this video made last year?? because he looked great for his age, I hope I look that well at 86

[Bowslayer95]

No offense. But i've made a bow out of shoe string and a random sapling that shot an arrow better than that.

[bigbowbrum]

@Bowslayer95 No offense, but no you didn't.

[Bowslayer95]

@bigbowbrum I'm going to say I did. My father has made re-curve and flat bows for years so he knows how to make a stick sling an arrow.

[bigbowbrum]

@Bowslayer95 I don't doubt you have shot a bow, or that your father has made them. What I know without any doubt is that a bow made out of a "shoe string and a random sapling" would not out perform a 110lbs draw weight self yew longbow made by one of Europe's most respected bowyers and using high altitude Italian yew which has a ring density and cast very difficult to match these days. To suggest so is to insult my intelligence.

[Bowslayer95]

@bigbowbrum You may be "intelligent" But you're doubting my shooting a bow? I'm a deer hunter. I own a fred bear Kodiak and a matthews Z7 compound so don't tell people what they have and have not done.

[bigbowbrum]

@Bowslayer95 I hope your ability to shoot a bow at defenceless animals is better than your reading skills. If you take the time to read my comment again you will see that I said "I DON'T doubt you have shot a bow". Is that clear enough for you? Neither a Fred Bear Kodiak nor a Matthews Z7 compound use shoe strings for bow strings. Neither are they made out of saplings. You seem to be straying from your original post which makes me wonder whether you were even conscious of the drivel you wrote.

[Bowslayer95]

@bigbowbrum Your bow was Originally used to Kill 'Defenseless' animals and soldiers So i'd brush up on your bows history. I'm not trying to be a jackass if i'm sounding like one. Also i got that comment late so my reading skills are good enough to get me into college for Conservation.

[bigbowbrum]

@Bowslayer95 I have no problem with hunting for food or for killing in battle. I have no time for people who hunt when other food sources are plentiful. I have been shooting bows and studying their history for more years than you have been alive so please don't lecture me. You continually fail to grasp the point of this conversation (shoe string + sapling Vs yew bow) so I feel it is pointless to continue. If they have a class in humility at your college I suggest you consider joining it.

[Bowslayer95]

@bigbowbrum two last questions off topic: where can i get a hold of yew wood? can i find it in a lumber yard without having thirty thousand knots?

[bigbowbrum]

@Bowslayer95 Not off topic, just a change of subject which I think is best for us both. Good yew is very difficult to find. lumber yards are not a good place to look as it won't be properly seasoned and will no doubt be full of knots even if you find a nice straight 7ft stave. Some bowyers will sell good yew, but the ones I know of are European or English. I will send you some links to the suppliers I use, and highlight those that may sell you a stave. Best wishes.

[Bowslayer95]

@bigbowbrum Re-watched this video and i saw no arrow rest. Don't you ever get grazed by the feathers shooting off of the side of your hand?

[bigbowbrum]

@Bowslayer95 Hi. No English longbows have arrow rests, instead we use our fingers. The point where the arrow nocks on to the string is slightly higher than where the arrow rests upon the finger. When the string is loosed the force of the string pushing against the arrow makes the front of the arrow lift so that it is now level with the nocking point. This causes the arrow to fly slightly above the finger, rather than scraping across it. This lifting is enough to stop any grazing of the fingers.

[kovona]

I expected it to go deeper. How far was this shot from?

[bigbowbrum]

@kovona If you watch the video it tells you!

[ZhenZhuge]

Ah, the great challenge. Getting the bugger back out!

I shoot a 30ib Longbow and with the clubs targets its a pain getting them back out. must be even worse with 100ibs.

[protesialbanese]

what used to say during teh middle ages the ones hot by arrows and the surgeon trying to pull it out the flesh? :D

[PcGenie1]

Good to see some people doing real archery, my videos on longbow and flatbow archery get shoved aside by pathetic compound archers showing how much money they have with all that cheating technology!

[elgostine]

@PcGenie1 well different techniques for different bows, but yeah, its similar to shooting a rifle

[WolfOfBloodAndBone]

Well that ruins my plan to wear a full suit of phone book maille

[Thunderr10]

wow the sound of the arrow in flight is amazing.

[MrLaurence007]

sweet shooting and sweet bow

[dasgilde]

hallo Brum - get a pig banker and do this?JOKE

[Antiks72]

Brum - get a pig carcass and try that.

[valentinsebastian]

hehe...nice  Nick! :-)

[peacemtn]

Cool

[p47r0n]

Awesome

[Darkestsides]

I guess this why they didn't use paper armor in the medieval ages.

[wilcaswell]

that was good

[Landofwoads]

haha nice

[Quingu89]

Hey :) Nice music and your longbow is just stunning, beautiful craft. I want to ask you about law in UK as regards to archery shooting. Currently i'm living near Bath city and I don't know any good places. Ohh and another question about prices of good longbow here. Cheers ;).

[bigbowbrum]

Hello Damian. You don't need a licence to own or shoot a bow in the UK, but unless you are shooting on private property you will need some kind of public liability insurance. Most people join a local archery club which provides tuition and insurance as part of the membership. Obviously you can't walk around with a bow and arrow in public either. :) If you want to find local clubs then try the Grand National Archery Society site. They have a "find your local club" facility on their page.

[5tonyvvvv]

@bigbowbrum proper english folk music indeed

[CombatArchery]

Very Cool!!!

[armagch68]

hi big bow i was practicing last sunday and accidently shot the meadow hardwood pole holding up the barrier bow was horsebow 120 lbs and medievil warpoint it penatrated the hardwood up to 1.5 inch at a shooting distance of 40 meters needles to say that only a strong hand and pliers got my arrow back nice vid c.u

[bigbowbrum]

I know the feeling! A good set of pliers is a must for anyone shooting heavy bows with medieval heads. Great penetration though. Well done, even though I realise you didn't mean to hit the pole! ha ha.

[LKH9]

Nice video, I LOLed to the last part, it takes a strongman to pull out the arrow. xD

I love this kind of arrowhead.

[bigbowbrum]

Glad you liked it. What we hope the last segement also shows is that an arrow that might penetrate maille, armour or padding, even if it doesn't go deep enough to wound, probably couldn't easily be pulled back out. Granted it could be broken off, but the soldier would still be disadvantaged by having an arrow head and some shaft sticking out of his clothing/armour.

[natrix49er]

the last 20 seconds was my fav part...lol. jk, very interesting...how does the long bow do against bullet proof material??

[bigbowbrum]

I have been told it penetrates better than a bullet.

[thedukeofantioch]

major jack churchill once put a longbow arrow through an armoured car.he used his bow in commando operations in ww2.

[bigbowbrum]

Yes I have heard about the Major's exploits during the retreat to Dunkirk. Sounds a great chap! I'm not too sure about the armoured car story though. Their armour was way too thick for an arrow, which has trouble penetrating even 2mm thick armour, but great comment though. Thanks.

[van1980]

Would love it see it against flattened, riveted iron chainmail links over a gambeson of some type.

Great vid though, again.

[bigbowbrum]

Yep, so would we. We have a video on just this subject being made just as soon as the armourer can supply the maille. It will be over a padded jack.

[kaziklu79]

Nice video! In conclusion we can say that if each of the french had a telephone directory and another smaller book the results of Crecy and Agincourt may be would be different ;)

[leonardo1480]

really good to see another video, more, more! lol, Pretty good shooting from Martin, the Normans know how to make some really nasty arrow heads!

[bigbowbrum]

Yeah, this arrow head is very mean looking. They have an original in the Battle town museum, which is where the battle of Hastings took place in 1066. It is incredibly long and sharp, ideal for anti-maille use. We shall be using this head in our upcoming test of authentic medieval-style rivetted maille which is being made for us by a professional armourer.

[noonoobaggins]

Was the arrow made by R.J Hartley?

[bigbowbrum]

Nice one! ha ha.

[Olwe1992]

@sorbothane

or cover yourself in holy bibles!

I mean you never know.. :P

@bigbowbrum

nice video ^^

[FreddoX1]

How many lbs was that bow?

[bigbowbrum]

Ron Palmer, the bowyer, says it was tillered to 105lbs, but we think it has now relaxed a little and is more like 100lbs. It has a lovely cast, which really shoots the arrows very far and fast for the relatively low draw weight.

[Gh0str1d3r1973]

NIIIIIIICE!!!

[martinh1948]

sorbothane ,be careful you may get a CALL. ha! ha! Martin said Archer.

[bigbowbrum]

@martinh1948 Well mate, we haven't had you shooting at a moving target yet. Perhaps an idea for a future video! Any takers?

[bigbowbrum]

@sorbothane Ha ha. Yeah, much better than armour. Cheaper and probably lighter too! Only trouble is you would end up looking like a porcupine bristling with arrow shafts. :)

[leonardo1480]

and perish the thought if it rained the telephone directories would turn to paper mash stuff lol

[xpawel123456x]

The great video !!

[sfmain]

ThankS!!!!

[xpawel123456x]

The great video !! 5/5

[bassfuryvi]

brutal power..thanks for sharing..