Asiatic Bows, Books, Articles, and Sources

[rmhowe <magnusm@ncsu.edu>]

Permission granted to republish_within_the SCA, or Great Dark Horde,
but OFF of the Rialto. Copyright 1997 R.M.Howe. Specifically sent 
for use by Stephan's Florilegium, Cariadoc, or Ioseph if they so 
desire it. SCA lists only, thank you.   Magnus
Asiatic Bows, Books and Resources

For those looking for information on Oriental Composite Bows:

 On checking Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com 
if you enter the search area under archery you will find the 
most recent printing of Turkish Archery by Paul Klopsteg,
Hardcover 1993 This was a rare book until this reprinting and
it will show you how to shoot your asiatic bow with the thumb 
ring technique. It is ISBN# 1564160939 and the price is $39.95
plus shipping at 1-800-The-Book. Note: this is a very limited 
edition from Derrydale Press - I think it was about 1200 copies. 
Prior to this the book was very hard to come by and expensive.                    

 Klopsteg was no lightweight. He was a genius who engineered a 
great  deal for the U.S. Govt in Both World Wars and after. 
He discovered  and wrote about much of the dynamics of archery
as we know it today. He died at the age of 104 about 3 years ago.

 For those of you who may wish to have a similar bow but cannnot 
find one there are some similarities in a western style 
construction but mongolian shape. Try Alaska Frontier Archery, 
P.O.Box 92089, Dept TB, Anchorage, AK  99509. (907)349-7249. 
They have a very good looking Siberian Wolf Model that is a take-
down (it comes apart at the handle). 66" and  35 to 75 pounds.

 Saxon Archery Manufacturing, P.O.Box 587, Potlatch, ID 83855, 
(208) 875-0408 has a very pretty similar bow. They are well 
noted for their high quality.

 A little of making and shooting the asiatic recurve is touched 
on in Archery - It's History and Techiniques, VHS tape from 
Barnes and Noble.  

 Green Man Archery, 195 Buzzard Lagoon, Corralitos, CA 95076,  
(408) 763-1976 has put out a VHS on the CHIVALRY OF ARCHERY, 
The  History, Techniques, and Spirituality of the Archer Knights,
Vol 1, An Introduction to the Masters of the East. $19.95 
including shipping. Haven't seen it. Attractive address though.

 Prairie Wolf, P.O.Box 96, Randolph, KS 66554 put out a video 
in l993 called "How to" Construct the Asiatic Composite Bow by
Jeffrey Schmidt and John McPherson. 2 hrs. $39.95. Got excellent
trade reviews. Also another called The Primitive Bow and Arrow,
same authors, 2 hrs. $39.95 Then a book "Makin' Meat-1", 
The Sinew Backed Bow & Arrow. A how to by  the same authors. 
48 pages, jammed with phlotos and information. No  Secrets, 
Just Physics.l $5.00

 Oryx horns for those of you who are just dying to try this are  
available from I.T.S. Cutlery 5900 Cassandra Smith Road, Hixson,
TX, 37343   (800) 548-9412  Average Length 32", 2' Diameter at 
base, tapering to a point. Paired a closely as possible on 
request.

 Primitive Archer Magazine in volume 1, issue 2, had an 
excellent  article on How to Construct a Turkish Horn Bow by 
Curtis Byrd. In January 1997 All back issues were still 
available for $4.00 ea ($5 Canadian) from Primitive Archer, 
P.O.Box 209, Lufkin, TX 75902-0209 (409) 632-8746  This is a 
really excellent magazine for beginning  and advanced bowyers.
The best there is.

 Traditional Bowhunter Magazine had articles:  A Shot From the
Past: Asiatic Recurve Models by Joe St. Charles in its 
June/July '96 issue. It included the subarticle (long) called 
Making Asiatic and Oriental Model Bows by Thomas H.Shorely who
has made about 75 of them, some out of aluminum, some out of 
natural materials. Archers of the East by Jonathan Kessler in 
the Oct/Nov '95 issue is an historical overview of a number 
of cultures but also contains a verbal description of the 
construction techniques. These may be obtained from: 
Traditional Bowhunter Magazine. P.O.Box 15583, Boise, Idaho 
83715  (208) 362-0325 $4 each, $4.50 Canadian.

Two excellent articles on Asiatic bows are contained in the 
still obtainable Islamic Arms and Armour book edited by 
Robert Elgood, London 1979. Scolar Press ISBN 0-85967-470-3,
About $100. The first is the chahar-kham or 'four-curved' bow
of India by Edward McEwen. First rate constructional depictions
of bow and arrow, photos, and description of materials and 
construction. The second is Archery in the Lands of Eastern 
Islam. (many mongols are now Islamic, depends on tribe and 
country) By J.D.Latham and W.F. Paterson. This is primarily 
history and shooting technique, including from horseback.

       Master Magnus Malleus
       Windmasters' Hill, Atlantia and the Great Dark Horde