[Regia-NA] Re: crossbows

[rmhowe]

I had one of those aluminum prods once on an 80 pound crossbow.
Because I disliked pulling it with the butt against me I used
to put the butt on the ground and push down. [Had an untreated
hernia at age 4, an operation at 17, another botched one at 34,
and an orchiectomy (left testicle removal) at 36. So you can
see why I didn't care for the abdominal draw method. The one
at 34 was caused by no help when it came time to move a 700 lb.
beam. I picked up one end of it - and the pain hit me about 45
minutes later.] 

One day the aluminum prod broke and tore a nice wide track up my 
inner forearm.

Glad it didn't break when I was aiming it.
Getting an eye torn out or a temple strike would have been less
fun. I seriously recommend wrapping that aluminum prod in rawhide or
something similar where the broken part doesn't fly free through
the claw against your face/head.  I've seen other people cover theirs
for this reason. I have several other crossbows - of which one has an
aluminum prod. Haven't used it in years.

I now have one of the custom 320 pound windlass drawn etched design
crossbows the Dubeks sell at Pennsic. I suggest ordering before Pennsic
and paying then when you see it finished. They're out of Quebec.
The one for show was magnificent at $800 / 400 lbs. Tried to buy it. 
I paid the same price for one I got last fall and would rate it at 
7 on a 10 compared to what we had drawn up and agreed on.
Lots of problems had to be ironed out on it after I got it, some still
do.

Having pulley bolts and hook parts that scratched through the stock 
finish the first time it was drawn was irritating to say the least.
It also wasn't the shape I specified - which would have kept
people's fingers from reaching above the arrow track. 
One lady has already gotten hurt because of that. 
I was told it was made to the drawn shape before I sent the remaining
$580. 
$250 was the up front deposit.
It arrived in a much different pattern instead.
I suggest the crannequin instead of the windlass. Same price.
Might be less problems with it. That jute cord on it parted about shot
9.
And when the windlass is all the way out the cord on the right side
wants
to climb the side of the pulley - as it is angled incorrectly. 

I will say it throws a bolt so fast you can't see it fly over a short
distance and it is a good twice as hard to pull out as an arrow
from a hunting bow. The windlass on this one is steel from Belgium.
It's also a tremendous draw at our public demos.

W.F. Patterson's A Guide to the Crossbow makes a reasonable case
for them in Anglo-saxon England if I remember correctly. Not steel
prodded of course. And the outside wrapping of a sinew/wood/horn one
is birch bark according to Alm. There are two period crossbow
representations
in sculpture from a bit before or during Regia period I seem to recall.

Magnus

Jeffrey Fulton wrote:
> 
> While it is a beautiful website, I believe there are some serious inaccuracies in it.  For instance, the fuller to prevent suction when pulling it out?  A fuller does the same thing as an I-beam.  It strengthens and lightens.  A solid steel beam 6" X 4" will bend easier than an I beam of the same dimensions.  Then the crossbow - sinew and hide crossbows weren't that powerful.  Steel crossbows appearing much later and requiring hooks or levers with poundages 150 to 300 lbs could shoot 300 metres, but a sinew/hide one probably would be less than 100 lbs of pull.  Our 70 lb aluminum one has the same range and penetrating power as a 30 lb longbow.  It wouldn't shoot 300 metres unless you were shooting down a well!
> 
> Bjorn
> 
> Ealdric Frog_Hollow <ealdric@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> 
> >I presume you are familiar with this ?
> >
> >>From: Dhubhgaill@aol.com
> >>Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2002 16:09:27 EDT
> >>To:  trimaris@trimaris.org
> >>Subject: [trimaris] Incredible Battle of Hastings website
> >>
> >>I normally don't get excited by websites.  This one is unbelievable!  It
> >>is a UK site about the Battle of Hastings.  Check it out.....If they gave
> >>Oscars for websites this would have a trunk full.
> >>
> >><http://www.battle1066.com/>Battle of Hastings 1066
> >>
> >>Caitlin
> >
> >Ealdric of Frog Hollow
> >"If the stars should appear but one night in a thousand years,...."
> >
> >Ealdric of Frog Hollow  ealdric@bellsouth.net
> >
> 
> --
> monsieurgeoffrey@netscape.net