[Regia-NA] Re: crossbows

Fri, 05 Jul 2002 00:40:02 -0400

Ours is wrapped in rawhide. It has a stirrup for pulling it, plus we have a belt hook (that we have never used). I was using my steel 150 lb. one in an indoor range once, and we were crowded over to fit too many people in, and I got too close to the wall.  The stock slapped me like a stepfather would slap a red-headed stepchild.  I was lucky not to lose teeth.
Thanks for the heads-up on the Quebec merchant, I almost ordered a goatsfoot lever for my steel 150 lb. one, but I wasn't comfortable with them.  They sold my friend a bow and craniquen one and he is happy - but it was there at Pennsic and he paid cash and walked away with it.

Jef/Bjorn

rmhowe <MMagnusM@bellsouth.net> wrote:

>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
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-- 
monsieurgeoffrey@netscape.net

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