Famous for it's role in the hundred years war, the English longbow struck fear in the eyes of its enemies.

This particular style is from the Victorian era when a shortage of Yew meant bowyers needed to invent alternate methods of creating this legendary weapon. Whilst no longer used in war, the longbow retained its popularity in hunting and target shooting and was still in hot demand.  Utilising 3 different types of more accessibly sourced wood bowyers were able to not only solve the issue of demand but the combination of 3 hard yet durable woods even allowed the production of heavier, more durable longbows.

Slender and stunningly beautiful, every traditional bow enthusiast must own an English longbow. At 26lbs this longbow is easy and smooth to shoot, and is great for those wanting a more accessible traditional bow.  

Design: 

Traditional English longbow (Trilaminate)

Materials:

Wood belly (Osage orange)

Wood core (actionboo)

Wood back (Hickory)

Horn nocks

Leather grip wrap

Measurements: 

Total bow length: 74 inches (188cm)

Brace height:

~7 inches 

Draw weight:

26lbs;

Max draw length:

32 inches

Included:

Bow, custom designed string. 

Please note that your string will come without the top string loop tied into a bowyers knot. If you would like to tie this knot to around a 7" brace height please indicate this by selecting this option when you buy.  

Extra info:

Are you a beginner to archery/traditional shooting and not sure what else is needed to get started?  Please find some initial guidance below. Or for more send us an email on info@saxon.co.nz.

- Richie and Georgie, Saxon Archery. 

1. Arrows - A bow would be useless without arrows to shoot with. For a wooden bow like this, we recommend Carbon or Wooden arrows. Start with some basic arrows, and then once you're perfecting your aim, consider calculating your draw length and picking the right arrow length and arrow spine, both of which we can advise on. 

2. Arm protection - An armguard is a must. This sits on your opposite arm and protects your arm from bruising which can occur when the string slaps your arm after the arrow is released (trust us on this one!).

3. A quiver - Not a necessity, but useful. For storing your arrows and keeping them close when shooting. The most common type of quiver hangs off your belt/waist, but quivers that hang over your shoulder are also available. 

4. Finger protection - Repeated pulling back of the string of a bow will strain and damage your finger.  Archers will therefore use either a protective glove or a finger tab to protect their pulling finger from injuries. 

5. Hand protection - Traditional bows such as this one rely on the arrow resting on the side of the bow, and once in flight the feather of the arrow will graze the fleshy part of your hand between your thumb and index finger. It is highly recommended to place a piece of leather/wear a thing glove, or use a dedicated hand guard to avoid feather cuts. 

6. String setup - Longbows require the archer to tie a 'bowyers knot' where the string hooks onto the bow,  and to re-adjust this knot over time for consistent shooting. If you are a beginner, please let us know and we will send you the string with a knot ready to go (at a standard 7inch brace height). As you get more familiar with archery/traditional shooting you will want (and need) to eventually adjust this. We are more than happy to help when that time comes, and can even video chat to demonstrate and walk you through the process.