Double nocked bow?

Tamr The Nomad · Post by **Tamr The Nomad** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:33 am

What is the reason for a double nocked bow?

Is it a newer style like 20th cent or does it go way way back?

Knight of Dissonance · Post by **Knight of Dissonance** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 12:00 am

If I?m not totally mistaking the double nock serves the purpose of stringing with a sting. It is used on heavy longbows. You place a stinging sting on the outer nock while the sting is attached on one inner nock and the other loop of the string around the bow below the other nock. Then you step on the stringing string while pulling the bow upwards by the handle and attach the string. This way of stringing prevents damage on legs and such if you have a really heavy bow (100# and more). But the method doesn?t work on hornbows, since they have a totally different construction. Or at least I think so?

Tamr The Nomad · Post by **Tamr The Nomad** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 2:15 am

Thanks but I am talking about hornbows.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 10:37 pm

Bows with double nocks are sometimes still used in Mongolia. I have been told by archers using them that one set of nocks were used in summer and the other set in winter. The different climate was thought to affect the bow.

Tamr The Nomad · Post by **Tamr The Nomad** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 11:30 pm

Thanks Bede!
That makes good sense.

I noticed one on Grozer's website too so I was intrigued. It didn't make sense that it would be to alter dray length as that can be done without changing where string sits.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 12:45 pm

When I think about it, there might have been some excavated examples. Perhaps Andrew Hall might know.

Dusan · Post by **Dusan** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 1:30 pm

One string is from horse bac skin -its (if i remember) in summer and from the sheeps gut in winter. + knot is good stres inhibitor.

Andrew Hall · Post by **Andrew Hall** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 8:00 pm

The only double-nocked bow that I can think of is the circa 8th century Moshcheveya Balka bow in the St. Petersburg Hermitage Museum. This has a double nock at one end, but the tip of the other siyah is broken off.

I don't think the extra nocks would help in stringing as the bow is too reflexed, though I suppose you could use the extra nocks to keep the bow braced whilst changing the string.

The best reason I can think of is to increase the draw weight by using a shorter string on the inner nocks. Probably, as Bede suggests, to keep the draw weight consistent with seasonal changes in the bow.

Andrew

Tamr The Nomad · Post by **Tamr The Nomad** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 4:37 am

This is at the grayson collection online. It is 20th century but I was wondering if this was an old idea.