Turkish Sipers

TomasY · Post by **TomasY** » Sun May 12, 2013 5:33 pm

Hi Bede,
Thanks for the reply. I was following the design laid out here: http://www.osmanliyaylari.com/2012/03/o ... in_22.html. Based on this image:

It has a longitudal curve profile, the trough definitely isn't totally flat. Anyways, I was looking at images of sipers in various museums, and the one in the background of this image caught my eye for the curvature of the trough:

Maybe I have over stylized the curvature in mine, I won't know until I am able to try shooting it soon.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Mon May 13, 2013 2:59 am

Several of the old thinner sipers curve like that but look how it has distorted the tabla. The plan you are working from conforms to most of the sipers I have seen, but not all have exactly those widths.

Perhaps the thin ivory troughs were heat treated to straighten them and over the centuries have returned to the original curve of the tusk. Horn ones certainly were straightened and curved by using heat. Examination of the grain in the ivory would probably show what was done. I have a bone trimmed Bukharan saddle where even bone has been curved by heat and pressure so the principle may apply to ivory.

In practice, I think your siper should work well. The curving of the underside of the trough will not affect its performance, just increase the amount of work involved. Most of the original sipers I have seen did not even have the underside polished.

TomasY · Post by **TomasY** » Mon May 13, 2013 3:36 am

That makes perfect sense.
I didn't know about the undersides of most sipers not being worked. I thought it was the proper thing to shape and polish the entire thing based on the degree of craftsmanship in fotos of well preserved ones.
Thanks for the response!

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Mon May 13, 2013 7:41 am

High quality ones were fully finished, but many people were archers so there were various levels of finish and quality of materials. Here is one I photographed in the Grayson Collection in 2006.