the durability of the hornbow

jiao · Post by **jiao** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 1:04 am

if shoot the hornbow day by day , one day at least shoot 300-500 arrows,what things will hapen of the hornbow? the modern fiber glass bow design the 100000 arrows shoot life, what case of hornbow? how many arrows it can shoot?

also i hear of hornbow or wood bow can regain it's elasticity ,but what method for do it?

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 1:34 am

Good Turkish bows were said to last the lifetime of a man. I know that Lucas Novotny has shot one two hundred years old. If you put a composite bow out in the sun, belly up for several hours a day for up to three days it will regain part of its reflex. I have a Chinese bow that was made in the early nineteenth century that was shot well into the late twentieth. Only in the last ten years of use did its core start to degenerate. Good quality bows last longer than poor ones.

Vonegelut · Post by **Vonegelut** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 5:11 pm

Bede wrote:Good Turkish bows were said to last the lifetime of a man. I know that Lucas Novotny has shot one two hundred years old. If you put a composite bow out in the sun, belly up for several hours a day for up to three days it will regain part of its reflex. I have a Chinese bow that was made in the early nineteenth century that was shot well into the late twentieth. Only in the last ten years of use did its core start to degenerate. Good quality bows last longer than poor ones.

Wow! Thats so interesting Bede ! I should try method you described

jiao · Post by **jiao** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 3:33 am

thanks bede ,i learn more here, the so strong sunshine in my live area, hight temperature the stone or building under the sunshine will become 40℃ -70℃,i got a new die yellow croaker on beach and bladder dissolve on sand

Vonegelut, say good luck for you in Kazahstan

bheggeseth · Post by **bheggeseth** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 2:39 am

If you have access to old copies of Primitive Archer magazine in the Aug/Sept 2010 issue there is an article written by Kay Koppedrayer about a old Ottoman bow. This bow was examined by Lukas Novotny and Jaap Koppedrayer and believed to be from the seventeenth century. As the article states it was a fluke that they had access to this bow, as it was purchased on eBay for $350.

Long story short over some time Lukas was able to string the bow and shoot it, note the bow drew 80 pounds. I would love to see what a couple of hundred of years would do to newest hottest flavor of the day compound bow.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Sat Jun 08, 2013 2:42 am

Judging from something that Adam wrote, I would not let the bow get above 50 C. In Sydney. dark coloured horn can get very hot in summer so I monitor the bow every half hour. Just touch can tell you if it too hot.

It is important not to try this on bows that have very thin layers of horn like some commercial bows made today. They may distort or, worse, they may de-laminate if temperature sensitive glues were used in their construction. Specifically, polyester resins are much more heat degradable than epoxy resins.