Kemend

Gokmen · Post by **Gokmen** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:19 am

After not being able to string my new 110lbs Kassai bear Magyar bow alone

I made a kemend. Here I string and unstring the bow using the kemend:
http://youtu.be/BVPs9zRASfU

I made two kemends, one more close to the museum original, where the thin loops go in the nock place of the bow, and the one in the video, which is very very simple, basically just two knots at each end. The knots have another advantage, you can adjust the length.

The nock places of the Kassai bow were too small for the first type of kemend. The leverage effect with the second type is a bit less as the touchpoints of the kemend on the bow are more towards the grip but yet it works well as you see.

I remember Bede having difficulties with the kemend type stringing, I found out that if you wrap the kemend lower on your body it will not hurt and go much much easier. So not belt height but rather on your bum, which is then almost in line with your legs. In the video I have it too high fyi..

In the old Turkish texts they say this is the safest method of stringing.
Now somebody has to explain me how they strung heavy warbows on horseback while in full gallop...

thanks

Gokmen

redhawk · Post by **redhawk** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:30 pm

I?ve never believed that someone would be able to brace a bow while in full galopp. That?s a fairytale?
Michael

Uli · Post by **Uli** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:33 pm

Great, thats what I needed for my new bow

Step-through method is my favorite but the risk of twisting is higher than with kemend. I see no way to string a heavy and strongly recurved bow on horseback..

Gokmen · Post by **Gokmen** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 1:25 pm

The stringing of the bow while in gallop is described in different texts. I have one Ottoman text in mind for example where they tell you to unstring your bow, string it again and shoot an arrow afterwards in one go on the track.
They just dont tell you the detail how exactly you do it. Apparently it was a common thing back then:)

The new Iranian guy wrote he knows how to do it so let's wait for his answer..

Zarasp · Post by **Zarasp** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 7:20 pm

kemend is the same as Kamand , which in Persian means Lariat, i have a very old leather one measured 18m, interestingly enough Bow in Persian is Kaman, both come from the root Kham = to bend,

of course stringing bow while gallop is a not a myth, almost everyday for horseback archery practices i string my bow on horse, & sometimes while warming up the horse , either canter or slow gallop.

here is how to string a bow on horse, the way my grandfather taught me.

this can also be used to string very heavy bows easily.

Edit: picture number 2 is only for showing the placement of the right hand, on the horse you have to put the siyah under your thigh first!

Zarasp · Post by **Zarasp** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 7:20 pm

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 12:12 am

Gokmen,
Thanks for the tip. I will try that out. I saw Cem brace a bow with the kemend method, but without the kemend. He had someone put the string on the bow after he bent it. I was very impressed by his dexterity.

Zarasp is right about the word, kemend, but while the bow stringing kemend is descended from the lasso / lariat, it is shorter and specialised. The ones used in Egypt under Ottoman control are made of many strings arranged like a giant bowstring. There is a picture in the books commission by Napoleon after the invasion of Egypt.

Uli · Post by **Uli** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 9:47 am

that's it Zarasp

thanks for posting

Zarasp · Post by **Zarasp** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:07 am

Uli wrote:that's it Zarasp
thanks for posting

Glad i could help

Gokmen · Post by **Gokmen** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 1:14 pm

Very interesting, thanks Zarasp. I wonder would it be possible to string Ottoman/persian bows with this technique assuming the bows are 100-110 cm nock to nock?
Thanks
gokmen

Zarasp · Post by **Zarasp** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 1:31 pm

Gokmen wrote:Very interesting, thanks Zarasp. I wonder would it be possible to string Ottoman/persian bows with this technique assuming the bows are 100-110 cm nock to nock?
Thanks
gokmen

you are welcome my friend! you can string very long Kassai bows & small grozer turkish bows like this, it is possible to use the left side also for shorter bows, just be more careful with the asymmetric bows, the constant bend is lower & movable is top.

this is also a good method to string very high poundage bows easily, while on foot, i am sure you can string your 110# easily this way, on horse it takes about 20 seconds & i am sure it is possible to do it while in full gallop, although i have never tried it at full gallop.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 3:23 am

A friend taught me this technique for stringing English longbows. I am so short that the very long bows are out of my reach by ordinary methods. With the smooth curve of a longbow, you can do it one handed on very heavy bows.

Saracen Archery has a similar method on horseback on pages 91-92.

If you wish to try a different method, lodge the neck of your bow quickly but securely in the instep of the right foot with the string in place and the grip pressed firmly against the outside of the right knee. Next bring your right hand to bear on the neck of the bow, that is to say, the base of the siyah and, with your left, draw the string up until you can slip it into the nock.

Storm · Post by **Storm** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 7:30 am

I tried the method Zarasp showed with my coreean Hwarang bow and it rather impossible to do on the left side alone because the bow is short and reflexed and has a 5" brace height. I could not reach the top tip with my right hand. I tried a variation and it worked fine:
Holding the bow with both hands, one at each end, place the grip left of the spine, somewhat higher than the lumbar area. Start flexing the bow with bow hands until you can place the left tip against your left thigh and continue to flex it using the right hand. Then use your left hand to place the string in its place. The bow will end up strung across your body, below both shoulders.

Still, the method with the right leg described in Saracen Archery works much better with my bow, and perhaps with other highly reflexed bows.

For high poundage bows, I think the first method is better, at least for myself.

Zarasp · Post by **Zarasp** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 9:31 am

Storm wrote:I tried a variation and it worked fine:
Holding the bow with both hands, one at each end, place the grip left of the spine, somewhat higher than the lumbar area. Start flexing the bow with bow hands until you can place the left tip against your left thigh and continue to flex it using the right hand. Then use your left hand to place the string in its place. The bow will end up strung across your body, below both shoulders.
.

Exactly!

with practice & shoulder strength , i am sure you can do it on the left side too & with right arm on your forehead. which make it easy for more curved bows & the strung bow will not be around your body.

i couldnt understand the saracan method, can anyone post pics?

Storm · Post by **Storm** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 10:31 am

Zarasp, I managed to do it as you have shown, but again slightly different. Maybe this will help others trying the method:

The main problem with these reflexed bows:
If I hold the top end of the bow and the string with the right hand, as you've shown in the first two pictures, the string stays in contact with the bow an all of it's length. I cannot slip the left hand in between them. The way I do it, is to hold the string in place with the left hand, on the bottom limb.

Then follow the pictures above. I put the lower syiah right below my left knee and the grip just below the left armpit. This way I can place the grip lower from the shoulder and the right hand can catch the upper limb.

Very good method. Thanks again Zarasp!