Where to buy a traditional style asiatic bow.

kamaangir · Post by **kamaangir** » Mon Aug 29, 2016 2:21 pm

Hi All

I am as always another 2 projects away from the project that I want to be working on, hence I never get a lot of them finished. I fear this may be happening to my "build a traditional bow" project.

I am interested in buying one now so that I can make a start learning how to use a bow. Mostly interested in Parthian, Persian or Scythian type bows but know very little about them.

There is some on ebay, some on sites like kassai's site and there is the Grozer (I think thats what its called) are any of these worth the money?

I live in the Uk and my budget for the bow is $450 maybe stretching to $500.

I would appreciate any help I am an absolute novice.

pcoutin · Post by **pcoutin** » Mon Aug 29, 2016 11:06 pm

you might want to consider a korean bow - koreanbow.com

KenH · Post by **KenH** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 1:26 am

Grozer and Kassai are both well respected names. I've shot both, and prefer Grozer. His Old Scythian is pretty nice, and I like the looks of both his Persian and Turkish models. And the prices and shipping from Hungary are good for folks on your side of The Pond.

If you're new to archery, don't jump off the deep end with a heavy draw weight bow. Learning on a 30#-40# draw bow is much easier than a 75# or more draw!!

kamaangir · Post by **kamaangir** » Sun Sep 04, 2016 11:36 pm

Many thanks for your responses and advice, gives me lots to think about.

Regards

pcoutin · Post by **pcoutin** » Mon Sep 05, 2016 2:43 am

http://www.alibowshop.com
http://www.koreanbow.com

I would go with an Alibow Tatar or something. What draw length do you want?

If you aren't going to shoot beyond 18 meters, there's a very economical option for Scythian that looks more authentic than the fiberglass laminated bows IMO - PVC!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/231811908/ ... e_active_4

https://www.etsy.com/listing/235229044/ ... e_active_7

They shoot like average selfbows, though. Expect ~140fps, when you could get ~180fps or more with a good laminated bow. But slow bows are perfect at 20 yards which is the usual range, and it makes it easier to see your arrow fly, which is a plus with instinctive archery I think. And you'd save several hundreds of dollars, and have an arguably better looking bow.

This is a PVC scythian bow I made and broke... it was really slow. Too deflexed. Maybe not flattened enough so i still broke it by overdrawing. or i burned it and it got brittle. But Thomas Hard's bows are way better made.

KenH · Post by **KenH** » Mon Sep 05, 2016 6:55 pm

For a really good, really professionally made PVC Scythian bow, you can't beat my friend Tommy Hard at www.UpshotArchery.net He does a faux birchbark finish that is unbelievable. Beautiful work, and you can't beat his prices.

pcoutin · Post by **pcoutin** » Mon Sep 05, 2016 10:02 pm

Here Nick Tomihama shoots one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJu8t2dqqC0

maybe my posts are too long :p

It should be perfect if you don't have a very long draw (I suppose 30" is okay) and you don't intend to shoot at more than 20 meters or so (maybe 30) for a while - though his heavier bows at 45 pounds or so should be fine for longer ranges as well. just from my experience..

If you like symmetric bows you can ask him to make you one of the recurves with scythian style tips, with birch bark or whatever finish you want. Or just pick one of the for sale ones

KenH · Post by **KenH** » Tue Sep 06, 2016 2:41 am

I know Nick pretty well. He's a sometimes contributor to the PVC Archery and Crafting Community on G+, where Tommy and I are moderators.

A PVC bow of a given draw weight is just as "good" at a given range as a bow made out of any other material of the same draw weight at that range. PVC is no more sluggish than a wooden self bow, nearly as good as a wood-fiberglass composite.

If you really want to talk and learn about PVC archery, come join the community:
https://plus.google.com/communities/115 ... 2709812365

pcoutin · Post by **pcoutin** » Tue Sep 06, 2016 6:48 am

The chronographing on the video speaks for itself, although maybe one could get a bit more performance with lighter arrows, a longer draw and a clean thumb release.

10gpp arrows and less than 140 FPS? Though that Scythian bow has almost no reflex, it seems, but that's around what you'd get with an average selfbow. I'd expect 170fps or so with a 'fast' laminate. Besides, PVC is the same amount of material from the inner limbs to the tips (unless the tips are cut down as with the Turkish bows). I think PVC bows would start performing well with wood siyahs and heavier draw weights to offset the extra mass of PVC (like with hornbows) ?

I expect a Korean laminate bow at 35# w/ the same draw length, arrows and 3 fingers to be significantly faster.. a wood D bow, around the same I guess. A wooden pyramid bow with heat treated belly and flipped tips... nah, faster.

Ralph · Post by **Ralph** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 9:53 pm

Hi kamaangir,

if you look at the following link, you can find some sources for buying bows in "traditional style asiatic bow" (espec. chinese style ones but others too) in the section "Webseiten - Bezugsquellen für Bogen":

Link to source

Another source is AF Bow Hunting Factory but I do not have a lot experience with teir quality.

Ralph

kamaangir · Post by **kamaangir** » Sun Oct 09, 2016 11:17 pm

Thank you, I will have a look at those sites. Very helpful resource!