WAR ARROW FROM ASH TREE ROOT SHOOT

WAR ARROW FROM ASH TREE ROOT SHOOT

"The archery industry in medieval England served a number of markets. So far the evidence has been of equipment for use in national military activity, but there was a great deal of equipment used more localised or personal ways, for mercenary service and crusading, or private use in England, for hunting, brigandage and sport ".

Richard Wage - “Arrowstorm".

I know that we can all buy arrow shafts from different suppliers and very few of us  have adequate workshops in which we can shape them from long strips of wood.

In the past I made a primitive arrow from Ash tree root shoot and I was surprised at the good quality and strength of the wood. ( https://velopeia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/custom-made-primitive-arrow.html). At that time I was thinking that the thickest part of the shoot should be the strongest for the arrow nock, and of course that is the part closest to the root. 

Because of that I had to spend a lot of time tapering the shaft.

Recently having checked a shaft from an Ash root shoot that had been drying for approximately a year, I discovered that the spine and the weight was adequate for the construction of a medieval war arrow and the top of the shaft - the thiner part away from the root - was strong enough to take the nock.

Well, Ash is a prehistoric tree and definitely has been around in the British Isles since ancient times, and the question is how practical it is to make good strong arrows from the root shoots.

There are not disadvantages in this practice but only advantages. There are a huge amount around, and in cutting the shoots it benefits the main tree ( I think ) and for me something wonderful, they are naturally tapered.

                                                                    

Photo 1

So, during an hour’s walk in the local woods with my dog I  harvested 11 possible shafts - Photo 1. The shoots I am looking for, are straight and with as less knots as possible. At photo 2  is the root shoot that my 34” measure shaft is resting on. 

I used a small saw and a Vernier Caliper and chose shoots which at the thickest point are about 14mm - 15mm and are much longer then 34”.

                                                                     

Photo 2

Next step is scraping back the bark and whilst they are very fresh I make my first attempt to straighten them with steam or a gas burner. I like my bunsen burner. 

In photograph 3 I have a group of 8 fairly straight shafts. Three from the 11 had to be disposed of because of hidden imperfections and knots. As a comparison I have in the middle the finished war arrow. 

                                                               

Photo 3

In photographs 4 & 5 you can see the 7.5” of goose feathers with linen binding and instead of horn as a nock re-enforcement, I used an Oak strip, also acceptable in medieval times. At the front is an armour piercing hand made Type 8 bodkin.

The only mechanical part of the process is the spinning with a drill and sandpaper, just to smooth the surface, but could easily be done by hand but would take longer. All the new 8 shafts, after a couple of weeks of drying (longer in the winter)  will be straighten further. 

                                                                  

Photo 4

                                                                         

Photo 5

There is something very important for me to mention. In these root shoots the grain direction is evenly arranged around the centre of the shaft so it makes no difference where you cut the nock but most interestingly  from top to bottom the grain is evenly and naturally arranged.

I have bought many shafts with twisted grain or irregular thicknesses between the sapwood and hardwood lines. In my opinion when the arrow spins that can produce problems in its trajectory (?), like perhaps an unbalanced car wheel. 

All the materials would be easily available to a farming or forest community or a small town in medieval times. Apart from the bodkin all the other materials are, I would  say, are almost free and here are the arrow specs.- Photo 6

Arrow from Ash root shoot - 30” long.

Natural taper 13mm - 11mm.

Spine #115

FOC 13%

Bodkin 361 grains

Weight 1070 grains

….with the 361 grains weight bodkin the spine softness and the arrow fly really well with a longbow #100 @ 32” bow and in this particular arrow  #93 @ 30”.

                                                                   

Photo 6

                                                                          

Photo 7

Photo 7: Arrow shafts cut to size 31".

Photo 8

I don’t have any historical references re Ash root shoots or for any other tree, but back then, this year’s harvest of Ash root shoots would make very good arrows the next year.

© Yiorgos Nikiteas

© GREX LUPORUM

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