Traditional bow - Qing bow (2)

Many archers are now experimenting with horn bows and are familiar with all the steps involved. Tying the horn is a crucial and demanding process, with the most crucial element being the proper use of the hemp rope.

Hemp rope is essential for tying the horn because it offers high friction, resists slipping, and has low ductility, ensuring a secure hold. The correct method for tying the horn is as follows: soak the rope in water until it is thoroughly soaked before tying.

As the bladder glue used to bond the bow dries, the hemp rope shrinks and changes in volume due to water loss. Using dry hemp rope will loosen the bow's volume, even if it's tightened initially, potentially resulting in a weak bond. Using damp hemp rope will tighten the rope as it dries and shrinks, ultimately achieving a perfect bond between the tendon, horn, stem, and glue.

Gluing the convex and concave surfaces of the corners to the bow frame is a delicate process. The longitudinal convex and concave surfaces must align, and grooving is used to enhance adhesion. (Image by Gao Xiang) Many horn bow enthusiasts now strive for perfectly aligned grooves on both sides. While a truly seamless fit is ideal, it's not necessary for Qing Dynasty bows. For my research, I've disassembled dozens of old Qing Dynasty horn bows. I haven't seen any with deeply grooved grooves, nor have I seen any with grooves so finely detailed that they fit perfectly together. Yet, these Qing Dynasty bows are considered combat-ready, and some are of very high quality.

Thus, gluing the convex and concave surfaces of a horn bow depends more on the strength of the corners and the application of glue than on the tightness of the grooves. Be careful when grooving to avoid damaging or even cracking the bow frame or corners due to excessively deep grooves. Especially on the corners, if the grooves are shaved too thinly, there's a high chance of cracking during future use. A Brief Analysis of Two Special Craftsmanships for Traditional Wooden Arrows: 1. Gravity Compression. In bow and arrow shooting, proper shaft deflection largely determines arrow stability and accuracy. Ancient material processing technology was not as advanced as it is today, and harder materials tended to be heavier. Ancient technology did not exist to produce the aluminum shafts commonly used in modern hunting. Using harder wood for shafts would be too heavy, limiting range, and would also be too expensive and difficult to obtain. While bamboo is a good choice, it is not produced in the northern nomadic regions where bows and arrows are primarily used. The most common firewood is relatively soft and not hard enough for arrow shafts.

In light of this, ancient people, with great ingenuity, invented the process of gravity compression for arrow shaft production. After the arrow shaft's outer shape was shaped, it was repeatedly compressed with a large gravity tool, compressing the shaft's overall outer diameter by approximately 1mm. This process, similar to surface hardening, makes the lighter wood arrow shafts far harder than ordinary wood. Without increasing the weight, it maintains the shaft's rigidity and deflection, minimizing deformation during firing, thereby increasing accuracy, range, and stability! 2. Shaft Wrapping: Arrows from my country and East Asia differ significantly from European arrows in the way they are mounted. Westerners often use sheath-type arrowheads. While this mounting method is simple and convenient, it has two major drawbacks: ease of loosening and falling, and reduced risk of secondary injury. Because the outer tube of a sheath-type arrowhead is typically shorter, if the arrow is not removed, the wound is minimal, allowing the person to continue activities, even in combat.

Arrowheads in Asia, especially East Asia, commonly feature long "shanks." These are inserted into the arrow shaft to secure the arrowhead. This has several advantages: First, it increases the weight of the arrowhead, improving its penetration. Second, the shaft is generally longer than the arrowhead itself, preventing the shaft from breaking at the shaft's "shank" after being struck by an arrow, which would otherwise cause greater secondary damage during movement. Third, the long shaft increases the deflection of the front of the shaft, reducing deformation during launch and thus improving the arrow's stability.

Bronze Arrowheads and Arrow Shafts: Arrowheads with "shanks" have been used in my country since the Bronze Age. However, how are these long shafts installed in the arrow shaft? Some previously speculated that they were installed by heating the shaft and then burning a small hole into the shaft. This assumption is incorrect. The hole formed by burning the shaft is likely too large, loosening the connection between the shaft and the shaft. Even with glue or other means of reinforcement, the strength is far from sufficient for actual combat.

After analyzing and examining ancient arrow shafts from the Qing Dynasty collection at the Shenyang Museum, we discovered that the shafts are tightly bonded to the arrowheads, with no signs of burns. The ancients employed a more ingenious method: a technique called "shaft-explosion and tendon wrapping." The procedure is as follows: A small hole, slightly smaller than the shaft's diameter, is drilled into the arrow shaft. The shaft's tendon is inserted. Since the hole's diameter is too small for the shaft's tendon to fully penetrate, a hammer is applied from the arrowhead, driving the shaft into the shaft. Due to the narrow hole and the thick shaft, the shaft instantly cracks, creating a thin crack. Then, water-soaked tendon silk is applied to the shaft, wrapped around the crack and tied tightly, allowing it to air dry. During the drying process, as the tendon silk and tendon lose moisture, contraction forces gradually close the previously cracked shaft, tightly enclosing the shaft and preventing it from separating. Arrowheads secured in this manner are incredibly strong, practically impossible to separate by hand. Ancient people also added waterproof, moisture-proof "flower wraps" to the tendons, ensuring they wouldn't loosen due to moisture.