The ‘Cut and Try’ Method in the Design of the Bow

In history man used bows which differ much in shape as well as applied materials. Simple bows made out of one piece of wood, straight and tapering towards the ends have been used by primitives in Africa, South America and Melanesia. In the famous English longbow the different properties of the sapwood and heartwood were deliberately put to use. Eskimoes used wood together with cords plaited of animal sinews and lashed to the wooden core at various points. The Angular bow found in Egypt and Assyria are examples of composite bows. In these bows more than one material was used. In Asia the bow consisted of wood, sinew and horn. These bows reached their highest development in India, in Persia and in Turkey. In the 1960’s composite bows of maple and glass fibres, or later carbon fibres, imbedded in strong synthetic resin were designed. Today almost all bows seen at target archery events are of this type of bow.