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From War of the Ring.net shop reviews Shop Review "Suddenly the great bow of Lórien sang. Shrill went the arrow from the Elven-string." - The Lord of the Rings, The Great River Both bows are inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and are not official products of New Line Cinema or the Tolkien Estates. The bows are shipped in bubble wrap and boxed quite well. Given the length of the bows, expect a very tall box. Bow of the Golden Wood 2nd Edition Appearance This is a fully functional longbow crafted from a single piece of hickory. It meaasures 68 inches in length when strung and 72 inches in length when unstrung. The limb tips are slightly recurved and the bow is fiberglass- backed for added strength. The tips themselves are very narrow and short. The handle section is carved and fits the hand well. Since the carvings are done by hand, their appearance may differ slightly in each bow. It comes with a Flemish Dacron string. The bow's overall appearance is very beautiful. Performance The bow has a remarkably smooth draw (no stacking) and shoots fast. If you have the right arrows for it, it will shoot very flat so the performance is quite nice! The carvings add to the beauty of this bow and do not hinder its performance at all. According to the manufacturers, this bow can be used for hunting large game or target shooting. The slightly recurved limbs give the arrows more speed and the extreme length of the bow gives it a smooth draw. This bow is available from 30 pounds to 60 pounds at 29 inches. Drawbacks There aren't many, however, the limb tips being so short and narrow can create a challenge in stringing and unstringing this bow. Many of the bow stringers accidentally cover the entire tip such that the bowstring cannot be easily removed. If you find a bowstringer that is small enough, care must be used so you don't injure yourself by one of the tips coming out of the bowstringer.
The other item of mention would be the fiberglass backing that is used. On this bow, the backing is left in a rough, textured finish. A clear and smooth finish might have been more aesthetically appealing, but then I do not know if that would have affected the strength and performance in a negative manner. Limited Edition Bow of the Golden Wood Appearance This hickory bow is the most beautiful functional bow I have ever seen. It is truly a work of art. The bow itself is ovalish down the back and belly, which requires quite a bit of skill on the bowyers part to ensure it won't break when shooting. Most bows are backed with fiberglass. This bow, however, is backed with resin to ensure the bow is structurally sound. It is slightly recurved as well. Instead of carvings like the 2nd Edition bow, this bow has raised leaves that are very similar to Legolas' bow in the movies. These leaves are wrapped around the handle and all along the bow on both sides, all the way to the tips.
All the leaves are hand-sculpted with an epoxy such that it becomes part of the bow once it has dried. The limb tips of this bow are more stylistically similar to the Turkish siyah's than the 2nd Edition bow. This bow is roughly 68 inches when strung and roughly 72 inches when unstrung. Only a limited number of these bows will be made, with each bow individually numbered and signed by the bowyer(s). It comes with a Flemish Dacron string. The bow's overall appearance is breathtakingly beautiful. and, as replicas go, it is amazingly close to Legolas' Lothlorien bow from the movies. Performance The bow's slightly recurved shape and the siyah limb tips make for an amazingly nice draw. The draw is very smooth and does not stack. If you have the proper arrows for it, the arrows will fly fast and flat out of this bow. In addition to beauty, the epoxy on the bow gives it added strength. According to the manufacturer, a bow of this kind with over 40 pounds could also be used to hunt large game as well as target shooting. This bow is available from 30 pounds to 50 pounds at 29 inches. Drawbacks The only drawback that I could find was with the beautiful epoxy artwork in the handle section. This makes this bow less comfortable in your hand when shooting.
Overall Thoughts Both bows are quite lovely and shoot very well. If you're trying to decide between them,it really comes down to what you want to do with them. If you intend to shoot daily, then, perhaps, out of comfort for your hand, you'd want the 2nd Edition bow. If you want a work of art that you can shoot, but aren't considering it to be your main bow, then perhaps the Limited Edition would be right for you. Also, the Limited Edition bow is a bit thinner overall as compared to the 2nd Edition bow, but the Limited Edition is as close a replica to Legolas' bow as we will probably see. Both bows are remarkable and shoot very well. My compliments to the bowyers!
Recommendations When you get these bows, their strings are not served. I would recommend getting them served and placing either a metal nock or string nock on the bowstring. This will prolong the life of your bowstring and make it easier to shoot. Both of these bows are available for purchase exclusively from Arms of Valour. © Copyright 2003,2004 by warofthering.net This notice cannot be removed without permission. |