LotR Bows

[Orc]

For those of you interested in bows from the LotR movies, TORN has posted a nice interview with Russell Barton who currently makes a fully functional Mirkwood and Ranger Bows that are similar to the bows carried by Legolas and Strider. Both bows are fully functional and come with arrows. They are expensive, but they are complety hand crafted and functional, so you are getting what you pay for with these bows.

The interview can be found here (http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/8/1042325365) .

Both the Ranger and Mirkwood bows may be ordered through Arms of Valor (http://armsofvalour.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=AOVL&Category_Code=LR)

:Orc:

[TrueSwordsman]

I have personally held and pulled back the Mirkwood Bow and I must say the pictures don’t do it justice. What is also impressive are the arrows. They are exquisite with a gold ring painted around the base of the shaft near the fletching to represent The Fellowship. Though I am a swordsman at heart this bow could easily sway me to become an archer!

[Catz]

now thats beautiful.........i think thats why i love "primitive" bows so much.......they are a very personal item.....to be of any use they really do have to be made for one.......and they really are aesthetically pleasing too.......form following function
:catz:

[Stone Drake]

In general, my favourate weapon still is the double-bladed staff.
What kind of bow would you prefer? A long one or a shortbow?
Shortbows are quick, longbows powerfull...
I myself would chose the shortbow, if I need a powerfull shot, I'd rather use a crossbow.

[Catz]

aesthetically? the longbow.......theyre just very elegant......and cant help but be, the design constraints produce an elegant form and the history of the longbow is fascinating..........lol......the tactical nuke of its day........for power i think the crossbow is definitely the way to go........able to punch thru plate armour at close range......the shortbows are very workmanlike...........heheh they are more weapon looking..........and probably the more practical
:catz:

[Stone Drake]

Hehe, those shortbows do look funny, don't they? And a longbow is indeed a very elegant weapon, although I do have to mention that in those times, shortbows were soldier's weapons, and the longbow, well... used by farmers and such. lol :p
Though the wellknown British archers did use longbows (and yepp, they were just trained farmers ;) )
A cavalery archer wouldn't do much with a longbow, heheh, try shooting a 2m bow on a running horse...

[Catz]

the longbow was chosen for the levies cos it was
A: easy to teach a beginner to use
B:useful in a massed group for its stopping power
C: and theyre were less likely to shoot each other lol

there were in fact laws that required all adult males to take a certain amount of training with the longbow in England, for many years......so that there were always trained levies
the Russian (Scythian) bows that have been found in the mounds that have been excavated look to be a type of shortbow used from horseback......made with horn and wood in a type of lamination
the medieval Samurai used a shortbow too........for use from horseback
:catz:

[TrueSwordsman]

In fact that law about practicing on Sundays is still in effect, but not enforced!

[Stone Drake]

As must of us probably already know, there are actually two ways to shoot a bow (and I don't mean the way of shooting them, but the way you try to hit the target... :p )
1. Close range: the way you shoot at a target, and the way Legolas fires his bow. Very fast and accurate. The shortbow is used for this way.:archer:
2. Large range/greater battles: if there is a unit of about 40 archers, they shouldn't try to fire Leggy-like ;). Instead of finding a target all archers shoot in the air (not straight in the air, no, they won't shoot themselves lol ) This will cause the arrows to fall down on the enemy like 'rain'. Great distances, and accuracy... doesn't really matter if there is a whole swarm of them.
That's what I don't find in the fight at Helm's Deep. The elves fire extremely accurate, and actually look for a target. If they just used this large range way, they'd have reloaded their bows before the Uruk'Hai would have come into close range distance.