I'm still debating as to whether I should actually shoot this beautiful bow. On the one hand, I recently got my draw length measured and confirmed that, at 26", it fits to the bow and arrows; the bow itself feels nice and springy and seems to want to be shot; and I've learned how to make flemish strings so I should be able to whip up a string for it. On the other hand, it IS an antique selfbow, and I don't know if it has ever been dry fired, overdrawn, or otherwise compromised. I showed it to some buddies of mine when I first got it, and was immediately told not to shoot/string it (even though at that point I had already done so previously out of curiosity and done a few test draws with an arrow) because yew gets brittle with age, and that I would need to make an exact replica string and use it at the exact same draw length and brace height as the original owner had used or it would shatter on me, how I must never leave it out in the sun, get it too hot or too cold, or wet at all, that I must never feed it after midnight, and various other things that just sound way too finicky, even for this bow.
So, questions:
Given the condition of the bow (no noticeable flaws in the finish, no visible cracks or splits, no twist that I can see, feels nice and resilient), would it be shootable if I made a new string for it? The two shorter strings that came with it are about an inch different in length - would I want to go with making a string as long as the longer one, and just twist it up like a normal dacron string? Would the string necessarily have to be made of linen, or can yew bows stand up to B-50 strings? Is brace height really so incredibly crucial for this type of bow? Is it a good idea to do some test shots at partial draw after exercising the bow gradually for a bit first? Or should I just put aside these uncertainties, make a new string as close to the original as possible, and just go from there?
Topic: The Anticipation (Read 2241 times)
