Flatbows?

[Landshark160]

What are some characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of flatbows as opposed to longbows or recurves?
Also, who makes a good flatbow?

Thanks

[Minuteman]

You talking wood or "CHOKE,COUGH" fiberglass?

[featherhorn]

mahaska bows by kent ostreem

[LBR]

A lot of today's "longbows" would probably be more accurately described as flatbows.  There's lots of great ones on the market--which is best depends on what you like or who you ask.

Advantages, to me, are you get a bow that has the pointability, forgiveness, quiet shot, etc. of a longbow in a shorter package.  Disadvantages..not usually as forgiving as a longer bow, not usually quite as fast as a recurve, won't generally handle as long of a draw length comfortably (stack and finger pinch).  'Course that will vary with bow design, bow length, draw length, etc.

Chad

[Ghost Dog]

I have some meaningful experience with every longbow/flatbow configuration on God's green earth. A flatbow by todays standards is typically a shorter (62" or less)bow, with wider limbs than a longer, longbow :-). At those lengths they tend to naturally have wider limbs and shorter riser sections, but there are exceptions. Variety of design in traditional archery is infinite!

One advantage of this design is this; with more mass in the limbs compared to the overall length of many longer longbows (fun with words), it is a very stable bow to shoot. This would be true for a selfbow or glass laminate flatbow. I cannot think of a single disadvantage of the contemporary flatbow.

 The Great Northern Bushbow is by far the finest glass laminate flatbow in production. It is the bow of choice for the two bowyers at GN, out of their line of two recurves, one Hill style and two narrow limbed R/D longbows. They have really evolved that design over many years into a true classic: simple, uncluttered, smooth and forgiving, plus you get the advantage of their many years of bow building, representing about a bazillion bows out there.

For a selfbow flatbow go to John Strunk of Oregon. He does not have a website but I can give you his contact info if interested. He is a master selfbowyer who crafts flatbows out of osage, vinemaple, hickory, yew, hazelnut and other woods.

[robslifts]

northern mist longbows in michigan makes great flatbows

stand up guy to boot

[Orion]

I'd call the pacific yew classic made by Jay St. Charles a flatbow.  Limbs are set back just a little and 1 1/2 inch wide.  I think flatbows are a little smoother drawing than a similar length longbow with narrower limbs.  However, the greater mass in the limbs usually also means a tad more hand shock.

[Ghost Dog]

A well designed flatbow is capable of having as little hand shock as a well designed longbow. I have examples of osage and yew self/flatbows with less hand shock than some of the finer glass longbows. It is all in the tillering, arrow weight and sting materials.

[30coupe]

I can attest to Kent Ostrum's bow quality! Mahaska bows are excellent. I have a 62" and have handled one of his recurves. I had a devil of a time not bringing it home with me, but I was trying to thin out the crop a bit as it was. You won't go wrong with one of Kent's bows and the prices are pretty good as well.

[flatbowMB]

The checkmate Thunderbird is also a very nice shooting flatbow.

[styckbow]

We have 3 thunderbirds and love them I almost bought another at NALS Just make sure if you have a longer draw get the 62 inch my son had a 58 inch and while it worked great for him I never could shoot it very well good luck and have fun Delin

[bkupris]

Concerning the different bow types ie longbow/flatbow/recurve discussed on this forum are they based on IFAA bowstyles or some other? Thanks

[Pete W]

I have reviews on a couple  Flatbows on my site
 www.peteward.com  in the Trad reviews.

 I like them a lot in short versions for blinds.
 They are realy just a wide longbow .
Jack Kempf{little Grizzly} 48 to 60"is very good in all sizes, Bert Frelink {Hornet 52"}make great short ones, and Check-mate makes a good longer one.

Pete

[von]

I've been shooting a North winds flatbow for years , Its never let me down and shoots where yer looking!

[Liquid Amber]

Definition of bows today is largely a function of determining a class in a shooting event or a marketing ploy.  

Shooting events would flounder if there were but one class [say traditional] or even two [say selfbow and laminated/composite].

The popular r/d longbows or hybrid longbows have been around 50 years, yet the term "hybrid" is 20 years or less in age.  Semi-recurves didn't market well nor do I believe hybrid recurves would either.

Terms such as flatbow, deflex, reflex, recurve/recurved, longbow, straight-end bow and some others became a part of our language when some improvement, advancement or change from norm spawned a need to differentiate.  

Few folks nowadays have the resources or inclination to trace back in time a term such as "flatbow" to it's beginning to see when and why it became necessary.

To answer the original question...the advantage of a flabow is that you can paddle a boat or an errant child with it.  

[bkupris]

With all due respect I am struggling with the concept that there is no clear definition of what a flatbow, longbow and recurve is as far as I can tell on the forum. Appears to me that "longbow" is for some reason the attractive term for many bowstyles for whatever reason?

[the Ferret]

I thought Ghost Dog and Liquid Amber explained it pretty well. There is no clear definitions because definitions change over time or adapt to mean different things. Is a longbow only a deep cored yew bow of 72" or more or is it a shallow d bow of whitewood 64" nock to nock? Some would say both are correct.

In historical terms the English bow of great length and draw weight used during medievil times was generally termed a longbow. In America that design was changed to a shorter bow with wider flatter limbs of less draw weight and was generally termed a flatbow.

However...once really short recurves came along, anything longer than those were often called "longbows" by the unknowing masses.

There are so many variations of handle length, limb length, limb design, limb profile and cross section, fade length (or no fades at all in the case of the traditional English longbow) that these names of differnt style bows gets homogonized.

For many there are simply crossbows, compound bows, recurve bows and longbows. (even if we as true enthusiasts see things a bit differently)

[bkupris]

Thanks Ferret

I simply observe that many on the forum don't classify bow styles/types according to the IFAA rules. I assume there are several governing bodies for (field)archery in the US these days? I come from a different angle being born and bred in Michigan and now spent many years living in the UK but make frequent trips to Michigan to bow hunt.

My confusion is that I would argue that my old Herters bows (see link in my signature) would fall into the longbow category according to this discussion board.

[the Ferret]

I think most of the guys in the US are mainly individual bowhunters with no affiliations who although they may shoot a 3D now and again don't much care for "governing bodies" at all.      


Those are all recurves, don't see a longbow amongst them no matter whose definition you use.

[bkupris]

Give me a definition of a longbow please. Better still we will agree to disagree