Traditional Bows for adult

The different types of traditional bows

Traditional bows are simply made up of a bowstring, a riser, and two limbs, the whole can be dismantled or a monobloc.

Among the traditional bows, we have the straight bows or longbows, used by the English in the Middle Ages and the classical or recurve bows. The longbow is of simple construction, made of wood, and can be used without accessories. The recurve can also be used as a barebow, but you can customize it with many accessories to improve its performance or for the sake of comfort.

The recurve: the most common traditional bow

The recurve bow features limbs that are curved away from the archer at each end when the bow is unstrung. Compared to straight limb bows, recurve bows can provide a higher level of energy and speed to an arrow. This type of bow has been used for centuries and is still used today in many archery competitions, including target shooting at the Olympic Games.

It is a bow with double curve (deflex, in the cocking direction and reflex in the opposite cocking direction), consisting of a rigid bow riser to which are attached the flexible limbs that accumulate the energy to propel the arrow. The riser can be made of wood for initiation bows, metal, or alloy for competition bows. The limbs are made of composite material, wood/fiberglass for the entry-level bows, or by adding carbon for the more sophisticated ones.

The riser is equipped with various accessories such as stabilizers, sight, clicker, Berger button, and arrow rest.

The curvature of the limbs provides an advantage to the recurve bow compared to the straight limb bow: a greater efficiency is achieved thanks to the limb’s geometry which is less solicited when compressive strength is applied resulting in higher arrow speed.

The longbow: the icon of traditional bows

The longbow or straight limb bow is probably the second most common traditional bow. Its limbs bend gradually towards the archer, forming a "D" when it is drawn. After making a loop around the grooved ends of the limbs, the string of the bow does not touch the limbs.

The riser of longbows is fairly straight and is a bit shapeless to fit in your hand. Their limbs are narrow but thick, and most longbows measure 60 inches, or 152.4 cm or more. Because the limbs of the longbow are thick and narrow, it generates more shock to the hand than a recurve bow. You will feel these vibrations in the riser when you shoot.

The straight bow is light, without any accessories. It is mainly intended for instinctive shooting and the arrows are usually made of wood.

The different types of longbows

• Dismountable longbow

Like recurve bows, longbows can be dismantled into one or three pieces, and are usually made from several layers of wood and fiberglass.

• Hybrid longbow

Hybrid longbows or flatbows are longbows with wider limbs that do not bend continuously towards their ends. Their limbs bend from the riser but then flatten to the tip.

• Modern longbow

Modern longbows use a reflex/deflex design for performance that is equal to or better than recurve bows.

• Handmade longbow

The models come from manufacturers, but also from traditional production by bow makers who make them in a way that combines the varieties of wood, working the shape and adapting the size and draw weight to the archer who will own a beautiful and unique object.