A bowyer is a master-craftsman who makes bows. Though this was once a widespread profession, the importance of bowyers and of bows was diminished by the introduction of gunpowder weaponry. However, the trade has survived and many bowyers continue to produce high-end bows.
Historically, a wide variety of bows have been produced for purposes ranging from food gathering and warfare to recreation. Who created these bows depended mainly on the type of bow being produced, but also on the quantity required. The skills required tend to divide traditional bowyers into two groups:
Makers of self bowsedit
In clans or social groups that used wooden self bows (bows made entirely from one piece of wood) bows would sometimes be crafted by the individual user; however, even with fairly simple bow designs it was often easier to rely upon a few skilled bowyers within the group. By working in groups more could be accomplished. In medieval England, for example, professional bowyers produced thousands of bows required for that country's military. These bowyers could reportedly make an English longbow in as little as two hours. Wooden selfbows normally take from 5–15 hours of work depending on the skill of the bowyer and the challenges set by the piece of wood. Modern amateurs find it satisfying to make functional self bows with beginner's skills and few tools.
Makers of composite bowsedit
Cultures that used composite bows (bows made of several materials, classically horn, wood, and sinew) had to rely on skilled craftsmen. Composite bows could be made relatively short, heavily recurved, and highly effective but the constituent materials had to be put under enormous stress and the bow's limbs needed to be perfectly aligned. These demands required experienced bowyers who were willing to spend a great deal of time crafting their weapons. Cultures such as the Mongols made effective military use of powerful composite bows for millennia; the limited records indicate that only a minority of men in these cultures ever made bows.
Bowyers in the United Statesedit
In the United States, many bowyers were inspired by Ishi, the last member of the Yahi, who lived most of his life outside modern culture. Ishi first contacted US citizens in 1911. His friend Saxton Pope learned some of his skills and spread them to bowyers including Howard Hill, Ben Pearson and Fred Bear.
bowyer, this, article, about, occupation, other, uses, disambiguation, this, article, includes, list, references, related, reading, external, links, sources, remain, unclear, because, lacks, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing,. This article is about the occupation For other uses see Bowyer disambiguation This article includes a list of references related reading or external links but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations Please help improve this article by introducing more precise citations February 2014 Learn how and when to remove this template message A bowyer is a master craftsman who makes bows Though this was once a widespread profession the importance of bowyers and of bows was diminished by the introduction of gunpowder weaponry However the trade has survived and many bowyers continue to produce high end bows BowyerOccupationOccupation typeVocationActivity sectorsRecreation huntingDescriptionFields ofemploymentCraftRelated jobsFletcher Freshly cut wood split into bow staves Contents 1 History 1 1 Makers of self bows 1 2 Makers of composite bows 2 Bowyers in the United States 3 See also 4 References 5 Sources and recommended reading 6 External linksHistory editHistorically a wide variety of bows have been produced for purposes ranging from food gathering and warfare to recreation Who created these bows depended mainly on the type of bow being produced but also on the quantity required The skills required tend to divide traditional bowyers into two groups Makers of self bows edit In clans or social groups that used wooden self bows bows made entirely from one piece of wood bows would sometimes be crafted by the individual user however even with fairly simple bow designs it was often easier to rely upon a few skilled bowyers within the group By working in groups more could be accomplished In medieval England for example professional bowyers produced thousands of bows required for that country s military These bowyers could reportedly make an English longbow in as little as two hours Wooden selfbows normally take from 5 15 hours of work depending on the skill of the bowyer and the challenges set by the piece of wood Modern amateurs find it satisfying to make functional self bows with beginner s skills and few tools Makers of composite bows edit Cultures that used composite bows bows made of several materials classically horn wood and sinew had to rely on skilled craftsmen Composite bows could be made relatively short heavily recurved and highly effective but the constituent materials had to be put under enormous stress and the bow s limbs needed to be perfectly aligned These demands required experienced bowyers who were willing to spend a great deal of time crafting their weapons Cultures such as the Mongols made effective military use of powerful composite bows for millennia the limited records indicate that only a minority of men in these cultures ever made bows Bowyers in the United States editIn the United States many bowyers were inspired by Ishi the last member of the Yahi who lived most of his life outside modern culture Ishi first contacted US citizens in 1911 His friend Saxton Pope learned some of his skills and spread them to bowyers including Howard Hill Ben Pearson and Fred Bear See also editFletcherReferences editSources and recommended reading edit 1992 The Traditional Bowyer s Bible Volume 1 The Lyons Press ISBN 1 58574 085 3 1992 The Traditional Bowyer s Bible Volume 2 The Lyons Press ISBN 1 58574 086 1 1994 The Traditional Bowyer s Bible Volume 3 The Lyons Press ISBN 1 58574 087 X 2008 The Traditional Bowyer s Bible Volume 4 The Lyons Press ISBN 1 59921 453 9External links edithttp www primitivearcher com Ultimate Archery Link List Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bowyer amp oldid 1066530216, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
