Make a Wood Arrow

Making a wood arrow

Making arrows with a thumbplane

Primitive Archery by: NORTH WOOD TRADITIONAL ARCHERY

www.northwoodtraditionalarchery.com

northwoodbows@gmail.com

(475) 235-7421

Arrows are so amazing, their properties are sophisticated and calculated. Arrows are meant to be used for different purposes, but a well matched arrow for any bow is crucial in primitive archery. Lets talk about arrows and what factors you should consider when making them.

Hunting arrows with red cresting and wild turkey feathers.

These include: flexibility of the shaft, straightness of the shaft, drag, materials to use for nocks and arrow heads, glues, paints, center of balance on the arrow, weight of the arrow, the twist in the fletching, and how to use and prepare sinew. In the old days, you'd have to decide whether to make arrow heads of stone, wood or bone and know how to work those materials as well. Keep in mind that arrows have been around for 20,000 years or more. Imagine how much work that was to make such complex projectiles for your bow with stone tools from raw materials.

A fitted primitive arrow alongside it's wooden bow

One of the main factors in arrows having a small grouping (apart from a gifted archer) is the spine weight of the arrow. Flexibility of the shaft is known as spine weight. This flexibility must have the correct tensile resistance for the bow it is intended to be used with. This can differ from bow to bow, but typically on a bow with a full handle, rather than a cut out with the arrow rest, the arrows must be of a lighter spine because the arrow must wrap around the handle more.

Spine weight is measured on a spinometer, yeah, a spinometer. Or by feel once you get an idea of what you're doing. The unit of resistance is measured in pounds, same as with bow draw weight.

Primitively, correct spine can be tested by shooting an unfletched arrow into the ground, if the nock is left, it's too heavy, nock right is too light.

arrows with wooden nocks with painted cresting in different colors for identification and personalization.

So lets go back to what spine weight arrow will match your bow, if you have a 50 lb bow with a full handle (no cut out shelf) people typically prefer a 40-45 lb arrow. Whereas, if you were to buy a modern bow with a cut out shelf, a 50-55 lb arrow is recommended.

Apart from the straightness of the shaft, these two factors have crucial importance: front heaviness (center of balance) and drag (fletching)

Primitive arrow heads, steel. Affixed with a slot in the wood bound with split animal tendon (sinew) which was soaked in boiled hide glue.

Front heaviness is a good idea for most arrows, as the more mass is in front of the handle at full draw, the easier the arrow "pulls" itself through the shot. This is why a long arrow can sometimes be easier and more stable to shoot. (but this is a delicate balance, as it will weigh more, and eventually lose efficiency.)

A feather being split in preparation for making an arrow

Drag is important for stabilization of the arrow, and preventing it from cartwheeling when shooting at anything more than 8 yards away or so (some primitive arrows where made to be with out fletching and were very front heavy) This in effect will slow down the back of the arrow, so it stays behind. When choosing your size and shape for making your arrow fletching, either use a short length with a tall height, or a long length with a short height which is what I prefer.

Ready for the hunt, two sets of arrows in the company of the bows to which they were custom fitted.

I love making wooden bows and arrows, and if you need any, feel free to contact me on my website:

www.northwoodtraditionalarchery.com

Thanks for keeping the old ways alive!!