Our club recently received a donation of two longbows, which belonged to the couple who founded the club. But these have not been shot for at least 20 years. They were probably made in the 1980s.
Both bows appear to be in good condition and have been stored in bow bags away from heat, cold and damp. But I'm aware that a longbow needs to be reminded that it is a bow when it's not been shot for a long time.
Do you have any advice on how we should treat these bows intially, please, so they don't break on first use?
One is a lovely slim bow of about 26 pounds draw weight. It has two laminations of a mid-brown wood (no idea which) backed with a relatively thick lamination of a lighter-coloured wood. It was made by an unknown bowyer in Whitby.
The other is a 56 pounder made by George Thorley. It's very nearly a self-bow, but has a thin backing of what seems to be the same wood as on the belly side.
Both bows have light-coloured horn nocks.
Both bows appear to be in good condition and have been stored in bow bags away from heat, cold and damp. But I'm aware that a longbow needs to be reminded that it is a bow when it's not been shot for a long time.
Do you have any advice on how we should treat these bows intially, please, so they don't break on first use?
One is a lovely slim bow of about 26 pounds draw weight. It has two laminations of a mid-brown wood (no idea which) backed with a relatively thick lamination of a lighter-coloured wood. It was made by an unknown bowyer in Whitby.
The other is a 56 pounder made by George Thorley. It's very nearly a self-bow, but has a thin backing of what seems to be the same wood as on the belly side.
Both bows have light-coloured horn nocks.