How old would this archery bow be?

[fernando]

This British bow is close to 67" long.
Made in a wood that has two distinct colours; most possibly a typical wood for bows, but i wouldn't know.
The grip is covered with velvet, now quite shrunk, "stuffed" with fibers of some natural material ... rattan, hemp ?
It is marked "London 47". I guess 47 is the "draw" weight ?!
Seller says this bow must have some hundred years. Would you beleive so ?
Coments will be welcome.
Fernando

[Atlantia]

Looks early 20thC I would say fairly definately pre WW2. Possibly a school bow.

[katana]

Hi Fernando,
age would be difficult, but likely late 19th C to early-mid 20th C. It is a 'self bow' (made from a single piece of wood) , had been been laminated or composite it would be easier to date due to the construction technique and materials.

I do not think the 47 refers to the draw weight. Usually the draw weight is set at a certain 'draw length'. For instance 35lbs at 28"... this means that when the bow is drawn 28" (from the bow to the string) it requires a force of 35lbs. If the same bow is drawn back 29" the amount of force required would be greater than 35lbs, probably something like 39lbs.


Kind Regards David

[fernando]

Thank you Gene and David,
So i was too quick to conclude that 47 was the draw weight. It's just because, prior to posting this thing, i made a quick search in the Net, learning what the draw weight was about; eventualy one quotation i spotted was about a 47# draw weight specimen.
But then the 47 must mean something ... a model number ? :confused:
No big deal, though; i do not think i am buying it. Don't like the interest/price ratio.
Thanks again for the tips.
Fernando

[Atlantia]

Thank you Gene and David,
So i was too quick to conclude that 47 was the draw weight. It's just because, prior to posting this thing, i made a quick search in the Net, learning what the draw weight was about; eventualy one quotation i spotted was about a 47# draw weight specimen.
But then the 47 must mean something ... a model number ? :confused:
No big deal, though; i do not think i am buying it. Don't like the interest/price ratio.
Thanks again for the tips.
Fernando


I thought possibly the string length it takes in inches, but that seems to short for it by a fair amount.
Is it possible that there was something else written above it?
If not, I'd say model number.

[fernando]

... Is it possible that there was something else written above it? ...
You got a point there, Gene. In fact there is a sort of bruise on the wood above the 47. I remember the seller giving his opinnion about what it could be, but don't remember what was his idea ... nothing serious enough to memorize, though.
I will have to look better at this area when i visit the seller again ... which is not that close from here.
No idea what this dual colour wood would be ? It seems as the usual woods seen in bows: ash, yew, elm, ipê, are all mono colour :confused:
Fernando

[Atlantia]

You got a point there, Gene. In fact there is a sort of bruise on the wood above the 47. I remember the seller giving his opinnion about what it could be, but don't remember what was his idea ... nothing serious enough to memorize, though.
I will have to look better at this area when i visit the seller again ... which is not that close from here.
No idea what this dual colour wood would be ? It seems as the usual woods seen in bows: ash, yew, elm, ipê, are all mono colour :confused:
Fernando

I would assume that its Yew.
Someof the bows on this site appear to have dark patches:
longbows (http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.selfbow.com/Classicd.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.selfbow.com/&h=437&w=433&sz=111&hl=en&start=19&um=1&usg=__LlZ0yTXcjbPaOKBGOYY4w1pwtfI=&tbnid=SbsbiH5ilcS4lM:&tbnh=126&tbnw=125&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dyew%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN)