Late Gothic Crossbows and Accouterments

[fernando]

Don't be so sure
They are around lurking and, when you less expect, they jump into the scene.
You just keep posting; don't look for excuses

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by fernando

Don't be so sure
They are around lurking and, when you less expect, they jump into the scene.
You just keep posting; don't look for excuses

One again, my dear Sir,


Though insubordinate a time or two, I'm trying to be at your command ...

Anyway I'm glad you show that you care!


Best,
Michl

[Marcus den toom]

Don't be sad my friend most of us do follow your post with great interest, but lack the knowledge (speaking for myself at least ) to contribute in a challenging way. Be assured their are more than only Fernando and myself who care about your continous flow of wisdom, AMEN

[Matchlock]

Thank you both Nando and Marcus,

I have been waiting for more than half a year now to receive some signalized reply, though ...
Knowing from my own sad health experience, however, I am aware of the fact that literally everythting is possible at any given time, so I can but wish them welll!

m

[Micke D]

"since good people like Micke D and A. Senefelder evidently have stopped contributing ..."

Thank you for these nice words Michael! I will try to contribute more, I have been busy with a new house, but I think I can find some stuff to show during spring/early summer.

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Micke D

"since good people like Micke D and A. Senefelder evidently have stopped contributing ..."

Thank you for these nice words Michael! I will try to contribute more, I have been busy with a new house, but I think I can find some stuff to show during spring/early summer.

You see ?
What did i tell you ?

[Marcus den toom]

These are some crosbow bolt heads i found at a current auction. Pictures with lenght from top to bottom:
-the first is 7cm long
-the second is 7,5 cm long
-the third is 15,5cm long
-the fourth is10cm long
-the fifth are 9 and 12 and are supposedly of saxony orrigin
-the sixed are5,5 to 13 cm long and are of norman origin
-the seventh are 8 to 11 cm long

[Matchlock]

I do hope that David Jaumann ist still around here as this request is for him:

I remember that when you were last planning on attending the Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nürnberg I asked you to take photos of the gun arrow on display at the Kaiserburg where it is labeled as a 'crossbow bolt for a wall crossbow'.

While I was in hopital for the whole of 2013 I noticed you posting new images of Nuremberg Gothic crossbows, so would you please let me know whether you succeeded in taking some of that item as well?


Thanks in advance,
and best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

A good Nuremberg cranequin, dated 1556.

m

[Matchlock]

Another, earlier, ca. 1525, with finely engraved bone handle, the gear box struck with a maker's mark, a Gothic trefoil.
The belt hook missing, the cord for attaching the cranequin to the crossbow tiller damaged.

m

[Martin Moser]

Not really a crossbow, but what I hope is interesting information on the effectiveness of a somewhat similar weapon, the Roman scorpio - a torsion powered "bolt thrower":
http://www.planet-schule.de/sf/php/0...p?sendung=8624 (jump to minute 11:00, in German)
The testing took place at the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics (http://www.en.emi.fraunhofer.de/).
With the weapon in the video above we (legio8augusta.de) managed a maximum of 12 bolts fired in 60 secs with a 3 man crew after some hours of scorpio drill over 2 days and a few adjustments on the weapon.

Best,
Martin

[Matchlock]

As their principle is basically the same as incendiary arrows, I'd like to introduce two extremely rare 16th-17th c. tar lances (German: Pechlanzen) in the Emden Armory.
The incendiary tar mass was set afire and the lance was hurled by some sort of a catapult onto the shingled roofs of a besieged town where the delicate iron arrowheads got stuck, and the blazing tar would splatter around. Additionally, the short barrels are barbed for better contact with the roof shingles.
The saucer-like wooden plate at the bottom was meant to direct the splashing fire right onto the roof.

The measurements are:
overall length 2.25 m
width of the tar saucer 21 cm
weight 3.2 kg


I took these photos in 1987.


m