Arrows - Old-fashioned Weapons of the Workbench

Actually I don't like to start posts with "now for something completely different". It's always a risky game when things like this blog are dedicated for a special subject. Wargaming in this very special case.

However unfortunately I had to spent my time for some other work than painting miniatures this week. For several years I had been doing Live-Action-Roleplaying. Although it stepped back in my list of hobbies behind wargaming and far behind family, I tend to visit one or two events per year furthermore. Thus I'll spend the upcoming weekend with some fellow camping in country. Besides the usual kind of medieval way of living we'll have an archer's tournament there.

That was reason enough for me to dust my good old longbows off and prepare a set of arrows for it. I'm not sure whether I'll shoot my Hickory English Longbow or the rather my modern laminated longbow. Actually I'm proud of the hickory one since I made it myself but during the last years it developed some small cracks on the belly and I don't want to risk its breaking...

Anyway I had to prepare a new set of arrows and did that this week. As shafts I used Port Oxford Cedar. To my mind it's simply the best material for wooden arrows. Afterwards I painted the upper six inches part of them with red acrylic paint and bated the next seven or eight inches with red-brown wood stain. To complete the design of the shafts I put on some black-gold-black rings using spray paint and a permanent marker. Afterwards I brushed them with two coats of spar varnish to protect them from friction and weather.

For the fletching I used dyed goose fethers in red and white which I cut myself. You might notice that I applied some small pieces of rabbit fur on top of the feathers. They huddle against the shaft when flying but afterwards they indicate clearly where the arrow hit the target. Essential for me for targets farer away than 20 or 30 feet. And looking good I think...

However I prepared a set of six usual arrows and three Flu-Flus (the one in the middle, slow flying arrows for short range or high elevated shots). Therefore I wasn't able to make any progress with my AWI Scots. I hope to have some time for them next week...