Lapp

Hoffman

 

 

PERBISICAL EDUCATION FOR HEALTH f+?
~ Readio Program — Jar.

"archery Tackle, Its Care and | Selection"
(Dr. VOW. Lapp, Dept. of Physical Bducation, and Mr.
Gordon Hoffman, Devt. of Chemistry)

 

Before one can take archery seriously it is necessary to have some
equipment; namely, a bow, arrows, an armguard or bracer, a shooting
glove or tab, a quiver anda target. In addition, a pouch is de«
Sirable for carrying a spare bow string, the shooting tab, and a note
pade In the archer's terminology, the items just sont ened are oall-~
ed "tackle". ‘Tonight we have with us Mr. Gordon Hoffmen, who can

be considered an expert in this line because for a number of years

he has made archery tackle, both as a hobbyist and as a commercial
artisan. I am going to ask him to discuss bows as the first item

on our list. .

In order to make the discussion of bows more understandable, it is
necessary to define a few terms. First, the back is the outer or
convex surface of the bow when drawn, usually flat or nearly s0.
Second, the belly is the inner or consave surface of the bow when
drawn. Third, the limbs are the upper and lower halves of the bow,
Fourth, the handle is the middle portion or grip. Fifth, the weight
of the bow is the tensile strength at full draw, expressed in poinds,
and is not the actyal weight of the bow. Bows may be made of wood,
horn,and sinew (called composite bows) and of stell. Stell bows do
not break easily but are somewhat harsh in action and are not widely
usede Composite bows are usually made of a thin layer of wood, to
once side of which is glued pieces of horn from water buffalo or yaks;
this side then becomes the belly of the bow; to the other side is
glued shredded sinew, and this becomes the back of the bow. Composite
bows are usually very short and strongly reflexede By far the most
widely used are bows made of woods The woods most generally used are
Yew, Osage Orange (commonly known as hedge), and Degame (or lemon-
wood), in the order of their excellence, Other woods sometigies used
are hickory, lancewood, snakewood, bamboo and otherse Yew is the
bow=vood of song and story, and Yew bows command good prices ranging
from a low of #12 - $15 for C grade bows to 825 for grade A bowse
Exceptionally fine bows are sometimes sold for much higher prices é
For quickness of cast and smoothness of draw Yew cannot be beatene
Yew bows should have a layer of the creamy sapwood about 1/4 inch
thick on the back, or perhaps a backing of some other tough nine
usually hickory. The heartwood is a beautiful reddish br’

Osage Orange is a bow-wood of the highest order, and i. ‘ele
able for lnting, but for target work good Yew is to be preferred.

The most serviccable wood for low-priced bows is lemonwood,
Lemonwood bows are not so quick in cast and are heavier in the hand
than Yew or Osage Orange, but are far less expensive. They have a
smooth pleasant draw and if properly made are free from handle jar.
Lemonwood makes an excellent bow, even for tournament shootings

Hickory bows follow the string badly, have a very poor cast,
and are little if any cheaper than lemonwood,

Bows in general may be of two types, the long bow and the flat
bow, or may be a combination of the two. The flat bow is somewhat
shorter than the long bow, but is wider and not so deep from back to
belly. The flat bows generally have smoother draw and quicker cast,