straw bosses (traditional?) and how are they made

[link]

so, how far back in time do the flat straw bosses that i see you british guys and gals using go? do you define them as a traditional target?

lastly, how are they made? by hand? if so is there any info on how to do it?
cheers ewan

[mk1]

The straw is from a specially grown old variety with long stalks. (Modern varieties of cereals are chosen to have a short straw height as they less less prone to falling over (lodging) in the field.)

The straw is cabled together with glue and then wound and stitched into a circular target on a special disc - the targets are slightly convex.

The Egertec Company was bought over by Quicks archery a few years back so perhaps an enquiry to them will yield a little more history. I'll only be making a guess as to when they were first produced but I'll hazard a guess they were used at the 1908 Olympics held in London

[cloutman360]

In 1673 ,the Scorton Archers shot at straw, no idea when it took the form of the target boss we know today,certainly by the time Thomas Waring had published his treatise in 1814 the target boss had arrived.
In the BOWMAN'S HANDBOOK by Patrick Clover there's a method of making a boss using an old-fashioned mangle.

[anthony mannion]

Hi Ewan, A long time ago I made a beeskep. I made it using Winter Rye, this grows to 8/9 feet before it ripens( it begins to shrink then) I surmise that the first straw bosses may have developed from flattened skeps. These were the medieval bees hive. Any book about Skepping will tell you the technique which is simple. I'm probably wrong but I put my theories out to discussion. By the way, if you get two archers discussing anything over here, you'll get three opinions! Good Shooting. Anthony Mannion