Longbow bracing height

[robtattoo]

I've finally got round to trying to string my longbow today & I was wondering, what is the correct bracing height? I've started at 7" (to the belly) & left the string to bed in, but what should the final height be?

This is a bit of an auspicious occasion, as it's the first time the bow has been braced in roughly 80 years. I'm frankly amazed it didn't explode as soon as I tried to put a bend in it!!

[laminatekid]

I would probably put the bow on a very low brace for an hour or two(2 0r 3" max) Bracing height depends on length of the bow but is normaly 6 -61/2". If the bow is over 80yrs old as you say and now used for a v. long time it should be treated as new http://www.bickerstaffebows.co.uk/advice.htm will tell you what to do.Oh and good luck be careful when drawing it there is a good chance you may feel the draw weight drop away like a compound bow and recieve a smack to the head or groin!!

[robtattoo]

Well, the bow's 81" overall length with a draw weight of 94# (roughly) so I'm being extra careful!!

[Little Miss Purple]

blimey, that is some size!!!

[provins]

Hi Rob
Please be very gentle with it as it would be an awful shame if it came to grief.
Given the age of the bow you may well have a valuable antique there.
How many 80 year old longbows are there around?
In25 years of archery and looking in antique shops I've never come across any.
All the best

[Macbow]

String it up and shoot some arrows. If a bow isn't being used for the purpose it was made for it's just a stick. If it breaks it breaks doing its job so an honourable death I reckon. They say a longbow at full draw is almost broken anyway. I'd still take care as 94# of exploding wood could be spectacular.

[JohnK]

There are some archers in my area who have their own little society dedicated to lonbow shooting. Some of them shoot with bows, and even arrows, that are nearly 100 years old. They don't use these old bows exclusively, but they do like to keep them shooting. Some of these people are shooting bows used by their ancestors, which is absolutely fantastic.

As for bracing height, I suppose it depends on the bow. My longbow (recently sold) was tillered to draw to 31" and had a recommended brace height of 6-6.5in

[Jerry Tee]

A couple of long bow archers at my club check their bracing height by using the bottom of the hand to the tip of the thumb.Is this where the thumbs up sign comes from, instead of the Roman origin we have been told about?

[jeduffey]

Hey, with that much draw weight and anxiousness about destruction, can I recommed video recording your shooting time? You will either get cool video of a neat piece of history in motion OR you will have a spectacular crash to show. Just a thought.

[gwynn]

[quote=robtattoo]I've finally got round to trying to string my longbow today & I was wondering, what is the correct bracing height? I've started at 7" (to the belly) & left the string to bed in, but what should the final height be?

traditionally it is the fistmele, which is a closed fist with outstretched thumb between the belly and the string - which is about 7" as you have already done. but then i see pip bickerstaffe has his bows strung lower. i personally would go for the fistmele..........