Stringing a longbow

[JohnK]

Last month I saw an inexperienced archer trying to string his longbow. He placed the lower limb tip right in the side of his foot (yes, right where a well-known English archer broke a bone in his foot doing the same) and bent the top limb with the other hand. I went over to explain that step-through stringing was safer, but he told me the bowyer (a well-known English manufacturer) had warned him never to string a longbow with this method.

This is the first I've heard of this. As far as I can see, both methods are less than ideal but the step-through method is definitely safer for the operator. Any thoughts?

[Greenman]

Use the "Push/Pull" method myself, as long as you don't look at what you are doing ,you should be fine. Only use the step-thru method for horse bows.

[provins]

Done this on a previous thread but here it is again.
The string can become misaligned resulting resulting in a twisted limb,you can also twist yourself resulting in discomfort and a possible strain.
Far safer to use a stringer.

[Kellog]

I always push/pull mine, its sooo easy to end up twisting the limbs if you step thru

[JohnK]

Yes, it is far better to use a stringer. My interest is in why the step-through method supposedly twists the limbs. I can't see any logical reason for it.

Besides, I'd far rather risk twisting a bow limb a little than being smacked in the head by the top limb or breaking a bone in my foot with the bottom

[Ffish]

Originally Posted by JohnK

Besides, I'd far rather risk twisting a bow limb a little than being smacked in the head by the top limb or breaking a bone in my foot with the bottom

Not really longbow specific, but I was stringing my recurve the other week, and a knot gave way on my stringer just as I had the bow up to full "flex", but before I'd managed to slip the bowstring into place - the resulting whack on the forehead from my top limb was not very pleasant to say the least, and the embarrassment in front of my fellow club members was even worse!

Moral of the story - use a stringer, but check it first!

[goa dan]

Originally Posted by Ffish

Not really longbow specific, but I was stringing my recurve the other week, and a knot gave way on my stringer just as I had the bow up to full "flex", but before I'd managed to slip the bowstring into place - the resulting whack on the forehead from my top limb was not very pleasant to say the least, and the embarrassment in front of my fellow club members was even worse!

Moral of the story - use a stringer, but check it first!

LOL How did i not see this Although . . . I was stringing my bow before you got there and the bottum bit fell through and i got a whack from my bottum limb.

[flamingbladerider]

Some bowyers recommend not using a stringer due to the fact that some horn nocks will notake the strain and will snap.

[Art the Archer]

I started using the longbow this summer. I've used a bowstringer since starting but this week I finally cracked the push pull technique and felt a real sense of achievement. Yes I know a stringer is the most sensible method so I've been told, but did the archers at Agincourt or Robin Hood ever use a bowstringer!

[TimS]

I suspect the same "bowyer (a well-known English manufacturer)" gave myself and club members a firm bollocking a couple of weeks ago about the use of the 'step through' method and his technical explanation of why was very convincing.

I have however struggled with the 'push pull' method on my 55/60 lb bow (and I'm no lightweight) - so stringer just obtained, until I develop the technique or the muscles of Hercules.