Flatbow
A
flatbow is a
bow with non-
recurved, flat, relatively wide limbs that are rectangular in cross-section. Because the limbs are relatively wide flatbows will usually narrow and become deeper at the handle, with a rounded, non-bending, handle for easier grip. This design differs from that of a
longbow, which has rounded limbs that are circular or D shaped in cross-section, and is usually widest at the handle. Flatbows are usually wooden selfbows (bows made of one solid piece of wood), though
composite flatbows can and have been made in ancient and modern times.
Flatbows were used by
Native American tribes such as the
Hupa,
Karok, and
Wampanoag, prehistoric ancient Europeans, some
inuit tribes,
Finno-Ugric nations and a number of other pre-gunpowder societies for
hunting and
warfare because they are easily crafted, and, unlike
longbows, excellent flatbows can be made from nearly any type of
wood.
The American Flatbow (AFB), also known as the American longbow, was developed in the 1930s. It resulted from scientific investigation into the best cross-sectional shape for a bow limb. This research was expected to explain why the
English Longbow's D-section was superior to all other extant designs. Instead, it showed that the best cross-section was a simple rectangle. The AFB was developed by applying these research findings to the English longbow. The result was a more efficient and stable bow. Because of its coincidental resemblance to native North American bows, the AFB is also known as the "semi-Indian" bow.
The AFB was popularised by Howard Hill and quickly displaced the English longbow as the preferred bow for target shooting. The modern Olympic-style
recurve bow is a development of the AFB, with a built-up handle section and recurved limbs.
Though many people think solely of
longbows when wooden bows are mentioned, the flatbow is actually a superior bow design for many types of wood because the stress is more evenly spread out than in a longbow. A bow limb is essentially a flexed beam undergoing
bending, and in any flexed beam the farther from the neutral axis (line in the middle of the flexing beam which is not under tension or compression: see diagram in
Bending article) the more stress there is within the material. When a limb is rounded, as in a
longbow, some wood "sticks out" farther from the neutral axis, and thus is put under greater stress. In a flatbow, the flat belly and back ensures that all of the most highly strained wood is a uniform distance from the neutral axis, minimizing stress and making weaker woods far less likely to fail (break or become permanently bent and lose the springiness needed in a bow).
Because
yew, the wood of choice for English
longbows, is light, resilient, and has exceptional compressive strength, the rounded design can be used to produce a smooth shooting, efficient, powerful bow. For more common, lower strength, hardwoods such as
elm (a bow wood used in ancient Europe, as evidenced by bows pulled from European bogs),
maple, and
ash, the flatbow design must be employed to create a bow of equal power and efficiency. The flatbow design also lends itself to very dense, high strength woods such as
hickory and especially
osage orange (a wood favored by many
Native American tribes for bow making).
References
* (1992)
The Traditional Boyers Bible Volume 1. The Lyons Press. ISBN 1-58574-085-3
* Gray, David (2002)
Bows of the World. The Lyons Press. ISBN 1-58574-478-6
