Post by ncboman on Mar 23, 2006 6:43:09 GMT -5
Researching primitive arrows and found this;
I have examined hundreds of Plains Indian Arrows in the Smithsonian and they were parallel in diameter and an even diameter throughout. I think 9/32" was a pretty good diameter I measured a lot. The thicker end was used as the raise pinch nock so they had extra wood to carve from. The rest of the shaft was reduced to a even diameter. Probably with a arrow sizing tool and a stone flake. The sizing tool might have been an antler with a hole in it and served as a sort of very primitive spine tester to get the arrows close to size. -AR
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The Plains arrows I have measured in European museums are very often thickest in the middle and a little thinner at the ends. This Blackfoot arrow in the National Museum of Finland is quite typical I think: length of shaft 62 cm, thickness in the middle 8 mm, close to arrowpoint 7 mm and just under nock 6 mm.
I have made hundreds of arrows in the Plains style, from natural shoots and the easiest way to do them is to make a barreled shaft. If the shoot is selected with care there is very little woodwork, just to whittle the nock and taper the rear end of the shaft towards middle. If you want to make the shaft even diameter you must select a thicker shoot and there is more woodwork. And the finished shaft is weaker, because you had to violate more the growthrings on the surface of the shoot.
Even modern experts say the barreled shaft has better flying characteristics. From a certain distance a barreled shaft hits higher than an even diameter shaft. -SH
I have examined hundreds of Plains Indian Arrows in the Smithsonian and they were parallel in diameter and an even diameter throughout. I think 9/32" was a pretty good diameter I measured a lot. The thicker end was used as the raise pinch nock so they had extra wood to carve from. The rest of the shaft was reduced to a even diameter. Probably with a arrow sizing tool and a stone flake. The sizing tool might have been an antler with a hole in it and served as a sort of very primitive spine tester to get the arrows close to size. -AR
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The Plains arrows I have measured in European museums are very often thickest in the middle and a little thinner at the ends. This Blackfoot arrow in the National Museum of Finland is quite typical I think: length of shaft 62 cm, thickness in the middle 8 mm, close to arrowpoint 7 mm and just under nock 6 mm.
I have made hundreds of arrows in the Plains style, from natural shoots and the easiest way to do them is to make a barreled shaft. If the shoot is selected with care there is very little woodwork, just to whittle the nock and taper the rear end of the shaft towards middle. If you want to make the shaft even diameter you must select a thicker shoot and there is more woodwork. And the finished shaft is weaker, because you had to violate more the growthrings on the surface of the shoot.
Even modern experts say the barreled shaft has better flying characteristics. From a certain distance a barreled shaft hits higher than an even diameter shaft. -SH
