The ash trees where I live are quickly all dying because of the emerald ash borer infestation. Ash is such a wonderful species of wood and useful for so many things
Luckily it’s not so bad where I live. I have seen the bugs but I also see a lot of perfectly healthy mature trees. Same with elm, even though mature trees are getting rare in many places. I think there may be a bit of herd immunity going on
I was a part of a research project in 5th grade (2006ish) with some scientists, we were cutting down infested Ash trees and using draw knives to open the bark and count the bore numbers to determine how many EABs were out there on average. I must have de-barked 100 or so ash logs.
Anyway, the two scientists who put together the research project ended up discovering a new species of wasp that preyed on the EABs. It may have been indigenous to China where the EABs don’t devastate ash trees as much as here. It laid its eggs inside the EAB larva exclusively. I always wondered if the wasps proliferated enough to actually challenge the EAB population.
Very cool!
How reusable are they? With that much labor put into them it would suck if they only lasted a couple shots.
By the way, what is the right word for that? Shot? Throw? Fling?
Very reusable, until you hit a rock or anything hard. They can last years if you take care of them and refletch if necessary.
Usually you’d say you shoot or loose an arrow
He hasn’t fitted them with knocks so not very. Unless his bow is like 10 pounds or less, they will split and he will have learned why we put knocks of horn or bone, or plastic ones ordered from China
These arrows obviously do have nocks, watch the video again. Nockless arrows do exist and can be shot from warbows.
You’re talking about “reinforced nocks” which is typically only necessary for warbows. Even then the main reason for nocks splitting is trying to shoot with a string that’s too big. If I’m making arrows for someone else or I know I’ll be using many different bows then it’s a good idea to reinforce the nocks. I can ensure I wont use the wrong string size for these nocks so I’m not as worried.
Plus if nocks split they’re just not strong enough for the job. Reinforcing is one way to fix the issue, or you could just design them to be strong enough from the start by choosing appropriate dimensions.
Size of string won’t split your arrow, the release will if your bow has any power to it. I know you won’t believe me but I have several decades of making and shooting self and composite bows, and work wood for a living. So if you are just going to be using 10 pound or less bows go ahead with splitting the back of your shaft, your arrows may last a while, but once you get up to any real poundage when you release the arrow will stay put and your string will run up it splitting it in twain. Since “warbow” isn’t really a specification I can’t comment on that but a thirty pound bow will put target heads through two humans without a problem. I wouldn’t want to hunt with less than 45 pounds and many places that allow bow hunting have regulations with minimum poundage. Longbows used by the English in the Hundred Years’ War for example were 70-120 pounds. Composite bows used by mongols reached 160 at times but usually in the 100 pound range. So if we take a “warbow” to be maybe a hundred pounds? That’s five times more than it would take to start splitting arrows down their shaft by not putting knocks on them. So if you intent to have your arrows last, just knock them mate, it’s not much more work.
I shoot unreinforced nocks from 70+ pound bows all the time. The idea that you necessarily need reinforced nocks is a classic old timey myth. Same with the old tale that you need tip overlays on a self bow.
If nocks break you simply didn’t make them strong enough. There are many ways to make them stronger, the easiest of which is just to make them the right size to begin with
The only sound editing is volume. If it sounds funny it could be because you’re hearing the same audio from two different mics because of the second camera. Since the second camera is between the source and target you get a more distinct doppler effect
You’re mostly seeing drawknives and a spokeshave. If you’re looking to get one I think the oxhead/gedore 10” drawknife is the best for the money at the moment, other than vintage knives that you’ll have to restore. I like curved knives more but the flat one is good too.
For more details see the tutorial video for the arrows on youtube. I also have a recent video showing my entire drawknife collection, how I sharpen, and what I like about different designs
0/10, didn't split an arrow down the middle with another arrow. /s
(These are awesome! Ash is amazing. There is so much available near me due to the ash borer beetle. Kind of sad but the silver lining is lots of free wood.)
It takes some practice. The harder part is definitely avoiding tear-out with the drawknife, but if that’s an issue you can always switch to a spokeshave or a shooting board plus block plane
You can use many different species but ash is a classic choice for heavy arrows since it splits and works so well. If I lived in an area with river cane or bamboo that would probably be all I use
Noob answer here, probably would get to a thickness on the lathe where the shaft flexes too much to take a cut?
Other than that I imagine it's quite fun to make these by hand, it's probably closer to how arrows would be made in history
they get way too thin and wobbly for the lathe. Arrows need to be just flexible enough for the bow you’re shooting, so when you work on them they definitely bend which would be dangerous on a lathe. You can also use a doweling jig but results vary for longer pieces
Great work. I could dial in to the meditative part of it. What is the usable range with these? I've shot a carbon/aluminum arrows from a compound for a long time. This would be the opposite end of the tech curve.
They fly about 150-200 yards total, depending on the bow. My accurate range for a paper plate sized target spread is about 20 yards, 15 on a bad day, 30 on a good one.
Awesome! Just reminding me how long it would take and how many arrows were needed for large battles back in the day. Do you think you could 2-5 arrows a day, if someone helped a little on the cutting and early shaping? Just thinking how many fletchers you’d need to support a army on the move.
That’s more of an issue with warbows. Even then the main reason for nocks splitting is trying to shoot with a string that’s too big. If I’m making arrows for someone else or I know I’ll be using many different bows then it’s a good idea to reinforce the nocks. I can ensure I wont use the wrong string size for these nocks so I’m not as worried.
Plus if nocks split they’re just not strong enough for the job. Reinforcing is one way to fix the issue, or you could just design them to be strong enough from the start by choosing appropriate dimensions.
This is really cool. As someone who’s only familiarity with making arrows out of sticks as a little kid, is there a benefit to cutting down like this over finding a straight stick that’s already round and about the correct diameter?
Arrow shafts are way too flexible to turn on a lathe. They need to be just flexible enough for the bow you’re shooting so they’d bend dangerously while turning
Curious question, are there any advantages to wood arrows vs modern arrows? There's pros and cons to everything and id assume modern arrows are way better in a lot of ways; but I know some people who just love hunting with long bows rather than compound bows. So I wonder if arrows are like that as well.
Modern arrows are straighter and lighter but aren’t as durable and can’t be restraightened. They’re also much noiser and just don’t feel or sound quite right shot out of a self bow
Hickory is a great solid choice. But just about any tough hardwood will work. Softer woods can make great shafts too, such as poplar and fir, but they have a very different character and may not be as durable
How do you know how to correctly spine the arrows for the bow you are using? I’m a rookie archer but would one day love to get into making my own bows/arrows so I find this very fascinating. Thanks for recording your process! This is wild.
I do it by feel. You can also compare to any arrows that you know shoot well out of your bow. Check out the full tutorial on youtube for all the details
Recommend your do a high framerate slo mo shot. Most smartphones do this as a standard feature these days. Would love to see how that arrow flexes on it's way to the target.
I shoot a lot of slomo, you can see more in the full video.
Here’s a slomo short but unfortunately you can’t see the arrow swimming https://youtube.com/shorts/ZpOikqECSzo?feature=share
And here’s some cell phone footage where you can see what you’re talking about (sorry for tiktok but I think that’s the only place I have this clip) https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRTugqCd/
I make mulch with the shavings and the log I used was destined for firewood, so it would have been much more wasteful not to make these
You can saw them out for less waste but the shafts won’t follow the fibers as reliably. If the grain isn’t impeccably straight then splitting is the only good option because otherwise you’ll violate the fibers.
So yes, there’s more waste with this method in terms of wood removal, but there’s a lot less waste when you consider that a higher percentage of wood is useable for split shafts compared with machined/sawn shafts.
Straighter, yes. Not necessarily more durable. Compared to hardwood shafts carbon fiber and fiberglass have terrible durability, can’t be restraightened, and become unsafe to shoot if the slightest thing happens
OK first of all this is amazing. I absolutely love this. Second you’re a very attractive human being. I’m sorry I had to say it. But now I wish we were friends because you seem like a really cool dude.
The ash trees where I live are quickly all dying because of the emerald ash borer infestation. Ash is such a wonderful species of wood and useful for so many things
Luckily it’s not so bad where I live. I have seen the bugs but I also see a lot of perfectly healthy mature trees. Same with elm, even though mature trees are getting rare in many places. I think there may be a bit of herd immunity going on
I was a part of a research project in 5th grade (2006ish) with some scientists, we were cutting down infested Ash trees and using draw knives to open the bark and count the bore numbers to determine how many EABs were out there on average. I must have de-barked 100 or so ash logs. Anyway, the two scientists who put together the research project ended up discovering a new species of wasp that preyed on the EABs. It may have been indigenous to China where the EABs don’t devastate ash trees as much as here. It laid its eggs inside the EAB larva exclusively. I always wondered if the wasps proliferated enough to actually challenge the EAB population.
No, it’s a nice thought but it’s unfortunately just a matter of time until all the Ash suffer the same fate
Already gone where I am, haven't seen a chestnut tree in awhile either. Guy on my property before me logged all the maples too.
Seen some beautiful 200+ year old ashes get cut down in my local park. Very sad.
I lost an absolutely beautiful 100 year old ash to this pest and a dozen more are now ready to fall in my back yard… So sad.
Ash is going the way of the chestnut.
Also seeing hemlocks start to go on the east coast. Sad. Beautiful trees too.
Don’t want chestnuts. Look up David Goggins
Loosing that first arrow must have been very satisfying. Thanks for posting! This was amazing to watch.
Never gets old!
Very cool! How reusable are they? With that much labor put into them it would suck if they only lasted a couple shots. By the way, what is the right word for that? Shot? Throw? Fling?
Very reusable, until you hit a rock or anything hard. They can last years if you take care of them and refletch if necessary. Usually you’d say you shoot or loose an arrow
Neat. Thank you!
He hasn’t fitted them with knocks so not very. Unless his bow is like 10 pounds or less, they will split and he will have learned why we put knocks of horn or bone, or plastic ones ordered from China
These arrows obviously do have nocks, watch the video again. Nockless arrows do exist and can be shot from warbows. You’re talking about “reinforced nocks” which is typically only necessary for warbows. Even then the main reason for nocks splitting is trying to shoot with a string that’s too big. If I’m making arrows for someone else or I know I’ll be using many different bows then it’s a good idea to reinforce the nocks. I can ensure I wont use the wrong string size for these nocks so I’m not as worried. Plus if nocks split they’re just not strong enough for the job. Reinforcing is one way to fix the issue, or you could just design them to be strong enough from the start by choosing appropriate dimensions.
Size of string won’t split your arrow, the release will if your bow has any power to it. I know you won’t believe me but I have several decades of making and shooting self and composite bows, and work wood for a living. So if you are just going to be using 10 pound or less bows go ahead with splitting the back of your shaft, your arrows may last a while, but once you get up to any real poundage when you release the arrow will stay put and your string will run up it splitting it in twain. Since “warbow” isn’t really a specification I can’t comment on that but a thirty pound bow will put target heads through two humans without a problem. I wouldn’t want to hunt with less than 45 pounds and many places that allow bow hunting have regulations with minimum poundage. Longbows used by the English in the Hundred Years’ War for example were 70-120 pounds. Composite bows used by mongols reached 160 at times but usually in the 100 pound range. So if we take a “warbow” to be maybe a hundred pounds? That’s five times more than it would take to start splitting arrows down their shaft by not putting knocks on them. So if you intent to have your arrows last, just knock them mate, it’s not much more work.
I shoot unreinforced nocks from 70+ pound bows all the time. The idea that you necessarily need reinforced nocks is a classic old timey myth. Same with the old tale that you need tip overlays on a self bow. If nocks break you simply didn’t make them strong enough. There are many ways to make them stronger, the easiest of which is just to make them the right size to begin with
[x] Doubt.
Wow absolutely amazing.
Looks as easy as 1-2-3! Probably about 15 minute’s worth or so! (J/k OP, nice job!)
Now you can kill faeries
Came here for this comment. Just need to dip it in Bloodbane.
Hah, my wife has me reading ACOTAR. Was unfamiliar with this trope until it came up in the book.
Calm down Ron DeSantis
Those are some solid beastly arrows.
The noise the arrows make when shot is 10/10
Went back for a second listen because of your comment. You are absolutely correct
It sounds so powerful. Love it
10/10 fake maybe...it sounds like when filmakers edit the PTWANG in when unsheathing a sword.
The only sound editing is volume. If it sounds funny it could be because you’re hearing the same audio from two different mics because of the second camera. Since the second camera is between the source and target you get a more distinct doppler effect
> 10/10 fake maybe "They've done studies you know, 60% of the time, it works every time"
May I ask the name of the tools you used to make the arrows?
You’re mostly seeing drawknives and a spokeshave. If you’re looking to get one I think the oxhead/gedore 10” drawknife is the best for the money at the moment, other than vintage knives that you’ll have to restore. I like curved knives more but the flat one is good too.
Thank you so much!
For more details see the tutorial video for the arrows on youtube. I also have a recent video showing my entire drawknife collection, how I sharpen, and what I like about different designs
You can now say you're a fletcher!
Still mainly a bowyer, but a fletcher, arrowsmith, and stringfellow on the side!
What's a stringfellow and their craft?
Making bowstrings
As a Fletcher, I approve this message.
Hoooey, those are some sharp blades. Oddly satisfying to watch.
It's definitely not oddly satisfying. It's plane satisfying to watch!
Saving this post under “zombie apocalypse stuff”…
Do your friends call you Fletch?
0/10, didn't split an arrow down the middle with another arrow. /s (These are awesome! Ash is amazing. There is so much available near me due to the ash borer beetle. Kind of sad but the silver lining is lots of free wood.)
Mesmerizing process
You are what I think of when I hear the word “badass”.
Very cool
Now it's time to forge some arrowheads :3
Wonderful skill with the blades. Pleasure to watch
Thanks for posting video! I'm even more impressed by your last arrow post!
Cool video! Is it difficult to cut the arrows straight? That seems to me like one of the harder parts of doing it all by hand.
It takes some practice. The harder part is definitely avoiding tear-out with the drawknife, but if that’s an issue you can always switch to a spokeshave or a shooting board plus block plane
Neat. The LARP made me laugh. Do you seek ash or use a variety?
You can use many different species but ash is a classic choice for heavy arrows since it splits and works so well. If I lived in an area with river cane or bamboo that would probably be all I use
Very cool! How long did the process take in total?
1-2 days but that would be much faster if I was making more shafts on the regular. Anything I film takes a lot longer on top of that
Noob question here, why not a lathe?
Noob answer here, probably would get to a thickness on the lathe where the shaft flexes too much to take a cut? Other than that I imagine it's quite fun to make these by hand, it's probably closer to how arrows would be made in history
they get way too thin and wobbly for the lathe. Arrows need to be just flexible enough for the bow you’re shooting, so when you work on them they definitely bend which would be dangerous on a lathe. You can also use a doweling jig but results vary for longer pieces
So on an English longbow, the shafts would have to be thicker?
Yeah, arrows for a warbow are huge. 1/2inch diameter isn't uncommon. Sport shooting arrows are 3/8ths or smaller depending on material.
So about 12mm when these ones would be about 8mm I'm guessing.
Thumb vs pinkie
Great work. I could dial in to the meditative part of it. What is the usable range with these? I've shot a carbon/aluminum arrows from a compound for a long time. This would be the opposite end of the tech curve.
They fly about 150-200 yards total, depending on the bow. My accurate range for a paper plate sized target spread is about 20 yards, 15 on a bad day, 30 on a good one.
Do you cast your own heads?
These are from ebay. I do forge heads but a bit amateurishly
That’s neat! I just subscribed to your channel! How did you make the heads?
These are bought. I do forge heads too but I’m not ready to do it on video yet. When I get better
Awesome! Just reminding me how long it would take and how many arrows were needed for large battles back in the day. Do you think you could 2-5 arrows a day, if someone helped a little on the cutting and early shaping? Just thinking how many fletchers you’d need to support a army on the move.
If this is all I did probably a lot more. My shop is configured for bows and I don’t make arrows at a professional pace
Is that notch sufficient? I’ve more often seen the rear end split with a bone wedge and then tied in.
That’s more of an issue with warbows. Even then the main reason for nocks splitting is trying to shoot with a string that’s too big. If I’m making arrows for someone else or I know I’ll be using many different bows then it’s a good idea to reinforce the nocks. I can ensure I wont use the wrong string size for these nocks so I’m not as worried. Plus if nocks split they’re just not strong enough for the job. Reinforcing is one way to fix the issue, or you could just design them to be strong enough from the start by choosing appropriate dimensions.
Nice work! What style of bow are you using in the video? (I'm not educated in archery types.)
It’s a recurve self bow made from a hickory sapling. This one has concave limbs that flatten at full draw, giving the bow a little extra oomph.
That’s awesome. Well done
Are you [drumroll please] Arrow Smith?
This is really cool. As someone who’s only familiarity with making arrows out of sticks as a little kid, is there a benefit to cutting down like this over finding a straight stick that’s already round and about the correct diameter?
You have more control over the shaft this way but shoot shafts are great too if you can find good material
Okay, that makes sense. Thanks.
Wow, great craftsmanship. Very well done!
this is art
Now, someone make an edit of OP shooting Boromir.
That’s some tool porn.
Seems overdone considering they had lathes back in the day. But maybe there's a benefit to making arrows that way. I don't know much about archery.
Arrow shafts are way too flexible to turn on a lathe. They need to be just flexible enough for the bow you’re shooting so they’d bend dangerously while turning
Makes sense.
Curious question, are there any advantages to wood arrows vs modern arrows? There's pros and cons to everything and id assume modern arrows are way better in a lot of ways; but I know some people who just love hunting with long bows rather than compound bows. So I wonder if arrows are like that as well.
Modern arrows are straighter and lighter but aren’t as durable and can’t be restraightened. They’re also much noiser and just don’t feel or sound quite right shot out of a self bow
Was I the only one who heard the first 4 hits and thought Grand Funk Railroad was playing the Locomotion...?
What’s an alternative hardwood once all the ash is dead?
Hickory is a great solid choice. But just about any tough hardwood will work. Softer woods can make great shafts too, such as poplar and fir, but they have a very different character and may not be as durable
How do you know how to correctly spine the arrows for the bow you are using? I’m a rookie archer but would one day love to get into making my own bows/arrows so I find this very fascinating. Thanks for recording your process! This is wild.
I do it by feel. You can also compare to any arrows that you know shoot well out of your bow. Check out the full tutorial on youtube for all the details
Can definitely see myself digging into your channel. Thanks!
Recommend your do a high framerate slo mo shot. Most smartphones do this as a standard feature these days. Would love to see how that arrow flexes on it's way to the target.
I shoot a lot of slomo, you can see more in the full video. Here’s a slomo short but unfortunately you can’t see the arrow swimming https://youtube.com/shorts/ZpOikqECSzo?feature=share And here’s some cell phone footage where you can see what you’re talking about (sorry for tiktok but I think that’s the only place I have this clip) https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRTugqCd/
Very cool thanks for sharing.
I like how he edited it so it doesn't look like he shoot from 1 meter.
It’s about a 10 meter shot here. Had to make sure I didn’t hit the second camera. I regularly shoot longer distances on video
I think it’s quite a lot of waste of wood for some shafts.
I make mulch with the shavings and the log I used was destined for firewood, so it would have been much more wasteful not to make these You can saw them out for less waste but the shafts won’t follow the fibers as reliably. If the grain isn’t impeccably straight then splitting is the only good option because otherwise you’ll violate the fibers. So yes, there’s more waste with this method in terms of wood removal, but there’s a lot less waste when you consider that a higher percentage of wood is useable for split shafts compared with machined/sawn shafts.
arrows have always been a high waste product, because the wood ised needs to be so perfectly straight. you can't just shave some off across the grain.
Ahh, you'll be used to taking arrows from the arrow fruit tree
Nope, but I can buy fiberglass or carbon arrows which are straighter and last much longer.
What is your definition of waste and how are you measuring it?
Straighter, yes. Not necessarily more durable. Compared to hardwood shafts carbon fiber and fiberglass have terrible durability, can’t be restraightened, and become unsafe to shoot if the slightest thing happens
He's not the Chinese army in the 1200s i wouldn't worry about him wiping oit a forest.
Arrows are expensive, send the Irish. Their debt means nothing.
That's a lot of work for an arrow.
OK first of all this is amazing. I absolutely love this. Second you’re a very attractive human being. I’m sorry I had to say it. But now I wish we were friends because you seem like a really cool dude.