If what you want is a traditional bow that is beautiful, compact and powerful, then this bow is for you. The Hwarang Korean traditional bow is made by two different Korean bowyers, Myong-won Park and Do-min Park (no relation).
It is a joy to shoot! When it had its public debut at the 1998 Eastern Traditional Archery Rendevous at Denton Hill, Pennsylvania, the general reaction was similar. First, when this 49" bow (slightly longer version available upon request) was pulled back to where the siyahs were practically parallel, people would flinch, expecting something bad to happen; it didn't. Then, when people pulled it back for themselves, they were amazed that it was so smooth, with no stacking; it could be held at full draw nearly indefinitely. Then, when they took it out for a test shoot, they would come back with amazement in their eyes; they couldn't believe that something so small could be so fast and powerful and with absolutely no hand shock. Frequently, when people would draw one with a high draw weight (~70#), the usual comment was they felt like they were drawing a 50# bow.
The bow's core is made of two to three laminations of maple, along with a glass fiber lamination near the back and layers of the best-quality carbon. The siyahs are maple. It is backed with birch bark, which is very durable. The belly is composed of a material made from black paper pulp. The bowyer uses eight different materials, while others use only four.
When braced, it looks exactly like the Korean horn bow; it is very hard to tell them apart. When shot, it performs almost exactly like a horn bow; I had a report from an owner that he shot a 500gr. arrow from a 55# Hwarang bow at 211fps! I have shot 405gr. bamboos at close to 220fps and the same weight carbons at 236fps. Another person shot an 800gr. arrow from a 70# Hwarang bow at 180+fps and blew through the target! As for distance, I shot a 405gr. arrow from a 51# Hwarang bow 230 yards (in Korean traditional archery, we are shooting at targets 159 yards away) without even trying hard.
The best part? It's very easy to use, care for and it's affordable! The bow can be strung like any recurve; Koreans use the step-through method. As the bow is center-strung, it is an ambidextrous bow; one bow for either right- or left-handed people and can be used with either the three-fingered draw or thumb ring draw. It is very rugged; with that aspect, along with its compact size and power, it makes an ideal hunting bow.
The price* is $500 (USD), which includes the bow, two bowstrings, bow sock, and shipping direct from Korea (Some countries require extra shipping). A zipper case is available for an extra $30.
A slightly longer version (about an inch longer) of the bow, the janggung, is available for an additional $50.
*Quantity pricing is available; e-mail for more info.
Heavy draw weight bows [5# increments] 60# @28" or over (maximum draw weight: 90# @28"), there is an extra charge:
60#-70#: $50
75#-80#: $100
85#-90#: $150
Everything you see here is included for the price of $530. Zipper case coloring may vary.
To order, contact Thomas Duvernay at goongdo@hotmail.com
Required information: Bow weight and draw length (either @28" for finger shooting or @31" for thumb ring shooting), shipping address and telephone number.
Feedback from Hwarang Korean Bow owners