• Registered: 2010-10-22
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Topic: Arrow Length and spine.

If one has a draw length that is about 30 inches to the hinge of there jaw, where does one get an arrow that can be drawn to the korean style or form that has sufficient spine? This arrow would need to equal no less than 33 inches (probably more) and be spined for a bow that is about 80lbs.

I am thinking of purchasing a korean style bow that is this weight, but due to my novice, I have yet to encounter arrows of this length and spine. Does anyone have any suggestions? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Joe

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  • ~HUN~
  • ~HUN~
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Re: Arrow Length and spine.

Joe,
You can purchase good quality bamboo shafts 33" long on the net. I've used these myself and I can recommend them. Look on Ebay, user name stmmrr1968, he offers shafts up to 92+#.
33" shafts should be ample unless the bow is Jang-gung.

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  • Registered: 2010-10-22
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Re: Arrow Length and spine.

Hun,
Thank you very much for the info on the arrows. I have heard that it is hard to find a supplier of quality bamboo arrows here in the states.

Carbons are good and durable and always straight, how do the bamboo compare? Do they hold up well? Do they require allot of maintenance?

The carbons that I generally purchase are 32" long and this brings my string hand to my jaw hinge and maybe a little beyond, but not as far as so many i.e. Thomas Duvernay in the photos on his website, or those you see on youtube.

Thank you,

Joe

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  • ~HUN~
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Re: Arrow Length and spine.

I've only used wood or bamboo, no doubt carbons are more consistent but I am traditionalist at heart.
Wood is not an option because of the standard 32" length that I found just too short for safety. Tiger's bamboo shafts allow an extra inch of draw and I wouldn't really advise drawing much further with the standard length bow. Just holding my arms in a full draw position I can measure 35" or more. In reality, drawing the bow, I am drawing around 33" or just under, to a position where the index finger of my drawing hand (the arrow nock) is just behind the level of my earlobe. I think I would risk damaging the bow if I drew further.

Bamboo arrows are just great to use and they are pretty good for straightness. With a few tweaks I've had some as good as any carbon. It really depends on how far you want to go when making these arrows but the beauty is you can go fully traditional with sinew wrapped nocks or you can slide a blank in the end and fit a normal plastic nock.

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5 Reply by WarBow (edited by WarBow 2011-09-20 04:53:01)

  • Registered: 2011-04-13
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Re: Arrow Length and spine.

There are wooden arrows that are more than 32" in length but they are too heavy for even the highest draw-weight Hwarang bow.  I recently ordered a couple of dozens of bamboo shafts from Mark Hill.  I will use 125 grains stainless steel tanged field points from www.arrow-fix.com http://www.arrow-fix.com/pages/media/do … 010_12.pdf

~HUN~ wrote:

I've only used wood or bamboo, no doubt carbons are more consistent but I am traditionalist at heart.
Wood is not an option because of the standard 32" length that I found just too short for safety. Tiger's bamboo shafts allow an extra inch of draw and I wouldn't really advise drawing much further with the standard length bow. Just holding my arms in a full draw position I can measure 35" or more. In reality, drawing the bow, I am drawing around 33" or just under, to a position where the index finger of my drawing hand (the arrow nock) is just behind the level of my earlobe. I think I would risk damaging the bow if I drew further.

Bamboo arrows are just great to use and they are pretty good for straightness. With a few tweaks I've had some as good as any carbon. It really depends on how far you want to go when making these arrows but the beauty is you can go fully traditional with sinew wrapped nocks or you can slide a blank in the end and fit a normal plastic nock.

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  • Registered: 2011-08-31
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Re: Arrow Length and spine.

Hey steve, I ordered up 100 shafts and a couple hundred pheasant feathers from tiger, great guy to deal with, thanks for the heads up, and yes he does offer shafts up to that weight and is willing to do anything you need as long as you order a decent quantity.

~HUN~ wrote:

Joe,
You can purchase good quality bamboo shafts 33" long on the net. I've used these myself and I can recommend them. Look on Ebay, user name stmmrr1968, he offers shafts up to 92+#.
33" shafts should be ample unless the bow is Jang-gung.

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  • Registered: 2011-04-13
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Re: Arrow Length and spine.

The 33" 110# spined bamboo arrows from Mark Hill arrived at the post office for pickup today.  For straight 90 degree four fletches, what length and height of parabolic feathers do you folks recommend?

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  • Registered: 2011-08-31
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Re: Arrow Length and spine.

I think the consensus is 5" feathers X 3, and four inch feathers X 4. I use a bitzenberger right helical and the ones I made recently fly great! They just fly straight. I have made some up with 4 feather parabolic @90 degrees so will let you guys know how they fly.. Maybe not the fastest arrows in the world, but they shoot where I point and are quiet and hits the target hard! I am currently shooting gold tip 5575 with 100 grain brass inserts at the tip, and 125 grain field point, and I weighed them on my scale and they are exactly 550 grains give or take a grain but that's from the variation in the carbon arrows weight. I had some glue on adapters and I've made 500 grain arrows, 550 grain which I've shot and fly awesome, and one monster 600 grain arrow, which includes a 25 grain lumenok, and a glue on point adapter with brass 125 grain tips.  I'm going to have to get a chronograph to measure speed and calculate FPE (foot pounds energy) to see how much power I'm making.

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  • Registered: 2011-04-13
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Re: Arrow Length and spine.

What about the height of the fletchings?  I am thinking about 1/4" for four fletches.

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10 Reply by WarBow (edited by WarBow 2011-10-04 07:13:27)

  • Registered: 2011-04-13
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Re: Arrow Length and spine.

Can anyone help with locating a source for very long, 35", carbon arrows for the Hwarang bow?

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  • ~HUN~
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Re: Arrow Length and spine.

Traditional Korean arrows are 4" pheasant fletched, three per arrow.I cut mine to roughly 1/4 - 3/8 in height.

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  • Registered: 2011-04-13
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Re: Arrow Length and spine.

Thanks!  I am thinking about 4 fletches because I don't have to juggle with the hen fletch.

~HUN~ wrote:

Traditional Korean arrows are 4" pheasant fletched, three per arrow.I cut mine to roughly 1/4 - 3/8 in height.

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  • Registered: 2011-08-31
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Re: Arrow Length and spine.

WarBow wrote:

Thanks!  I am thinking about 4 fletches because I don't have to juggle with the hen fletch.

~HUN~ wrote:

Traditional Korean arrows are 4" pheasant fletched, three per arrow.I cut mine to roughly 1/4 - 3/8 in height.

Show us how they come out...  I'm going to be building my own soon, haven't had the time lately.

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