Flatbows?

[the Ferret]

LOL wish I could but it's not my job (to make up definitive definitions). It is generally considered that a longbow has a string that only touches the tips and not the limbs when at brace, a recurves string will touch the limbs. On the ones that you have displayed the string will touch or lay on the limbs at brace.

[bkupris]

LOL "generally considered". Actually, great discussion.  

Brian

[the Ferret]

Brian, surely if you try and say something can only be one way, someone else will come back with an argument for it.  

[Landshark160]

Ferret, would one of your board bows be considered a flatbow?

[Steve P]

Agree with the Ferret. I see a "long" recurve, but no longbow.


Steve

[the Ferret]

Landshark, yes I would consider them so.

[Shakes.602]

Hey Mickey, this Sounds like a Job for Your BOW MAKING RULER!! Ya Think that might clear up some of the Questions??

[bkupris]

Yes, my bows are recurves, no doubt about that. I just find this to be an interesting topic. Thanks for your replies  

[Liquid Amber]

Words can have different meanings.  The term "flat bow" originally was used to differentiate bows with wide and basically parallel back and belly from the narrow, stacked limb of the longbow or English longbow.  This became useful during the 1920s/1930s as shorter, wider bow limbs became popular.  

Prior to the introduction of fiberglass, the terms "longbow," "long bow" and "English longbow" were inter-changeable.

It was only a short time that these shorter, wide limbed bows came to take on a consistent, repeatable design; wide, flat, thin limbs with a narrow, stacked [deep] handle.  Ben Pearson made thousands of these typical flat bows from hickory, as did several other companies.  At this point "flat bow" took on an added definition, one that defined this "specific" bow design/type.  

Both "flat bows" and "long bows," are by definition, straight end bows.  Straight end bows might be "setback" or "reflexed" from the handle and might have a minor curve at the limb end, but never "intentionally" deflexed.

As better materials became available for use in bows the "Golden Age" of bowery ushered in nearly unlimited design opportunities....and boy did we take to it.  

[Liquid Amber]

When you make composite limbs in the "flat bow" pattern, one can bend and twist them into all sorts of combinations and they will attempt to return to their original unstrung profile when strung.  This allowed for huge leaps in stressing limbs and resulted in great gains in performance.  

Until Dr. Hickman developed a highly deflexed/recurved bow, the term "deflex" didn't exist in the archery vocabulary.  It had not been needed till then and Hickman introduced the term, which is the opposite of "reflex."  Both these terms refer to the limb as it leaves the handle and simply mean "bent or curved away" or "bent or curved toward"  the archer.   The terms "reflex & deflex" are specific to the limb's attitude as it leaves the handle and is incorrectly used today in reference to the limb ends.  The terms "straight" and "recurved" are the correct terms to use when referencing limb ends or tips.

Bows have historically been defined by their un-braced profiles.

With the advent of all these "bastard" designs [Howard Hill's term], the basic bow designs became blurred.  There were so many deflexed/recurved variations that Roy Case decided to define the "recurve" bow.  He did and his definition is mostly universally accepted today as a bow with recurved ends that lay on the curve of the limb for 3 inches or more in the braced position.  Roy's original definition was one with stiff, non working limb tips or "static" as we have come to know them, not a working tip.  Now...just because old Roy defined "one" variation of recurved bows, that doesn't mean their aren't other recurved bows.  

[Liquid Amber]

The current crop of deflexed/recurved [the correct usage] bows being touted as longbows or "hybrid" longbows have only one thing in common with the long bow...their string attitude as it leaves the nock...which is like saying the side profile of Earnhart's Monte Carlo is the same as a stock Monte Carlo and therefore it's a stock vehicle as well.  But, if you raise the hoods you have to agree there the resemblance ends.  Same with these "hybrid" longbows.  Once these bows are unstrung, their identity can no longer be disguised...they be a recurve.  

This same current crop of deflexed/recurved bows have two things in common with the flat bow...their string attitude as it leaves the nock and their wide, thin flat limbs.

This same current crop of deflexed/recurved bows have everything in common with the basic recurve bow.

If it's a hybrid, it should properly be called a "hybrid recurve."

By the way, the recurves posted above are flatbows if defined by their limb cross-section.  

[bkupris]

Very, very interesting...

[bkupris]

I see Border bows is referring to these hybrids as "semi-longbows"?