Greetings, longbow fanatics! In this article, I will be attempting to present enough basic knowledge so that anyone can select a wooden longbow for their use in Dagorhir.
Let's start off with the types of woods that can be used in bows:
Osage orange, mulberry, locust, black walnut (with the sap wood), red cedar, juniper, tan oak, apple wood, ash, eucalyptus, lancewood, washaba, palma brava, elm, birch, bamboo, yew, and hickory.
Without a doubt, the best type of wood to use in a longbow is yew. The English proved this over hundreds of years of trial and error; their use of the longbow in combat heralded the peak of bow construction and archery combat; after that it faded almost into nothingness. Admittedly, yew is a very expensive wood, and for most players is not worth the investment for Dagorhir use.
When it comes down to cheap but effective bows, I personally use a hickory bow; pig-nut or smooth bark is the best variety for that wood. I'll be very blunt; consider the differences between a yew bow and a hickory bow. My personal hickory bow is a 72" longbow; it's a selfbow (explanation of the term forthcoming) and bows of that type cost an average of $70. A yew bow of the same variety would easily cost in excess of $600. To me, it's a matter of practicality; weapons break on the field, it happens all the time. I feel better about carrying around a $70 bow that I feel fine about using to block an incoming blue strike, rather than worrying about replacing a $600 yew bow.
Now, let's look at the next major difference in bows: selfbow vs. laminated. A selfbow is one that is made from a single piece of wood that has been whittled and cut down into the proper shape. Laminated bows, on the other hand, are made from strips of wood that have been laminated or sandwiched together using fiberglass. Laminated bows get most of their shooting power from fiberglass, not the wood itself, like a selfbow does. Something else you will want to keep in mind when buying a selfbow is that heat will effect how strong the bow draws; get one that is, say, 32lb. draw or so, and you won't have to worry about unwinding a string just so you can use it. When compared overall, a selfbow has a shorter life span and shoots slower than a laminated bow.
One thing you should always remember is that a selfbow normally will shoot quieter then a laminated bow, so if you're going for stealth, than a selfbow is your winner. If you're looking for something more on the unique side, every selfbow has idiosyncrasies in the wood grain itself, making it different from every other selfbow out there. So if you're looking for a bow that you would become in tune with, so to speak, get a selfbow; if you want one that will shoot the same, regardless of the air temperature, get a laminated bow.
I hope you have all enjoyed the read and that you found it informative. For those who prefer recurve bows, stay tuned for an article on that subject in upcoming issues. Best of luck out there on your hunt for the perfect bow!