Friday 15 July 2016

Friday.



This is an experiment re the new machine. I have an expert behind my right shoulder directing operations. Yesterday we motored down to Snape and took photos.


Mystery Object.
when, where. (I know you must all have been pining for one of these )
short experiment.  Back soon.

8 comments:

Crowbard said...

Oh Mike, that is a super little bit of treen and iron-mongery, shame about the lack of cordage. Italian? Mid C.16th to mid C.17th? Stone-bow.

Unknown said...

Thank you Crowbard. Correct on all points. According to Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey's unsurpassed book, 'The Cross Bow', first published in 1903,Chapter XXXIII; Italian stone bows of this type were made from the mid sixteenth century for around a century. The one I've just purchased (the first I've had since about 1980) is an elegant ,slightly reptilian looking specimen, with an excellent provenance to it. Takes up a good deal of wall space, though.

Unknown said...

tP.s. Crowbard, you refer to the lack of cordage. A friend of mine in the area, is capable of doing a very good job on it. It is, on the other hand a very largely ungot at item, and there's a good deal to be said for originality. Which would you do?

This question is, ofcourse, addressed to all my readers.

Crowbard said...

Without question I would get it loomed up if it is not excessively pricey. The three-dimensional structure of the cordage and pouch is difficult to explain clearly without an actual harness on the stone-bow to demonstrate it. It may not add much to the value but it should increase the American interest considerably. Sell it for dollars as the exchange rate stands at present.

Paul said...

Well if you'd follow my Ma's advice you'd tie an unholy amount of string to the crossbow and then tie the other end of the string to your arrow, and you'd be all set. Then whenever you let fly with your arrow, you only had to grab onto the string and pull it back again and you were all ready to go again. Brilliant, isn't it? Irish Mammys' they're great all the same.

Crowbard said...

I'd have no quarrel with your Mammy over that Paul. But I might have to make a bolt for it if your Mammy was pointing it my way.
Maybe Mike could add a fishing reel with a clockwork re-wind for the string?

Unknown said...

Crowbard you really must get up-to-date with these things. I think an electric rewind would be far more the thing these days.

Crowbard said...

Sorry Mike, I've spent too much time delving into the family's far past to get entirely up to date. On second thoughts it might be easier to buy a harpoon/spear gun which has a built in retrieval system.