BOWS AND ARROWS — KLOPSTEG 569 



Among the diversions which comprise the "world of sports" one 

 comparison is the relative market for the implements used. By this 

 test a participant sport ranks high, for nearly everyone interested in it 

 is a potential buyer for its equipment. Archery, so measured, has 

 arrived as a major sport. Its manufacturers and suppliers are found 

 among the larger business enterprises. Manufacturers of firearms 

 and fishing tackle have entered the primary market. One other indi- 

 cator which confirms its rank is the rapid expansion of its specialized 

 magazines, the number of recently published books, and the avid col- 

 lection of old books and other material published in the field. 



Figure 1. — An English longbow of the 1850's, unstrung. The upper limb, 34" long, is at 

 the left, the lower limb, 34" long, at the right. To provide better grasp, the grip is 

 enlarged by a shaped pad of cork glued to the back of the bow. The bow is made of two 

 strips of wood glued together. The back is probably lancewood; the belly is a dark, hard 

 wood, unidentified, but possibly degame, stained deep brown. 



Today's number of archers contrasts sharply with that of only 30 

 years ago. During this period there has probably been a doubling of 

 numbers every 5 years, which w^ould make the ratio more than 60/1, 

 which seems plausible. Prior to 1930, the number of archers in 

 America was almost too small to be noticed. In the tables of data 

 about outdoor sports, its category was "miscellaneous" or "other." 

 Seldom did the public press carry news about it. Among the reasons 

 for the prevailing popularity of the sport, a major one to be examined 

 is the exceptional improvement of its implements. This new excel- 

 lence was the first in centuries, the centuries during which makers of 

 bows and arrows blindly and uncritically followed tradition. 



Though unchanged in principle, the instruments of archery today 

 differ profoundly in detail from their prehistoric and historic proto- 

 types. They differ radically even from the more recent ones being 

 used during the first few decades of this century. Changes in design, 

 materials, and construction have contributed incomparably to pre- 

 cision in performance, hence to greater accuracy in the hands of the 

 skillful user. Even the fantastic skill attributed to Robin Hood and 

 his outlaws of Sherwood Forest does not surpass that of many of our 

 present-day bowmen. The new designs have undoubtedly served as a 

 potent catalyst both in stirring the latent interest of many potential 

 archers, and in stimulating manufacture of the new bows Avhich, 

 unlike the old, lend themselves to systematic mass production. 



Shooting an arrow at a mark such as the bullseye or "gold" of a 

 standard target has much resemblance to measuring a physical 

 constant with the purpose of determining its value to the utmost 

 attainable accuracy. To increase the accuracy in such a measurement. 



