What is the difference between an English Longbow vs an American Flatbow

Quite a few videos have surfaced lately showing how to make an English Longbow, mainly from our `cousins across the pond`. It seems there are some elements of the English Longbow that people are unaware of, meaning what they are making in their videos are closer to an American Longbow, sometimes called an American Flatbow or AFB. Here we go over a few of those differences in the hopes of helping a few people understand more.
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[@longbows]

Want to help us keep our bow making website going and these videos? Please consider helping us pay the costs by using the donate button here, www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=SPKPNPZL55NLE

[@caseysmith544]

I have seen odd bows where they are neither an English Longbow or a Flatbow/American Style Longbow Square Limb Longbows are what I am seeing where whole limb when unstrung are same on each side, I call said bow a European Medieval Longbow where you see bows in rest of Europe being made unlike in UK/Ireland.

[@dpeter6396]

Now that's the type of information not available anywhere else, and that's why I am a long time subscriber of your channel. Without this channel I would be at a real loss for proper information on these details. Thank You!

[@longbows]

So nice of you, really appreciate you being here for such a long time.

[@daveharmon9762]

Great video, thanks for the info!

[@longbows]

No problem! thanks for watching and commenting

[@jharchery4117]

Thank you for another informative video.

[@longbows]

Our pleasure!

[@twistedironprojects8814]

I didn't know there was a difference between english and American long bows. I thought the flat bow was a completely different bow. I've also realized using factory boards is not a good way to make a english long bow. Lol 5 failed bows later your video helped me realize that maybe I should try to make a American long bow instead. Great information as always. Keep up the great videos.

[@longbows]

glad I could help with some information, I hope you have better luck soon

[@johanneswerner1140]

My takeaway as well. "They made the rules so the amateurs couldn't make them". Me: amateur. rubbish at bow making. ditch the rules. My kids loved shooting their Hazel self bow, thanks for the inspiration! (still, it was not a good bow, but fun to make)

[@calinesanu9995]

I've made many english longbows and a few ''warbows'' from factory boards since around me you aren't allowed to cut a single stick from the forest. You just have to stay away from pine or other soft woods that can't handle compression really well. And to be 100% sure, just order a bamboo backing for it. I've never had a bamboo backed longbow go boom, I even tillered one while I was drunk and the thing looked like a ramen noodle but still shot and never broke lol

[@caseysmith544]

Yes, and what people always think on American Style Longbows is they have to have a shelf always and , but some companies you can request without if you want like some brands making pre WW2 like some early Ben Person models. Then a Howard Hill is a specific handle design on an Amercian Style Longbow where is skinny to an almost triangle where most companies make like how Howard Hill or his nephew makes, and have so deep only Large/XL glove hand can fit becuse of size of Howard Hill himself with a straight/dished grip only where on some American Style Longbows a universal notched grip can be used as can have a rounded grip but rounded/English grip on a flat limb longbow is called some kind of primitive or if based on a tribes bow, tribes name. Now a Pope & Young grip is usually a wider reangle/square straight grip where is 90 degree angles on backside and is using as thin of a wrapping grip material as you can get like using very thin suede or thin deer/elk, with Pop & Young grip is usually very uncomfortable and bow can have a very skinny shelf or no shelf as long as using usually very uncomfortable grip. Some Pope & Young bows use a rounded grip but Pope & Young company called these American Flatbows or Native Indian Bows. Now this rounded grip is kind of like Indian brand calling their rounded grip longbows, Indian Longbows where bows were a native style using a round grip.

[@darrinrebagliati5365]

I couldn't put my finger on what the difference was. I knew something wasn't right but am new to historical bows. Unfortunately where I am it's difficult and prohibitively expensive to acquire yew or ash. Pacific Yew isn't suitable for a longbow of any sort; the only Yew that grows in my area. I have been trying Poplar and am drying a Birch log to try and get a stave out of. But have only managed flatbows so far. Will have to watch a few more of your videos to see how I can change my approach to the process. Poplar works passably if you can get a young enough tree that hasn't twisted too much yet. But my best performing bow so far has been from a Willow, not sure what type of willow but it grows kinda like hazel. I may try some Cottonwood as my brother just took a couple down in his yard. Thanks for another great informative video!

[@joeturner2335]

"Pacific Yew isn't suitable for a longbow of any sort". Thats probably the most untrue statement I've read in a long time. Maybe it's better you stick with cottonwood, poplar or willow. Leave more Pac Yew for me.

[@terrencew.pringle1065]

Very interesting

[@longbows]

Glad you think so!

[@TheLonghunterBowyer]

Great video guys

[@longbows]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@grantmiller6570]

Always good fun watching one of your vids.

[@longbows]

Glad you like them!

[@justabill5780]

Flat bows are more efficient that rounded back bows. I'm a bowyer who makes bows out of (mostly) Osage Orange, Hickory and Black Locust. I also never use backings. All my bows are selfbows. I've made one ELB from Mulberry (cannot find a source for yew). It is a beast of a bow (to me) at 80lbs@30". But my 55-65# Osage flatbows out-perform it, significantly. They also take less set. That being said, I love ELB's.. They are works of art.

[@longbows]

Great. The "ELB" you made, did it bend through the handle?

[@justabill5780]

@@longbows Yes it does! :-) Though I also didn't have a source for buffalo horn so I used deer antler for the nocks. Wish I had a way to share a pic with you.

[@longbows]

as it bends through the handle you have made a Warbow not an English Longbow as we are describing and showing in the the video

[@justabill5780]

@@longbows As far as I can tell, The British longbow Society makes no such distinction with regards to tiller shape. Only that the limb tips must not recurve.

[@longbows]

Its not the tiller, its the fact it doesent have a handle section, as you can see in the video an English Longbow has a handle section similar to a `riser` section, the dips either side of the handle are called Buchanan dips (named afetr the person who made them) this is another thing that makes the difference between a sporting the English Longbow as used in the Victorian era (and the Olympic bow at the time) and a Warbow which has no handle section. Also being 80lbs its well over the weight for BLBS

[@kn6vbw]

In my opinion, the shape of the bow is dependent upon the type of wood used. The sap and heartwood of various trees have vastly different characteristics that lends then for different shapes, and efficiencies. The more soft the wood is, the better it lends itself to a wider flatbow style, while sometimes requiring a backing of some sort to prevent splintering of the wood. With English Yew, the sap wood is excellent at tension, while the heart wood is equally excellent at compression. This combination allows you to make a longbow of that ratio, while still allowing for a rather good, for any wood, efficiency of FPS/Lb ratio that you can not get with any other wood type.

[@caseysmith544]

Yes, and some bows can be made of an Osage Orange tree in the English design and have almost the same FPS as a Pacific Yew/European Yew bow.

[@kimhewson201]

I suggest that the reason the English long bow was developed out of the earlier flat bow designs was economic. Out of a 20 inch circumference log you can get possibly 6 flat bows verses 13 ELB extra work but more equipment for troops

[@grantmiller6570]

Thanks!

[@longbows]

WOW!!! Thank you so much! That is very kind of you!

[@exzendar2523]

My American bow (JerryHill) has a spuare diameter a bit wider than deep in the middle and the tipps are vers

[@ralfgrosser4443]

The Howard Hill style bows, are made with bamboo laminations, and glasfiber backing. Also most have an arrowshelf. Totally differant design.

[@duje44]

Its all about wood, osage makes excellent flatbow, and very poor D bow while with yew is other way around, its the wood that decides the shape

[@longbows]

We use Osage, in our bows, it makes a great English Longbow

[@caseysmith544]

@@longbows Yes, you would have to follow the rules of Yew in making an English Longbow of Osage.

[@2bingtim]

Too many ebay sellers term ALL bows "Longbows" & ALL arrowheads "Broadheads" simply to try to get more hits. It misleads & confuses widely. You may as well call all cars "sports cars". It helps no one.

[@longbows]

It can get confusing

[@thefatefulforce8887]

Great video guys

[@longbows]

Glad you enjoyed it