Schnepper and medieval crossbows

The technology of medieval crossbows remained largely unchanged for 500 years and then the renaissance changed everything.....Guns replaced bows for war, but the bow remained as a weapon of recreation, but with a new found complexity and the schnepper crossbow is a manifestation of this change.
This video explains the differences between both styles and showcases a schnepper crossbow with all the exciting new parts older bows didn't have.
Apologies, I should have shown more of the trigger system, but I made a similar bow and film a few years ago and you can find it here • Secrets of the Schnepp... . I also posted up a thread on the very excellent 'My Armoury' chat room and you can find that thread here myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.3...
If you would like to help support the channel please visit my sites
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[@flamebeard10339]

So I don't know if I missed it, but I would like to see a close up of the mechanism on the schnepper bow.

[@tods_workshop]

Yeah - sorry about that, I didn't want to takeout apart, but the drawing in Payne Gallweys book shows it well and I have shown this before here kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaCtYnWiaqyImqM

[@flamebeard10339]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaCtYnWiaqyImqM with time stamp for anyone interested 7:45-8:15 is the basic explanation

[@angrypotato_fz]

@@tods_workshop Thank you, that's exactly what I was looking for!

[@farmerboy916]

Yeah... I watched the video and don't understand how the release works apart from seeing it pop down and up? during the shooting, let alone the internal system.

[@simonfagerholm4806]

@@tods_workshop great explanation in the other vid!

[@commander31able60]

it's a suppressed, competition crossbow with a match-grade trigger and adjustable sights.

[@peter4210]

all it's missing is Galileo's telescope, a Shooting stick( monopod) and a bayonet.

[@commander31able60]

@@peter4210 could also go with a tactical lantern

[@viridisxiv766]

@@commander31able60 with a shutter for blinding your opponent.

[@davidegaleotti94]

You mean the custom Glockkner Bow?

[@commander31able60]

@@viridisxiv766 no joke, you could probably build a shutter attached to a wheel and gear mechanism that, when spun, would open and close the shutter quickly to create the strobe effect common on modern tactical flashlights.

[@Alastair510]

What a terrific craftsman Tod is, it shows in every piece.

[@tods_workshop]

Thanks

[@matthayward7889]

2:10 always wondered why the trigger bars were so long! If I had the means, I’d own one of everything Tod makes 👌

[@tods_workshop]

So would I, but I have to sell the stuff to make a living

[@alanmackinnon3516]

Total agree, love all his stuff.

[@johnnytrigger5512]

Thats a work of art, beautiful

[@sbvera13]

@@tods_workshop It's always the cobbler's children that go barefoot.

[@ivyssauro123]

Same!

[@forsetigodofjusticeexcelle7506]

I would say the poms are just for decoration as they thought it looked good at the time. People always underestimate just how much culture valued bright random colors for no reason other than they liked it.

[@carvis3290]

Bright colored dyes through various parts of history were also status and wealth symbols due to the scarcity of various pigments unless trading from afar

[@randalthor741]

That was my thought too: on a high quality expensive crossbow it was probably just for fashion and status - particularly if they were dyed with expensive dyes.

[@tods_workshop]

@@carvis3290 nice thought

[@tods_workshop]

very true - history was not always in brown and grey

[@Harrowed2TheMind]

@@carvis3290 Indeed! For a long time, purple was mostly reserved for royalty, such was the cost of the dyes necessary! You had to crush hundreds of shells just to colour one piece of garment, so you can imagine the expense that it entails.

[@Squad23jta]

Those pom-pom's are clearly a sign of how many cheerleaders the nobleman has managed to score with.😋

[@andrewrobinson4019]

The only theory I will accept.

[@harizotoh7]

The Pom Poms are to make the hunter visible in a forest to the rest of their team. Don't want to accidentally hit one of your party members.

[@Reginaldesq]

When your out in the woods shooting and you "find Wally" you can then display a red and white pom-pom

[@olmostgudinaf8100]

So what you are saying is that they ARE for silencing. Only not silencing the bow, but your mates.

[@steveg8322]

Rah,Rah,Rah,sis boom Bah!

[@pyrflie]

I hadn't realized the single set trigger was invented for the crossbow rather than early rifles. You learn something everyday. Thanks Tod.

[@Katniss218]

Can we just stop for a sec and appreciate the beauty of Tod's pieces?

[@AFCAWorldBodybuildingArchive]

Or we could appreciate a piece of Tods beauty!

[@christianhenderson5471]

Hi, I'm Todd Cutler, here at Forgotten Weapons we are looking a sportified crossbow....

[@Seelenschmiede]

The pom poms are clearly the 'fox tails for the car antenna' of the renaissance huntsman 😋

[@olmostgudinaf8100]

I was thinking "go faster stripes".

[@CeltKnight]

I can't tell you how many weapon encyclopedias and such I've read over the decades and you just explained this in a few minutes better than any of the ones I ever read. Well done, sir!

[@CarlosRodriguez-dd4sb]

One thing I can always count on Tod for is an interesting well presented idea wrapped in a video. It's Christmas for your brain. Thanks again!

[@susanmaggiora4800]

Carlos Rodriguez Absolutely! It’s always a treat to see a post from him. Not only is the content interesting, we get the added benefit of seeing all these gorgeous pieces of art from such a talented craftsman. Edit: AND he shoots at shit!!🤣

[@daaaah_whoosh]

Well now I'd like to see a collaboration with ForgottenWeapons.

[@MrDmitriRavenoff]

Hell yeah!

[@igorsova]

Elbonian crossbow?

[@ryklatortuga4146]

Pom Poms to match your scarf and bobble hat for those important away games. He Shoots He scores!

[@Aconitum_napellus]

@uncletigger Crossbows were a major democratising of force. No longer did you have to practice with a longbow for years, you could pick up a crossbow and go and start a peasants revolt!

[@Gilbrae]

@uncletigger I think that the fact that this was done in the 15th century during tournaments in the game of papegay (or papeguay, or papegault) tends to prove you are right. Well done sir, a brilliant application of Ockham's razor !

[@johnnytrigger5512]

I ordered a rondell dagger and i cannot wait to recieve it!! New fan and subcriber to your channel.. we need more passionate guys like you during this time.. thanks for your work tod 🙂

[@tlsgrz6194]

Now I want to know how the mechanism of these works. You don‘t happen to have the mechanism out of bow for demonstration, do you?

[@tods_workshop]

previously kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaCtYnWiaqyImqM

[@zenhydra]

I was really hoping to see the trigger mechanism, and how it compares to the older designs. I'd love to see the guts of the Schnepper crossbow in a future video.

[@InSanic13]

He did it in a past video, "secrets of the schnepper crossbow".

[@Owwliv]

weeee ohhhh. That's an amazing bit of craftsmanship .

[@Festoniaful]

Beautiful craftmanship Tod! Love the video as always!

[@DomesticImplications]

Remember pom-poms are a large part of German folk wear especially in south western Germany. The Black Forest.... they are quite obviously just stylistic. You have your Pom-poms maybe in the colours of your family crest or locality based or guild like you say is possible.

[@tods_workshop]

Ah - thank you. Yes pom-poms on hunting bows were a very German thing and pom-poms as part of dress were a very German thing; I suspect it is that simple

[@CrypidLore]

Keep up the outstanding work Tod, watching your videos re-kindled my passion for crafting bows.

[@koticneutralftw7016]

I admit, I saw the pom-poms and though "that's to muffle the sound", so I'm glad you addressed that. Seeing the schnepper crossbow is interesting. I've heard that crossbows used by the Chinese during the warring states period had advanced trigger systems as well. it would be interesting to see the difference between the two types of cross bows.

[@tods_workshop]

The Chinese system is very different to the European system but one of the best things about the Chinese system is that all the components can be cheaply cast in mass production

[@koticneutralftw7016]

@@tods_workshop Good to know, thanks for the reply!

[@13ECHO20]

"I hope you enjoyed it." Indeed, sir! Sharing your knowledge is loved more than any language can describe.

[@robbikebob]

I think the pom-poms were there to help get your bow noticed as there's no point spending all that money on it if nobody notices it. I'm only surprised there wasn't bunting and flags as well. Maybe that would be taken off before the hunt though 😅

[@claudiussmith8798]

Not if you hunt with your buddy and he has the same one. Better to put different colors😂

[@andreweaston1779]

Your channel is great. I could watch you shoot things all day.

[@TannithVQ]

A new thing! I never heard of that before. Thank you. I like days when I learn something new.

[@EnriqueLUrcia]

nice. thanks for making a better Sunday.

[@ApfelJohannisbeere]

These pom-pom's are used to clean the bolt-tips (instead of the trousers) and are still used in '3D Competitions' to clean the bolt-tips so the mud doesn't get to the trousers. In German these crossbows are called 'Schnäpper'.

[@nick_steele9790]

I think this is my number one favorite channel. I don't think there's anyone else I love to listen to more, the videos are top quality, the insight and experiments are amazing, not to mention the expert quality of production of medieval weapons and gear. Truly a masterpiece, thank you!

[@tods_workshop]

Blimey! Thank you, thats very kind

[@nick_steele9790]

@@tods_workshop Another example of why I love this channel, you are a genuine, good person who cares about his viewers! You inspired me to take up blacksmithing and while it is slow, your videos continue to inspire me to improve and practice.

[@jb8086]

I must say, I really enjoy your channel. You present information in a wonderfully straight forward manner with a great take on the history of it. You have inspired me to make a great number of things, none of which get close to your quality. Not to mention the anxiety my wife gets every time I give my sons a new crossbow. Many thanks to you sir.

[@tods_workshop]

Thanks for saying and we should all make more things - well done

[@tods_workshop]

Apologies, I should have shown more of the trigger system, but I made a similar bow and film a few years ago and you can find it here kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaCtYnWiaqyImqM. I also posted up a thread on the very excellent 'My Armoury' chat room and you can find that thread here myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.37017.html

[@tomtruesdale6901]

That is one beautiful piece of art you made there Sir, Beautiful and deadly

[@ThomasRonnberg]

the pom poms could be a way to differentiate your friends from brush in the hunting games. Kinda like orange jackets.

[@juhonieminen4219]

In that case they propably would not be green.

[@ThomasRonnberg]

@@juhonieminen4219 I'm sure they came in different colors.

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you , Tod .

[@oneshotme]

Enjoyed your video Tod and I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@18IMAMGODINA]

The tag on that crossbow is so strategically placed xD

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Would love to see a little more on the mechanics of the trigger and the nut if you ever find he time Tod

[@InSanic13]

He actually made a video on it already (kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaCtYnWiaqyImqM).

[@derbiochemiker]

That is probably the most beautiful crossbow, I've ever seen...

[@tods_workshop]

Thanks

[@carvis3290]

Informative as always Tod. Thank you for your knowledge and Tutelage sir. 👍👍👏👏💯 That trigger system is a very interesting design compared to older historical models you have showcased before P.S. I have a few yard shirts in similar condition 😁

[@goreil2489]

Looks like nice Xmas decks on the bow!

[@ArmouryTerrain]

This piece really shows the evolution from medieval crossbows to the ones that now have an ar15 lower.

[@eddiemaiden2012]

Thanks for sharing

[@justanothercaptain6566]

Very interesting! Thank you

[@REEDSOF9]

Do you think you will ever make and test a Chinese single-shot crossbow? A lot of the innovations like trigger guards and an easier crossbow trigger seem to have been on those as well.

[@tods_workshop]

Maybe I will one day and the Chniese trigger system is excellent

[@timelessninja]

@@tods_workshop I would love to see it. Always been fascinated by Chinese history.

[@Reginaldesq]

Beautiful crossbow. Thanks for the vid

[@klasandersson7522]

Nice video, and a gorgeous crossbow! Hope the winter-chill don´t cool your lust for making all these videos, they lighten up the drab of corona and soggy weather!

[@terrencebeers7105]

Thanks, informative and interesting!

[@ericjohnson6784]

Beautiful.

[@holdengraham6945]

Things I didn't realise I need to know always pops up on tods workshop

[@rasaecnai]

ahh the iBow 11 - a perfect way to demonstrate that you have the money to your friends. Also, if there is footage of the making of this piece i think many of us will be keen to see it. Thanks Tod!

[@InSanic13]

He has another video on the inner workings: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaCtYnWiaqyImqM

[@tods_workshop]

In the notes, I also list a work in progress thread on MyArmoury.com

[@musiccraftsman2192]

That’s a work of art.

[@aziquiel]

Hi just started to watch your videos.Very nice. My take on the ponpons and the cable along the bow are that they are for silencing them but not when you shoot them but from hithing trees and stuff on your way to the place you want to take your shot from. Hiting a ponpon on something is quieter than hiting with bare metal, so you do not scare the animal before you take the shot.

[@maxlutz3674]

I think those pom poms are ornamental. They may also provide a means of distinguishing the crossbows so the owner could recognize it from a distance (CAS shooters do that to their long guns). They cannot supress the sound the way they are attached to the crossbow. With Tod´s sample it strikes the eye that the pom poms cover the corners where the bow is connected to the shaft and point where the rope on the bow goes from 4 strands to 2 strands and has a tie off. They may cover some "ugly" features on the weapon and enhance the looks of it. The buffer puffs on a bow are mounted on the string. They work differently.

[@xenamorphazousou1547]

I love your works 😍. Absolutely Awesome 👍...I still prefer the rugged Military Crossbow

[@arnhemseptember2009]

Fun piece!

[@MollymaukT]

The difference between the Schnepper and an ordinary crossbow reminds me of the Harry Potter flying brooms compared to an ordinary broom

[@anarchism]

not really... it's still a shitty crossbow

[@beavisbutt-headson3223]

@@anarchism How very dare you, sir?

[@kevadu]

I mean, all medieval crossbows have the problem of incredibly short power strokes which meant they needed to be really heavy to be at all effective which then necessitated additional mechanical tools to draw the bow. They never did fix that problem... A modern crossbow is way lighter to draw yet potentially much more powerful. Sure there have been material advancements but the number one improvement is just having a much longer power stroke.

[@Leverguns50]

Very interesting crossbows

[@valbourne1797]

I'll silence my hunting bow so that the prey can focus on the thunder of my horses hooves

[@alecbarbour4366]

Extremely cool. I would have thought that the funky stock shape was to that you could fire it one handed, with the stock cradling your forearm

[@iamgerg]

So the arrow seems to pop nose up when you fire it. Is that a function of crossbows or is it a function of this particular system?

[@OrigMaelstrom]

I noticed that too, all three shots, the bolt pitched up quite a bit before it seemed to normalize (or at just struck the target at that range). Does it still do that when you take the bolt clip off?

[@tods_workshop]

A lot of crossbows do that. The bolt lifts as you shoot and is basically the crossbow equivalent of 'archers paradox'

[@Kheldul]

That stood out for me too.

[@tods_workshop]

IA way to think about it is that the bolt is getting pushed from the back and so is inherently unstable, but it can't unbalance to the left, to the right or downward, so it can only unbalance upward and so it lifts.

[@Kheldul]

I imagine I’d notice the flight if I was standing there with you, just the same as if it was hundreds of years ago. I watched kzbin.info/www/bejne/foGlZYF_g6xpiLc where she spent at least a day trying to get a straighter flight with a bow. She analyzed it by firing through a sheet of paper held in a frame. She was changing the knock point, arrow head weights, length of the arrows, and rigidity of the arrow shafts.

[@samcoote9653]

That crossbow is gorgeous...

[@philipgard6762]

It would definitely be interesting to see the inner workings of the trigger mechanism on this crossbow.

[@philipgard6762]

Ok saw the earlier video, thanks.

[@dempa3]

I just wanted to say that I really liked the lock down longbow episodes, and would be very interested to see those tests replicated with a less powerful bow that regular people might have for hunting. Msny thanks for your work!

[@tods_workshop]

That very thing is coming. I have just ordered a set of 100lb spines arrows from Will Sherman for this very purpose and the whole Lock Down Longbow series still has many more to come

[@dempa3]

@@tods_workshop Many many thanks for your reply, your for your work in exploring these very interesting things!

[@andreaswand6935]

What a beauty.

[@ancienttechnology7337]

Cool bow! My father had these pom poms on his golf kit. He had a traditional scottish hat, and knickers with a pair of gaiters with matching pom poms. I believe these are purely decoration just like humans have always had fashion trends and decorated the objects we use since our origins.

[@akuyara4420]

Could you show us a close up of the trigger system working?

[@mikehotchkiss8975]

I second that request. How is the nut's mass eliminated and by what mechanism. Thanks in advance Tod

[@dan_the_dj]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaCtYnWiaqyImqM would you look at that :D

[@mccad00]

You should make a video that showcases the inner workings of the trigger and how it functions; maybe compare it to a more standard crossbow trigger as well

[@b.h.abbott-motley2427]

Note that ancient Chinese crossbows had many of these features that were novel in 16th-century Europe: complex trigger, trigger guards, grid sights, etc.

[@tods_workshop]

Indeed, but of course they came from a totally different origin, but also had 2500 years (approx) continuous development

[@tidge879]

I wonder if they are a silencer of a different sort. If you're moving through brush and branches, do you think it's possible that those pom poms could be there to try and stop some of the sound branches scratching across steel? As in, they come in to contact with the branches first.

[@samziegler4957]

I would suggest the pompoms help to judge the wind speed and direction.

[@sealthesymbol419]

Nice crossbow but also nice guns Tod's packing.

[@bubbagump2341]

My guess on the green and white pom poms is that they started out as a form of camouflage that probably then became decorative.

[@2bingtim]

Could be fascinators to distract the prey or camoflage the bow/hunter profile?

[@bubbagump2341]

@@2bingtim I figure they were used to camouflage the crossbow by giving it more organic lines and colors to blend in with foliage and such.

[@bbartt80]

Great episode!!! Could you do another one about the triggering mechanism? This particular one looks extremely intriguing:)

[@InSanic13]

He already did: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaCtYnWiaqyImqM

[@bbartt80]

@@InSanic13 thanks

[@kevinwestermann1001]

Green and white are traditional shooters' guild colours in Germany as far as I know. There are many being between 300 and 400 years old (and still active!).

[@blakewinter1657]

I must say that my first thought about the pompoms was that they were just a matter of personal taste. We know people enjoy having nice looking things, and even to this day, some people will decorate their guns with various paint schemes. And, we know people in those days enjoyed some stuff that we might find a bit gaudy today.

[@beavisbutt-headson3223]

After also looking at your previous video on this thing, I think the gaff(?) lever might be less awkward if the two wooden bits were a bit looser so you wouldn't have to push it into place by hand. The rear pom-poms look like they might be in the correct position to force the string interfacing bit into the correct position to catch the string. Or maybe one could add a little ramp or rail there. Of course, absolutely no idea if that would be (historically or otherwise) accurate or if there's something else that would make that unfeasible. Great piece of work, though and a nice, intriguing yet not overly complicated trigger system.

[@stalkingtiger777]

I can imagine in 1000 years time people will be asking the same question about Hello Kitty m4 furniture. It's just about showing off and intimidating your rivals with your crazy fashion imho.

[@bierce716]

I would really love to know how the trigger system works!

[@LGreymark]

This is like the medieval version of a slug gun or 22lr and I love it

[@5chr4pn3ll]

Would be great to see how the trigger system actually works. Since effort is put on how good it was in comparison, it would be nice to see in what way :)

[@tods_workshop]

I have done previously kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaCtYnWiaqyImqM

[@5chr4pn3ll]

@@tods_workshop Oh nice :) That was interesting. The small gap seems scary, but I guess with a string that hard it doesn't matter.

[@extrastuff9463]

Lost between all the other fancy aspects I didn't hear you bring up the what appears to be a bone surface the bolts rest on. In addition to looking pretty I guess this reduces friction compared to resting on wood? Assuming my guess was right and that this was for performance, how big is its influence? For example on a 400 pound crossbow all other things being equal but one use one piece of wood and the other with bone surface (or whatever the white material could be) how much of a change in bolt velocity/energy would you get?

[@Whisperblade]

It's a beautiful looking crossbow, I would have loved a close up view of the string retention system though. You spent a while talking about it and how much more advanced it was, but didn't explain or show how it worked or the differences that made it more advanced beyond the bolt clip.

[@InSanic13]

He has another video on the mechanical details at kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaCtYnWiaqyImqM

[@mortyjhones4068]

Looks nice, Though i think those pompoms are a safty feature. To make it easyer for fellow hunters around you to see what direction you are pointing your crossbow in. The more pompoms you can see the more danger you are in.

[@greywuuf]

You need details of the inner workings of that trigger system. Most interesting

[@InSanic13]

He has another video on it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaCtYnWiaqyImqM

[@UtahSustainGardening]

Next episode: Crafting with Tod, Making Pom Poms!

[@Jacob-W-5570]

:O I was waiting the whole time for a break down of how the inerts work :( still enjoyed it tho.

[@2bingtim]

I thought the same, but elsewhere here he pointed to an earlier video. See kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaCtYnWiaqyImqM.

[@_malprivate2543]

Always nice to see a new video from Tod. I wish it was easier to get a crossbow where I live. So, correct me if I'm wrong but that leverloading mechanism works on the same basic principle as the goat's foot? Why is this one made of wood? A less strong bow (since hunting bows doesn't need to be as powerful as warbows) so no need for a heavy duty lever?

[@dominicdecaro3757]

Pretty cool 😎 👌

[@matthewhall7976]

Tod this is just a thought but maybe the pompoms will be used for tracking wind direction and in order to better know if you need to aim off to one side slightly..sort of like the idea of having a loose feather tied around your wrist or to the end of an arrow..

[@MarcRitzMD]

Tod, could you talk about the best crossbow makers or crossbow making regions or crossbow models? Was there an equivalent to a Mr Winchester or a Solingen for crossbows? Were there parents for crossbow stuff?

[@cheyannei5983]

Do the hooks on the lever and footloop move on museum pieces too? It seems it'd be much less fumbly if one element were rigid, so you could just lay the feet of the lever on the string and then hook in upfront with a scooping motion...

[@oldmanwinter3597]

If you were rich enough to have one of those bows, there was a servant to load it for you.

[@feanororonar5037]

i would love a review of the mechanics of the trigger

[@InSanic13]

He has an earlier video on it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaCtYnWiaqyImqM

[@feanororonar5037]

@@InSanic13 thank you comrade

[@artillery7537]

Tod what do you think of Da Vinci’s rapid fire crossbow? If possible I would love to see you recreate and test if it would have been a viable weapon for the age had it actually been produced.

[@ArmouredProductions]

Would the parts on the left side of the stock for a more effective cheekweld also be an advancement as well, or were those seen earlier?

[@rafaelthetall]

could the ponpons be for carrying? like softing up in spots that would hurt shooter, horse or bow?

[@JohnFleshman]

Are you gonna do a video on how the Schnepper system works? Like the internal bits? Ive built a rolling nut trigger system or two and had a lot of fun. Might be cool to try a different mechanism.

[@dan_the_dj]

I was wondering the same

[@tods_workshop]

I have done previously here kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaCtYnWiaqyImqM

[@teakew8217]

There's also some detailed sketches in Payne-Gallwey.

[@JohnFleshman]

@@tods_workshop Awesome thanks for the link. almost done watching it.

[@beehappy79]

Can you make a video with the Schnepper also known as Kugelschnepper?

[@felgate11]

Maybe the Pompoms are a means of breaking up the sharp outlines of the bow in stalking situations?? The Green of the Fir trees & the White of the snow in this case or could be changed to suit other hunting environments??

[@kalebgates7711]

I know I'm late to the party, but the french navy used pom-poms on their hats to dampen the blow you might take from smashing your head into the ceiling below deck. In a similar vein, it could be the pom-poms were to provent damage if you dropped the bow or something. Probably wrong, but possible.