Hi everyone
The company Altores Studio continue to release figures in their ever growing catalogue with another figure of a crossbowman
The release was announced here : http://www.planetfigure.com/threads/altores-studio.81634/
The subject:
This release makes a good addition with the other crossbowmen as well
The weapons used during the Middle Ages included the Crossbow. The correct term for a crossbow is an Arbalest.
The crossbow was easy to use, requiring minimal training and required little strength to operate.
A crossbow had a wooden stock generally made from yew ash, hazel or elm and coated with glue or varnish
The 'bow' was made of made of wood, iron or steel with a span of 2/3 feet
The crossbow string was made from hemp as it was the strongest and least elastic fibre available at the time , it was soaked in a glue against moisture
The string was pulled back by using a lever or winding a crank on a ratchet - a windlass crossbow
By this mechanical method of 'drawing' the string far more tension could be gained than be muscle power alone.
The crossbow bolt or quarrel was laid in a groove on the top of the stock and the trigger pulled
There were two or three notches to rest the thumb which could then be lined up with the bolt forming the crossbow sight
The Crossbow could be carried ready loaded with a bolt (unlike a Short or Longbow)
Crossbows were easier to aim than short bows or longbows and required less upper body strength to operate the weapon in order to kill a Knight in full armour
The main disadvantages of the crossbow were the expense and time to manufacture and the slow firing rate.
From the crossbowman's point of view its main disadvantage was his vulnerability whilst reloading the crossbow. He needed protection and a tall shields called a Pavise was developed for this purpose
The longbow launched arrows faster than any previous bows. A skilled longbowman could release between 10 - 12 arrows per minute - but required considerable training
Books are readily available not only on the armies and soldiers but also on both ethe long and crossbow.
Continued in next post
Nap
The company Altores Studio continue to release figures in their ever growing catalogue with another figure of a crossbowman
The release was announced here : http://www.planetfigure.com/threads/altores-studio.81634/
The subject:
This is the box art painted by STANISLAV KURILENKO
This release makes a good addition with the other crossbowmen as well
Facts and information about the Medieval Crossbow
The crossbow was easy to use, requiring minimal training and required little strength to operate.
A crossbow had a wooden stock generally made from yew ash, hazel or elm and coated with glue or varnish
The 'bow' was made of made of wood, iron or steel with a span of 2/3 feet
The crossbow string was made from hemp as it was the strongest and least elastic fibre available at the time , it was soaked in a glue against moisture
The string was pulled back by using a lever or winding a crank on a ratchet - a windlass crossbow
By this mechanical method of 'drawing' the string far more tension could be gained than be muscle power alone.
The crossbow bolt or quarrel was laid in a groove on the top of the stock and the trigger pulled
There were two or three notches to rest the thumb which could then be lined up with the bolt forming the crossbow sight
The Crossbow could be carried ready loaded with a bolt (unlike a Short or Longbow)
Crossbows were easier to aim than short bows or longbows and required less upper body strength to operate the weapon in order to kill a Knight in full armour
The main disadvantages of the crossbow were the expense and time to manufacture and the slow firing rate.
From the crossbowman's point of view its main disadvantage was his vulnerability whilst reloading the crossbow. He needed protection and a tall shields called a Pavise was developed for this purpose
The Crossbow versus the Longbow
The crossbow range was 350 – 400 yards but could only be shot at a rate of 2 bolts per minute. The crossbow was easy to use, requiring minimal training and required little strength to operate. But it shot too few bolts!The longbow launched arrows faster than any previous bows. A skilled longbowman could release between 10 - 12 arrows per minute - but required considerable training
Books are readily available not only on the armies and soldiers but also on both ethe long and crossbow.
Continued in next post
Nap
