Encyclopedia of historical weapons - Recurve bow

Unlike the longbow, the ends of an unstrung recurve bow are curved away from the archer. This allows the strung bow to be more powerful and shorter than the longbow - ideal for the horsemen who invented it! Unlike the longbow, a one-piece recurve is made of several thin laminations fixed together in the recurved shape rather than one piece of straight wood.

Although one-piece recurve bows are used, particularly for field shooting, most modern recurve bows are made in three pieces - a body (called a riser) with two detachable limbs that fit into each end. These are called takedown bows. The riser is made of wood or lightweight metal alloy cast into shape or machined from a block of metal.

 

Encyclopedia of historical weapons

From Encyclopedia

Collar
See Gorget.
Falcata
Forward-curving single-edged sword.
Hasta
The hasta was the Roman trusting spear. It was carried by the units called triarii in Republic times. Marius military reforms made the pilum the…
Jerkin
1. a short, close-fitting coat or jacket, often sleeveless, worn in the 16th and 17th centuries 2. a short, sleeveless vest worn by women and girls
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