Medieval Longbows and Recurves

When anyone thinks of classic medieval archery, the traditional longbow is generally what comes to mind. And for good reason, as the longbow practically dominated the arena of ranged warfare for several hundred years! Here at Medieval Archery, we offer a number of fantastic longbows, all hand made from the finest of woods, in a variety of different styles. Several of our longbow designs hail from different cultures not only from the medieval world of antiquity, but also from cultures that have spanned this world and others. We have English longbows that would look right at home in the hands of an archer during the Hundred Years War, just as we have bows that would fit perfectly into the hands of rangers and elves from a fantasy setting! And since they are all fully functional, you can put them all to a wide variety of uses! Any one of the bows found in this section makes for a perfect target bow to practice archery with, a tournament bow to compete with, or a reenactment bow to use at your local fair or event. For the classic archer who wants that old world experience, nothing beats a traditional longbow. And that is why here at Medieval Archery, we pride ourselves on offering one of the best selections of longbows possible.

The longbow might be the icon of historic archery, but it was not made for every situation. Sometimes an archer needs a more compact bow that offers not only portability but also considerable power. The recurve bow delivers just that, and its small size made it effective on horseback too. And here at Medieval Archery, we offer you a selection of recurve and horsebows so that when you need them, you know where to find them. There is a reason why cultures that favored mounted tactics preferred the recurve bow to the longbow, and that is because it is perfectly made for horseback archery. It is not limited solely to that arena though. Carried on foot, any one of our recurve bows makes for a great weapon that any archer will enjoy using, thanks to the portable size and power that is inherent to the recurve design. And since each of our recurve and horsebows are hand crafted for excellence, you can bet that each one performs quite well in practice and use. If you have plans to try your hand at mounted archery, you will definitely want a recurve or a horsebow. And for the best one possible, make sure you get it here at Medieval Archery.

The power of a bow in skilled hands is quite well-known, and it the fearsome reputation of archers that likely makes the weapon as popular in fiction as it was in history. If your favorite archer happens to be born of fantasy, then perhaps you might find their bow here at Medieval Archery. After all, we carry a number of fantasy bows that are every bit as functional as they are lovely to look at. Like our more traditional longbows, each and every one of our fantasy bows are crafted entirely by hand. This ensures that as ornate as they may look, each one is also a functional bow that you can use to nock, draw, and fire arrows. They come in a number of styles, ranging from elven bows adorned with natural designs and flowing scrollwork to rugged woodsman and ranger bows fit for the best of hunters. We also offer bows from a few popular series, including some Lord of the Rings bows that reflect the weapons wielded by the elves of Middle-earth, including a few longbows based on the weapons of Legolas himself! Vibrancy of color and intricate detailing on each piece makes every fantasy bow here at Medieval Archery a stunning sight to see. Factor in that each one can also be used for traditional archery, and it is not hard to see why our selection of fantasy bows is one of the very best.

In battle the bow opens new avenues of offense and forces foes to anticipate attacks and devise new defenses. This was true on ancient battlefields, and it remains true today in Live Action Role Playing events. Added in to your LARP experience, a good LARP bow might be just the weapon that gets you through the battle and allows you to experience a whole new realm of possibilities for your character. The durability and resilience of these bows is quite extensive, as many are made using some amount of fiberglass. Whether they are made from it exclusively, feature wood accents, or wooden layering, this material ensures that the LARP bows are hardy and durable and can be left strung for hours with very few problems. These bows also offer a lower draw weight, with many models ranging between 20 to 30 pounds (see each individual bow for more narrowed variances). Fired with a LARP approved arrow and used responsibly, these bows are perfectly safe for use in LARP events and LARP games. A LARP bow can also be used for traditional archery as well, and with its low draw weight and hardy design, many make for fantastic target practice bows, beginner bows, or youth bows too! Whether you grab a fiberglass bow, a wood bow, or a hybrid, any one of the LARP bows from Medieval Archery will give you the chance to expand your horizons by opening you up to the wide world of archery.

You do not have to be a fully grown adult to enjoy archery, especially not when the activity itself is so rewarding and fun. At Medieval Archery, we offer a variety of youth bows that are sized for a smaller body type, so that even the young can set their sights on a target and hit it with a well-aimed arrow! In fact, many of our youth bows are similar to our adult models, only smaller! And like our adult bows, our offered youth bows are all hand crafted from fine woods to ensure that each one is an excellent all-around bow for any archer to make use of. Any one of the bows featured here, from our youth longbows to our youth fantasy bows are perfect for a young starting archer to pick up and practice with. And as they gain experience, these youth bows will remain a solid choice for continued practice, reenactments, fair events, and even competitions. So if you are an archer looking to get your kid involved, consider a childrens bow so that they can shoot arrows right alongside you! And if you happen to need a small frame longbow to suit your need, than these bows will work well in that regard too! Your child does not have to sit on the sidelines when it comes to archery. Instead, pick up a youth bow from Medieval Archery and let them join in right alongside you!

Bows were not the only ranged weapons that an archer had access to in the medieval ages. The crossbow was a favorite of many militaries, especially since it packed great power and was somewhat easy to use. Of course, it would not do for us to ignore this weapon, so at Medieval Archery we also carry a selection of crossbows for you to use, either in LARP events or in historical reenactments. Mechanically, the crossbow uses the same principles as the bow, but instead uses a frame to hold the constrained force, making it much easier to fire. Our crossbows reflect a realistic look for a wide variety of different uses. Our LARPing crossbows offer a lower draw weight for safe use in gaming events while still offering up several styles that fit perfectly into historic and fantasy settings. Even our more decorative crossbows still feature mechanical, moving parts that allow them to be fired (although decorative pieces have limited range and equally low draw weights). And of course, any fully functional crossbows we offer are noted as such and will not disappoint when it comes to delivering a bolt to a target. Not everyone wants to be an archer with a bow, and that is why Medieval Archery offers our crossbows - so that you can easily fight at range, no matter what battlefield you find yourself on.

Not only does Medieval Archery have all the bows you will need to practice archery from youth to old age, but we also have all the bow accessories that you will need to properly look after, store, and string your bow too! If you are picking up a bow today, this is one section you do not want to miss. And even if you already own a bow, this section is filled with helpful accessories for any archer to use! Is your bow string starting to fray after hours, days, and months of continual practice? Pay us a visit and we can get you a new set of longbow strings or recurve bow strings to get you back to the target range in no-time. Is stringing your bow an annoyance that you are tired of dealing with? Pick up one of our bow stringers and make that task all the easier, so that you can spend more time firing the bow instead of stringing it! Did your string go missing sometime between when you last strung and fired your bow? Invest in a string keeper so that it stays right with your bow at all times. And if you have a bow with a lovely finish, than you will certainly need a bow sock or longbow case to ensure that it stays beautiful and pristine! And those are just some of the accessories we offer. As you can see, no matter what sort of bow accessory you are looking for, you are likely to find it right here at Medieval Archery.

Do-it-yourself bow making has never been so easy! Medieval Archery is proud to offer an assortment of quality bow building kits and bow crafting supplies that you can transform into a customized archery bow that is a perfect fit for your hand and style. We offer bow staves, bow backing strips, riser blocks, and tip overlay blocks made from fine materials like hickory wood, ipe wood, bamboo, and Osage orange wood. Additionally, our DIY bow making parts include replacement bowstrings and bow socks to complete and protect your new selfbow. Whether you are an experienced bow maker or this is your first time tackling the project, you can be sure that our bow making kits are a great starting point with pieces that come ready to glue, shape, tiller, finish, and decorate. Take a moment to browse among our bow supplies and kits to find the right inspiration for starting your next DIY experience!