The Theory and Practice of Archery Part 3

The next thing to be considered is the _necessary clothing_ of the string, called its _lapping_. Without doubt the best _lapping_ of all is a thin strip of _whalebone_, of the width of about one-eighth of an inch. This may be fastened on to the string at about two inches and a half from its (the string's) centre (this is calculated for the case of a bow whose centre or fulcrum is one inch below the top of the handle: if the centre be at the top of the handle, as in old Flemish bows, the lapping need not be so long, and if the centre be lower down than one inch, as in the Scotch make of bows, the lapping must be still longer) with very fine string, waxed thread, or silk, so that the whalebone lapping may be wrapped closely round the string in the reversed direction to the grain or worm of the string.

Let an arrow be now applied, resting on the top of the bow hand as if the hand holds the handle of the bow in shooting, and exactly at right angles to the braced string. This exact right angle must be carefully attended to, because, if the upper angle be an acute angle between the arrow and string, cast or force will be lost in the force of the cast being resolved, as shown previously in the case of an increased impediment, acting as an obstruction to the right line of force: the arrow will beat itself wastefully on the top of the hand in overcoming the unnecessary impediment; and, if this upper angle be an obtuse angle, the difference between the lower and upper portions of the string will be increased, to the manifest injury of the pre-arranged balance of the limbs of the bow. Mark carefully on the lapping the exact position of the centre of the nock of the arrow, and overlap with two or three strands of waxed filoselle very tightly for about one-third of an inch, with the mark under its centre. This is the nocking-place. The whalebone lapping must be carried down to the length of five inches in order to save the string from being frayed against the sleeve, armguard, &c.; and it will be found that this length of lapping will be sufficient for another nocking-place if the string, already provided with two eyes, be turned over. The occasional use of the second nocking-place will be found to lengthen the life of the string by changing the position of the wear and tear. A narrow strip of vellum used frequently to be used for lapping, and was applied in the same way as the whalebone. Long strips of the smooth hard covering of the rib of the peac.o.c.k's tail-feathers were also in high favour as lapping at one time, but were found to be too frail. The lapping usually applied to the strings, as bought in the shops, is three strands, bound on together, of waxed twine, about the substance used for chemists' parcels, and the three strands are applied together, not so much in order to finish the lapping more quickly, as to safeguard the bow from breaking should the string snap. The dangerous recoil is then caught up by the triple strength of lapping twine well secured upon the string. This, of course, is supposing that the string has broken at or near the nocking-place. It is probable that every possible sort of twine has been at different times tried for lapping--from the softest floss silk to the most wiry fis.h.i.+ng-guts, which actually help to cut the string when in use.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 23.]

After all, the best lapping is that which will give a good loose, and at the same time will be lasting and be easily and quickly repaired should it fail during the shooting. Now all the lappings already mentioned are liable to get loose in use, and it takes time to refasten them. The following somewhat tedious process, the result of more than twenty years of experience, is recommended. Take a naked string with two eyes, and make a pencil-mark on it for the exact central position of each of the two nocking-places. Wax the string well. Wrap two strands nine inches long of waxed (yellow) filoselle tightly upon the string at each nocking-place for the third of an inch, with the pencil-mark under the centre of this third. Fasten off so that the waste ends shall come out close to these centres. Do not cut off the waste ends. Now take three strands of waxed filoselle of another colour (red), and in length from one yard to four feet. Wrap this tightly round the string, commencing from one and a quarter inch above the one nocking-place, and ending at the same distance below the other. Apply this wrapping the contrary way to the worm of the string, and let the waste ends of the previous wrapping (it does not signify which way this is applied) pa.s.s out between the wraps as they occur. Now take other three strands of (green) waxed filoselle, of the same length, and wrap them tightly on over all the last wrapping of red; but this time wrap the same way as the worm of the string. Again let the first ends of the yellow wrapping pa.s.s out.

The princ.i.p.al wrapping is now complete, and the waste ends of (yellow) filoselle are ready in place to complete the necessary thickening for the nocking-places. This lapping is very firm and lasting. It cannot get loose in use, and it is in every part capable of almost instantaneous repair, and the archer has no need to carry about him any other materials than a few pieces of filoselle, some wax, and a knife.

The most convenient position for lapping a string is a.s.sumed by pa.s.sing the left leg through between the braced bow and its string and sitting down with the string uppermost and the bow stave under the thigh. This description of the operation of lapping will be incomplete without instructions for fastening off, for the benefit of beginners.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 24.]

In the commencement of lapping the end is pa.s.sed under, and the wrapping is tightly bound over it five or six times, till it is considered sufficiently secure. To finish off, the same operation is reversed, thus: arrest the lapping by pa.s.sing the filoselle, or whatever the material in use may be, over the thumb of the left hand, interposed between the lapping-material and the string. Wrap the lapping material upon the string the reverse way to that in which it has been previously wrapped about five or six times (see fig. 22). Keep the material _a b_ tight-drawn with the left thumb whilst this is being done. Now draw the end _c_ (fig. 24) close to the string, and along its length, so that it may lie close between part _a_ and the string. Now take the piece _a b_ from off the left thumb, and draw the part _a_ up to the lapping already applied. Bind part _a_ on to the string. This binding will unwind the part _b_. Continue this till all _b_ is unwound from the string and wound on again. Now hold tight the remainder unwound of _a b_ with the left hand. Draw it through under the lapping with the right hand; but the surplus portion of _a b_ to be drawn through must be kept tight to the last by the insertion of the left little finger to prevent kinking and c.o.c.kling, which would spoil the finish. With the same object in view, keep the waste part _a b_ as short as possible. Filoselle, being a loosely wound material, easily pa.s.ses through this finish, but the kinking of some of the other tight-wound materials renders this finish troublesome if it have to be drawn under many wraps.

THE BRACER OR ARMGUARD.

The object of the _armguard_ or _bracer_ is to protect the left arm and wrist from the blow of the string _in the event of_ this striking upon it when loosed. The expression 'in the event of' is especially meant to imply that in most cases no need exists for the string's striking the arm at all; but if the bow be low-strung--or follow the string, as it is called--it is impossible to avoid an occasional smart blow in the neighbourhood of the left wrist, and this must be guarded against. For this purpose a short armguard, covering the wrist and that half of the forearm, will be all-sufficient. As regards the blow of the string upon this limited sort of armguard, it may be observed that it cannot injuriously affect the flight of the arrow, as it occurs most probably after the arrow has left the string. This protection for the wrist should extend up the arm, but very little beyond the point where the bowstring would touch the arm when the properly-braced bow is extended at arm's length. For this armguard a piece of thin leather, laced closely at the back of the forearm, answers very well. Should this be too thin to save the arm from the blow of the string, let a piece of stiff card be slipped between the sleeve and the wrist. The sleeve about the wrist should be made to fit as closely as possible, and all other materials--cuffs, s.h.i.+rt-sleeves, &c.--discarded, or rolled up above the elbow. Care must also be taken to avoid all wrinkles and folds in the sleeve between the guard and the elbow. This can be best managed by having the sleeve no atom too long, and drawing it as far down the hand as possible whilst the guard is being fixed. It is unfortunate that the seam along the inside of almost every sleeve occurs just where it helps to manufacture folds and projections ready to act as impediments to the pa.s.sage of the string. Some archers use stout elastic webbing, and others wrap round the wrist strong braid, &c. The main object of all these guards is to avoid the blow of the string until the string shall have advanced so far in its course to rest as to be unable to interfere with the direction of a properly aimed arrow. Some archers, shooting with the bow in the left hand, aim with the left (not with the right) eye, and this peculiarity makes it rather more difficult to avoid hitting the forearm at some point between the elbow and the short guard. With others, when the left arm, holding the bow, is extended straight out, and stiffened at the elbow, it will be found to bend inwards--knock-kneed, as it were. In such cases it would probably be better to widen the handle of the bow, so as to remove the inner outline of the arm farther from the plane in which the string acts, than to increase the certainty of an aim-disturbing blow by adding the thickness of an armguard to the already existing impediment; or--but this is only mentioned as an alternative, not recommended for general adoption--the arm may be slightly bent outwards at the elbow. Some try to avoid this unnecessary hitting of the arm by keeping their bows very high-strung; but this should be avoided, as it is very trying to both the bow and the string, and it is generally believed that by keeping a bow high-strung some of its cast is lost.

The old-fas.h.i.+oned bracer, of which there are still many modern representatives--although Mr. Ford, in his book, successfully demolished the 'armguard-hitting theory,' which was upheld by most previous writers on the subject--was, and is, certainly admirably calculated to be hit as much as possible, being often made of very thick leather, and lined and padded as well. If something of this sort, failing other expedients to avoid hurting the arm, must be used, let it be as thin and close-fitting as possible, and in particular close-fitting for the four inches or so next to the wrist, where the reckless old armguards used to project as much as half an inch, ready to welcome the blow of the string several inches sooner than need be. And, to avoid the worst blow of all--that delivered upon the top of the armguard where it is shaped to the bend of the elbow--let the upper strap be carried round above the elbow so that it draws the front of the guard tight as the arm is straightened. In spite of all that has been said above, it cannot be denied that, such is the persistent determination of arrows well aimed and well loosed to reach the target, they will certainly very often succeed, notwithstanding frequent interruptions from an armguard in addition to the natural difficulties. Too much care cannot be taken to see that when fastened no edge or corner of the armguard protrudes that can by possibility obstruct the free pa.s.sage of the string. In spite of good old Ascham's statement that 'the string, gliding quickly and sharply off it' [the bracer], 'may make a sharper shoot' (he also advised that the bow be high-strung, so that this. .h.i.tting may be avoided), the guard should be made of moderately soft and yielding but perfectly smooth leather, and not of any hard material. The silver armguard, which may be fitting enough as a trophy for the Field Captain of the Royal Toxophilite Society, would be about as much out of place during the shooting of the York Round as the ancient Scorton arrow would be amongst the shafts in use during one of the annual Yorks.h.i.+re meetings.

THE SHOOTING-GLOVE, AND OTHER PROTECTIONS FOR THE FINGERS.

The old-fas.h.i.+oned archer's glove--still in use in Scotland, and perhaps occasionally elsewhere--resembles a boxing-glove, being made of thick buckskin, and calculated to protect the hand from some of the accidents of war. It was provided with a pocket for extra strings, wax, and other necessaries on its back; and no doubt owned a companion glove for the bow hand, also calculated to protect _it_ from injury. This glove has pieces of hard leather sewn on to the ends of the fingers as a further protection against the string; and leather straps, pa.s.sing round the roots of the fingers and along the back of the hand, are tied tightly round the wrist to prevent the finger-guards from being dragged forward out of place at the loose.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 25.]

The protection for the fingers, which is probably best known to beginners and old-fas.h.i.+oned archers, consists of three conical tips or thimbles of leather, each sewn up at the back of the finger, and attached--also at the back--to long strips of leather, connected at the back of the hand so as to form one piece, which is fixed upon a strap which pa.s.ses round the wrist and is fastened securely by a buckle (fig.

25). There is nothing to be said against this description of shooting-glove if a thimble can be got to fit each of the fingers accurately; but, as it can seldom happen that in a ready-made article a perfect fit can be found, this form of finger-guard has become unfas.h.i.+onable, and has gone out of favour. It was probably never made with the thimbles of the right sort of leather (horse-b.u.t.t), as the softer and more pliable sorts of leather would be more suitable to fit all comers. It effectually obviates one of the difficulties which occurs to most beginners--that of recovering their tips when they have been scattered all over the shooting-lawn.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 26.]

The 'tab' (see fig. 26) is probably one of the most ancient of finger-guards, and it has so many merits that it can never be altogether discarded. Any archer may quickly manufacture it out of almost any sort of leather, and it is very readily altered or replaced, and it is no impediment to the free use of the fingers for other purposes than loosing an arrow. The whole of the first finger of the right hand is pa.s.sed right through the opening A from the side not seen, and the tip of the finger is placed on _a_. The third finger is similarly pa.s.sed through B, and its tip lies on [Greek: b]. The middle finger is now placed on _b_. It will be found that the 'tab' is now securely fastened for use, the string being applied to the side not seen. The tab can be readily turned down into the palm of the hand whilst the arrow is applied to the string. The tab is then replaced on the tips of the fingers and applied to the string, with the arrow at the bottom of the opening between the parts _a_ and _b_. The one drawback to this description of finger-guard is that the arrow comes into actual contact with the sides of the first and second fingers, and beginners are specially perplexed with the difficulty of keeping the arrow applied to the proper place on the side of the bow during the operation of pulling up, owing to too tight a pinch between the fingers, given by the bent string. This same difficulty occurs also with other guards, but the results are not so painful, as the corner of the nail is protected by leather from the nock of the arrow. The tab is not, therefore, to be recommended for the use of beginners. Should any archers be tempted to use it when the first difficulties are overcome, it will be found that the insertion of a piece of cork or leather between the first and second fingers will overcome the trouble caused by this pinch. The tab, as before mentioned, may be made of one piece of leather; but it is better to have it made of two pieces sewn together, as shown in the sketch (see fig. 26), the part applied to the string being made of 'horse-b.u.t.t,'

which is a brittle sort of leather, the part through which the fingers are pa.s.sed being made of some more supple leather.

Before the more elaborate and scientific finger-stall or guards come to be considered the remaining simple and old-fas.h.i.+oned ones must be completed.

Next in order comes an ordinary glove, which has lately come prominently to the front, because the constant use of a good thick dogskin glove has enabled the Champion of 1884 to keep his place in 1885 and 1886. To this may be applied the dogmatic words of Mr. Ford (slightly altered) with reference to the tab: 'This does not, however, alter my opinion as to its being decidedly an inferior method, as who shall say how much more [he] might have excelled had [he] adopted a different and [less]

rational one?'

A well-fitting glove may be improved by sewing small pieces of pigskin or other smooth sound leather over the tips of the fingers (see fig.

27).

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 27.]

Constant practice on the harp has been known to enable a lady to dispense with any artificial protection, and to make three golds at one end at one of the Leamington meetings.

Another method of preparing the fingers for naked application to the bowstring is to use them industriously as pipe-stoppers; but as some archers do not smoke, and it might not be easy for a non-smoker to get employment as a pipe-stopper to others who do, a more convenient way of hardening the fingers would be by dropping on hot sealing-wax, and then dipping the finger into salt.

It is undeniable that permanently successful shooting depends mostly upon an even, certain, and unvarying loose, and such a loose can only be attained by the help of the most suitable glove, tips, tab, or other protection for the fingers. The archer must have the perfect command of the string, and of the exact 'how' and 'when' it shall be allowed to quit the fingers. If the glove &c. be too loose or too tight, this necessary command is lost. In the first case, the feeling of insecurity gives a hesitating uncertainty to the loose; and in the second, the power of the fingers is so cramped that a sensation of distortion cripples their best efforts. Further, too thick a glove &c. interferes with the proper 'feel' of the string; whilst one that is too thin, by hurting the fingers, causes them to flinch from the proper degree of crisp sharpness requisite for a perfect loose. Still further, with too hard a substance--metal, for instance: finger-tips have been occasionally made of silver--the string cannot be with certainty retained till the proper instant of loosing, whilst with leather that is too soft and sodden, the string cannot be quitted without a jerk that staggers the bow-arm.

It will be seen, therefore, that positive rules cannot be laid down as to either the size, make, shape, or material of the finger-guards; as each individual must be suited according to the peculiar nature of his own fingers, be they callous or tender, strong or weak, clumsy or dexterous.

In 1859 it may have been good advice to archers to manufacture their own finger-guards, though Mr. Ford candidly confessed 'that the endeavours of ten years have hardly succeeded in producing finger-stalls perfectly to my satisfaction.' It may be safely a.s.serted, however, that it is better to use the thinner leather (provided it be thick enough to protect the fingers from pain), and the stalls must be constructed so as to confine the hand and cramp the knuckles as little as possible.

The 'Mason' finger-stall, described by Mr. Ford, consisted of a piece of leather partly surrounding the tip of the finger, and connected over the nail with vulcanised india-rubber, and kept in place by a ring, also of india-rubber, or preferably of silver, pa.s.sing over both joints of the finger, and connected inside the hand with the stall by means of a thin tongue of india-rubber about an inch or an inch and a half long; a guard or stop is placed upon each stall, about half an inch from the top, by which (stop) the line of the fingers and position of the string is regulated, &c. A very similar finger-guard, produced by Mr. Buchanan of 215 Piccadilly, was made, closed at the finger-end, so as to protect the top of the finger from possible injury.

In these finger-guards the stop or catch of leather on the inside of the finger first makes its public appearance, but the contrivance in its entirety has completely gone out of favour--probably owing to the untrustworthiness of india-rubber, even though it be vulcanised. The connecting ring removed the objection to these separate tips that, unless they were glued on or too tight (both undesirable), they were sadly liable to slip off at the loose. Also the connecting tongue of india-rubber might enable the lower part of the finger to contribute some trifle of support to the tip of the finger at its fullest strain, and certainly it would a.s.sist to catch the finger-tip back from the sprawled position (much objected to by some instructors in this craft) sometimes a.s.sumed after a dead loose.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 28.]

Mr. James Spedding and Mr. H. C. Mules, about the same time that Mr. H.

A. Ford and others were making experiments in the construction of their own finger-tips, contrived a little bra.s.s nutted screw-bolt for securing the finger-tips safely upon the fingers without the uncertain action of india-rubber, or in any way cramping the action of the finger-joints.

This little contrivance is three-quarters of an inch long. The nut A is fixed, but the nut B can be moved to any position on the screw-bolt.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 29.]

This contrivance is pa.s.sed through the holes at _a_ and _b_ (see fig.

29) of a finger-tip shaped thus. Of course the end of the screw-bolt over which the nut B is pa.s.sed after the screw-bolt has been pa.s.sed through _a_ and _b_ must be clinched afterwards to prevent nut B coming off again. The lacing together of the six corresponding holes on each side of the guard at the back of the finger over the nail can be tight or loose, according to taste; but it should be laced with fine strong cord, not elastic, as generally supplied by the makers. The bra.s.s bolt pa.s.ses over the top joint of the finger when the guard is put on the finger, and may then be tightened so as to keep the guard in its place and to prevent it escaping at the loose. Leather catches may easily be added of any shape or in any position that is preferred.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 30.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 31.]

The elementary tip, that anybody may cut out of a piece of pigskin (fig.

30), further sophisticated, became the tip registered by Messrs. Aldred in 1868 (fig. 31) as the 'Paragon,' with the Mules-Spedding contrivance added, and also a catch, and a strap over the nail, for keeping it in position.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 32.]

The _parrot-beak_ (fig. 32) is a further development of the Mules-Spedding tip, with the bra.s.s bolt omitted. This is not an improvement, as the sewing, if it suddenly failed, could not be readily replaced.

Mr. J. Spedding had a further contrivance which brought the little finger in to the a.s.sistance of the third finger. This was managed by securing a loop to the guard for the third finger. This loop was pa.s.sed over the little finger, which was tightly curled up towards the palm of the hand, thus supporting the third during the strain of the aim. The little finger was, of course, uncurled at the instant of loose.

Soon after 1859 Mr. H. A. Ford began to lose the almost perfect command which he had, during about ten years, possessed over the bow. Whether this failure arose from the use of bows that were too strong, causing actual physical injury to some of the muscles engaged in the action of pulling up or loosing; or whether it arose from shooting too much; or whether it arose from loss of nerve and confidence, through over-anxiety to excel, and keep in front of all the opponents who, profiting by his instruction, began to tread close upon his heels, will never be known; but certain it is that before he reappeared as Champion at Brighton in 1867, with his fourth best Grand National score of 1,037 (his better scores being, 1,251 at Cheltenham in 1857, 1,076 at Exeter in 1858, and 1,074 at Shrewsbury in 1854), he had taken to weak bows and light arrows, and had tried several different combinations of fingers for loosing. Thus he contrived a finger-tip for the little finger, to the back of which he attached the third finger, so that these two might combine to do the work of one finger. This did not prove successful; but he was satisfied with his final experiment, which consisted of a tip for the first finger, on to the back of which his second finger was also applied; and he has been heard to declare his belief that if he could have tried this loose in his best days he might have improved upon his best scores.

Occasionally the second and third fingers are furnished with a double-cell tip for the parallel action of these two fingers; but as contrivances of this sort are but the playthings of broken-down archers--of whom, alas, there are too many--they are not mentioned with any view of recommending them until, after patient trial, the other simpler finger-guards have failed.

A piece of strong quill is sometimes sewn upon the inside of the tip with the leather catch so as to prevent the string from getting embedded in the leather, and to quicken the loose; but its interference with the 'feel' of the string argues against its employment.

It is even doubtful whether anything but the most cautious use of the leather catch to the finger-tip may not be most dangerous. Many of the best shots do not use it; and though no doubt the certainty of the one best position for the string on the fingers, when the archer is at his best, will produce most excellent results, yet, the possibility that a permanent breakdown may be the result of the use of the same catch when the archer is out of condition or practice, or perhaps tired, should make every archer careful to avoid the loss of liberty of hold that may be found advisable under varying circ.u.mstances.

CHAPTER V.

_OF THE GREASE-BOX, Ta.s.sEL, BELT, ETC_