The Care and Feeding of your Longbow

By Brian Caton

So you are now the proud owner of a beautiful, handmade English Longbow. You’ve waited days, weeks, even months for it to arrive and now you hold it in your hands. You marvel at the craftsmanship and fine lines of the stave. The waxy feel of the string. Hopefully you realize the amount of time and love that the Boyer has put into what you now cradle in your hands. And then maybe it dawns on you if you are a beginner, how the heck do I take care of this thing?
Well it may not be rocket science but there are some things to remember. First off, Temperature: Keep the bow away from excessive heat such as closed inside a hot car, left in direct hot sun or stored in a container also in direct sun, hung over indoor heat vents or other heat sources. Also, please do not shoot the bow in temperatures above 110º F (43.3º C) or below 20º (-6.6º C). Bad things have been known to occur. But as most tourney events or Reenactments happen well within that range you should be all set.
The Second thing to remember is Storage. Never store the bow while strung or while wet. Unstring the bow and wipe it down with a soft cloth. And obviously, never dry the bow next to an open flame. Leaving the bow strung will affect the memory of the wood and moisture with cause mold and other nasty stuff to grow all over your new baby. It’s also best if you can buy, or better yet, make a traditional bow bag that holds the bow and string for storage and transport. These bags are cloth or canvas sleeves, closed at one end, that slide up around the stave and are a very simple design that can even be made by the beginner seamstress.
The Third issue is regular maintenance. Most modern longbows made today are finished with a modern waterproof varnish that requires minimum attention. But some longbows, such as mine, are still being made with traditional or historical finishes that require some upkeep from time to time. What this means is that they need to be oiled and sanded from time to time. I oil my bows once or twice a year depending on use and sand any nicks when needed with a fine grit paper (400grit or higher).
Most traditional Boyers advise using pure Tung oil (also known as China wood oil) while some people have also recommended linseed oil. Either can be found at most paint supply stores such as Sherman Williams. Both oils provide a tough, highly water-resistant finish when properly applied. The difference being Tung oil does not darken noticeably with age as linseed oil does and linseed is susceptible to mold where Tung oil is not. Be aware though that there are now Tung oil finishes out on the market that is not the pure Tung oil. I suggest checking with your Boyer for their recommendations if you didn’t at the time of being fitted for your bow.
Sanding should only take a few swipes of the paper. You aren’t trying to remove layers of the grain. You just need to blend the nick or scrape back into the stave.
To apply the oil, use a soft cloth and rub a light coat of the oil onto the stave. It’s best to let the stave sit at least 24 hours between coats to allow the oil to absorb. The number of coats depends on how thirsty the wood is. Usually three or four coats will do. You’ll be able to tell when it’s had enough when the oil leaves a film on the stave, after 24 hours, that you can wipe away with a cloth.
Your bow is now ready for use or storage.