Upshot Archery's Scythian bows have the most accurate shape of any low-end Scythian bow I've seen: a more angular profile than the popular Grozer Old Scythian, they also have the asymmetric shape seen on many period bows but rare on the replica market, and appear to have thicker limbs. Being made of PVC, they're extremely cheap, even at the regular price of US$100.
I am not sure how well the faux birch bark finish would pass inspection at any given reenactment event, though I expect it would be fine at Amphictyonia, and in my opinion the profile more than makes up for any possible drawback in that regard. The two pieces currently available, as well as the one in the review below, are only 30 and 35 pounds, so it may be that Upshot focuses on low draw weights for this model.
The listed strung length of 52 and 55 inches/132 and 140cm make it somewhat larger than the Grozer and it will obviously require a larger gorytos because of that. (Personally I've been hoping to find a smaller bow...)
BackyardBowyer posted this review to YouTube in July:
I believe Santa may be bringing me one of these for Christmas... in fact I know he will. It's a 35lb version, because he had it in stock and isn't doing custom orders until January, but I believe he will make other draw weights. You could ask him if he makes them in other sizes as well
ReplyDeleteI'll let you know my thoughts when I've had my first play with it :-)
And by 'him' I mean Tom Hard of Upshot archery, not Santa... although you could try asking him ;-)
DeleteHello. Will you be publishing a review anywhere?
DeleteI didn't know he did custom work. I might look into that in a few months. Upshot's youth bows have an okay profile for Classical period, similar to the Grozer Old Scythian, but even they're still a bit bigger than the Grozer.
I will try to make the Scythian bow in other draw weights this coming year, but making the bow shorter than 52" from tip to tip is questionable to me. Not for historical accuracy reasons, but for the kind of material (PVC) I'm using. Some other PVC bow makers will go shorter with the same size pipe I use (3/4" PVC), but typically those are for personal use, whereas I have more concerns to maintain a really low failure rate and not have to replace collapsed/broken bows. The Scythian style has a disproportionate strain in the shoulders of the bow, so making a reliable design in other draw weights will take some work and experimentation.
DeleteHello. It's good to hear from you here. I'll freely admit that I know next to nothing about the limits of different bow materials from a construction standpoint; in fact, this was the first time I'd heard about PVC bows!
DeleteWith regards to strain on the shoulders, is that because of the angular profile, the asymmetry, or something else?
Agree. I have always been a bit reluctant towards PVC Bows, but the shape of these are the real thing.. and they are affordable. A chance to experiment with the low-grip we see so often in Greek pottery. As for the finish.. if the faux birch finish doesn't bear scurtiny at close range you can always try real birch bark.. although that would decrease the performance a bit.. because of increased weight of the bow limbs... I have a mind of pimping my bows with birchbark and hide glue as well ..
ReplyDeleteI've never actually held a birch bark covered bow in my hands, so the cosmetic look to the bow is something I tried to replicate from Googled pictures. If you have a particular look (and closeups would be fantastic) that is more authentic, I would love to update the design.
Delete-Tommy Hard