Just what i was looking for! However i am in the south west of America and have been looking up native American style archery styles and flint knapping.. but I'll be happy to listen to an English bloke bestow some knowledge on the subject
Sir you are a credit to the world keeping history alive . I am from the states and I can't imagine making thousands of these back in medieval times . In your battles videos can you just imagine the logistics needed . Thank you sir for an education .
Just like Cooper and Carpenter, Fletcher also became a last name. Going by the prevalence of Smith, it took an enormous amount of them to furnish the warring sides all over Europe. There must be equivalent surnames in every culture that uses them.
You wouldn’t, as arrows were precious and reused where possible, if you didn’t make your own, you would replace lost or broken arrows as and when needed. And if you couldn’t, you were probably dead, wearing someone else’s arrow.
A bit more than 60 years ago I used to make arrows using dowel rods I bought from the hardware store (way cheaper than cedar shafts!). I hadn’t yet figured out how to make a fletcher (couldn’t afford that either), and instead secured my fletching using thread similar to what you show here. Only I never thought of leaving it there. Once the glue was dry, I unwound the thread, a step I see was unnecessary! Great to see that there are places where wooden arrows are still used. I have a box of never-fired cedar arrows stored away. Once I moved to using a compound, I found out quickly that wood simply didn’t last. Great presentation.
Fascinating. Consider how important this was to Britain, as evidenced by all the English names derived from arrow and bow-making such as Fletcher, Pointer, Stringer etc.
Yes & Arrowsmith, Bowman, the chaps who made them,+many variants, depending on locality, & misspelt versions by scribes who's English was common. Also importantly Ashcrofter's, (people who cultivated Sally gardens- {a corrupted Gaelic term} where copses of Ash & Hazel were cultivated & harvested for both arrows & basket weaving. These copses, many of which have survived in out-of-the way villages, woods & country places, can still be found to this day.
Mr Hicks is probably the only person on the whole of RUclips that has the knowledge and patience to show and explain these medieval crafts skills step by step. There isn't many left from these old shires that still carry the skills from our old world. Long live Mr Hicks.
I remember seeing you with my dad back in the Warwick and Bolsover Castle days. You are a legend in our eyes. I’ll share these videos with him. He’s always asking what you’re doing these days and would be delighted to see them. Thank you for being a legend and keeping history alive! It bring us together!
As a veteran archer of 12 years, this was the best arrow making video I've ever seen for traditional archery. I love your content Kevin, I can't wait to try and make my own for my new bow coming in Tuesday!
@@thehistorysquad indeed, it's my first custom. I got it from Toelke bows all the way from Montana USA (been sitting like a little kid waiting for christmas for 6 months). I'll be trying to make myself some wood arrows with the sheep horn inlays just like you did because those make for such beautiful arrows.
@@thehistorysquad wow that's amazing, I'm further south and haven't been up there yet. I hope I get to hike their trails sometime in the near future though!
It's unethical to kill animals be it by arrow or by rifle. Be kind to animals, they have it hard in the wild, and they don't need any hunter to take their life. Animals deserve better. They deserve to live. It's humans I question if they are as deserving.
At the funeral progress through London there were six bowmen flanking the Royals following the coffin. Of the six three were carrying bows and had an arrow at ready tucked under an arm. Great trust was shown to the bowmen since they carried weapons right next to the Royal family. Wonderful to see. Thanks Kevin for irreplaceable historical insights
They were the Queen's (now King's) Sovereign's Bodyguard. No more 'great trust' required any more than their initial appointment. The Royal Company of Archers.
I loved seeing the men from the Royal company of Archers, but there was a shocking number of lethal weapons involved in that funeral: rifles, pistols, swords, sabres, daggers, Sgian-dubhs, Kukris, halberds, not to mention that big field gun underneath the coffin. But make no mistake: the king himself was also armed. Let's just say the English monarch is not known historically for his/her charity work.
Excellent video, Kevin! I really like how you make distinction between 'arrows' and 'ammunition'. Because that's what they were, disposable ammo, used in (tens of) thousands on the battlefield. And while some could be recovered and repaired, majority was simply 'spent'. It also puts the 'art' of arrow making into a different light because in the old times, it was not an 'art' but a profession. Of course it required skills, but the consistency and high-volume output were just as important because, in the end, people made arrows for living, not as a hobby.
they had there own livery company in the city of London for fletchers and a separate one for bowyers which I think means that you had to be apprenticed which at that time was 5 or 7 years there were over 100 livery company's covering most trades and occupations many which are obserlete today the penalty for setting up a business without being a member of these guilds were severe as in middle ages severe ,imprisonment and many of the judges and jurors had connections with these guilds and solicitors and lawyers had there own guilds no fines or suspended sentance then ....
Valid point, However as a bracket racer, long range shooter and production line setup guy, theres no greater skill than obtaining quality and consistency shot to shot! Its just not "flashy".
Even to this day the treatment still holds true. I make bullets. Some are for distance shoots, I weigh everything, measure everything, etc to make perfect and identical bullets. Others of the same caliber are made from my worst brass as it may or may not be recovered, simple cast lead and produced in as large a quantity as possible as quick as possible for shooting problematic wildlife I may run across or plinking targets for fun. Some things change and dont at the same time.
As a modern compound competitive target archer with an interest in the history of archery i found this a great vid. As I am also a furniture making by trade and enjoy making things I think I will have to give it a go just for the fun.
Seeing you crafting arrows was a hypnotizing experience and enlighting too. I learned so many details I haven't seen before and now I can clearly understand how they were made.
There must be something meditative about crafting arrows or bow making. Really cool video Kevin. It's almost like you are straight from the medieval era.
when youre producing for your self, it is a great sense of calm, as its no pressure and your completely focused n chilled, during covid, i turned my hobby into a cottage business and the stress levels went up, as any mistakes, people can be super picky on. but when you make for yourself, theres things youll look at n think, thatll do, itll still do the job.
This is wonderful. I've never been able to get into archery, shotguns have been more my fancy but seeing a well travelled, educated and spoken man share his craft in a way that you can truly see the joy he gets from it is wonderful. Thanks again Kevin, I love all of your videos.
the shooting jig and the butcher's - surgeon's - knocking saw, and rucked up, i learned much today, i'm sure to watch this again to go over the process, thanks kevin, regards
Pine pitch heated up, becomes a good glue. There are multiple things that do indeed become glue-like. If I lived somewhere away from towns/cities, I'd be making me a bow and some arrows myself.
Lol, you make arrows like I spin yarn. "Fancy people say do this with magical modern tools, but do it by eye like they did historically with the simple tools that were the same as we have today and it turns out both beautiful and functional." Nice video! I appreciate the camera angles. There was a good view of each step.
Nice mate, I'm an Australian with all English ancestry and really appreciated this. Making me homesick for a place I haven't been to yet. Our people are amazing, very cool you know how to do this and are teaching us :)
I never considered the royal dress would extend to arrows too but it makes so much sense. Man I would love to see replicas of what ceremonial royal arrows looked like or what unique styles the most talented fletchers were capable of making.
Kevin, very well done. I was intrigued by watching you build arrows while describing the process. I'm 58, I'm a big history fan and always have been. I've been doing genealogy research on my birth father's side of my family for many years. I recently discovered about six people in England specifically who were knights. One of my ancestors is Anne Boleyn so that's awesome for me. I have many ancestors in England and Germany who were royalty but also France I believe. I'd have to look at my pedigree charts in my three ring binder to check the France one. I enjoy all of the videos you create and present. I live in Texas, my birth father is Canadian and my birth mother is American.
A tip from a Native American for sanding. Way back, we used to grab a piece of animal hide and you take some sand and place it in the hide. Rub it up and down the arrow shaft and it works quite well. Some nations also used sea shells for sanding as the outside was rough and also worked as sand paper. The fish skin was a cool technique I never heard of till this video. It’s pretty cool seeing how people did things way back from across the world.
How lovely, thanks! Something I found while exploring the U.S. is how interconnected the world really is. I found in a museum in Arizona, arrow straightening stones, very similar to those used in Europe. 👍
I am not a history enthusiast at all but the way you present history is so fascinating. I have watched every one of your videos and I will continue to watch them all. When I watch these videos I feel like a child at primary school, that level of excitement you lose as you get older. Brilliant job.
No wonder arrows cost so much in the old days (well even now) the time spent making them must have kept a lot of people very busy. Thank you so much for the video.
This was very interesting and I am an archer as well in the US. Thank you,good sir, for taking us along! I have been fascinated with archery since I was a small boy!
I’ve learned a lot from your videos. Amazingly professionally and well presented, and introduces me to a part of history I have not studied in detail. Sends me scurrying to the library. Thank you.
Makes me appreciate all the prep work done before battle even before the first arrow is shot. I can also imagine gathering up all the spent arrow and spending days recycling and repairing arrows over a steam pot of water and campfire.
As always, I enjoyed every bit of it! I've always wondered about the processes involved with arrow making. Well thanks again Kevin, my vast historical knowledge has been expanded just a bit more. Keep up the great work! Cheers.
Nice to see the arrows as they were. Hollywood has us thinking arrows shot in war are these little flimsy things that men would break with one hand as it's sticking out of their shoulder so they could keep fighting. I dare say being hit with something that big would be like being shot with a bullet. Except now you have a long shaft of wood sticking out of you as well! Poor, poor Henry V
Yeah, for example - breaking off arrows stuck in your shield with a sword. Todd from Todd's Workshop channel (highly recommend !) has an older video showing how difficult/next to impossible it actually is. Proper war arrows were really sturdy.
*zip* *THOK* A war arrow is now embedded in your femur. Probably going to need at least two other people to get that out. One to hold you down and one to pull.
When you watch the process it takes to make just 1 arrow it blows my mind to think how many an army had to have made for a campaign. Totally mind boggling
you have many talents, Kevin. I’d call you a renaissance man for your multiple talents but given how much of your material is from the medieval era I don’t want to offend you! re: shark skin sanding…it’s still used in Japan for grinding real wasabi so it’s something universal and great that you mentioned it. the tools you used are barely changed in centuries so you’re pretty much doing it oldschool just with bits of extras to help quicken things- something they’d have used themselves if they had them
I have actually made arrow heads out of a very hard wood know locally here in the U.S. as Bodark contracted from Bois d Ark also known as Osage Orange and it makes the best bows in the U.S. but is so hard it makes broad head arrow heads, good for a couple of uses, not RAZOR sharp but able to cut through a deer and they are easy to make with a little practice, cap the arrow or insert it into a hole and be sure to wind string around it. add glue and it's ready to fly and is a little lighter than aluminum . It also makes good target field tips and can be replaced for next to nothing.
I've always been curious how such things were done for making 10,000+ arrows for fielding an army or for a castle garrison. This process seems so man-hour intensive. A tactic not mentioned often is forcing a castle to loose all of its arrows during a siege. It seems like it would be an advantageous tactic to use red herring rams and mantlets to force defenders to use up their arrows and then storm the walls with crack melee troops with no arrows left to loosed upon them. A well fortified fortress would have to have thousands of arrows in its armory, and garrison commanders would definitely need to be cognizant of how many arrows they're putting down range. Furthermore, commanders would also need to be cognizant of how long it would take to replenish arrows whether to maintain a defense or timing of successive attacks on fortified positions. A major purpose of armor and shields was defend against arrows. All of this implies there had to be some kind of near industrial scale process of making arrows.
Once you take the corners off in the jig put the dowel in a drill and push it through a die,a craftsman on here made oak dowels for furniture this way seems to work a treat.
that trick with the loop to pull the string through the binding is awesome. I try that next time I make some arrows. So far I always have to hide some knots and artificial sinew that sticks out at the ends. You have a great way of explaining your work. keep it up and thanks.
Actually. I watch many arrow making tutorial using dowel machine but not quite good enough. Your tips are the best way to keep arrow shaft still in straight.
@@thehistorysquad I’ve made the shooting jig and I’ve made a few shafts, but I have some fletching questions. Is there a special way I need to cut the feathers to turn them into fletchings? And do you buy or make your arrowheads? I’ve found where to buy horn inserts but sadly they’re mostly out of stock at the moment.
Hi, I just use sharp, long scissors to cut the feathers (like those used in dressmaking). I buy my arrowheads, the standard ones from Wales Archery Specialists, and the authentic ones from either Hector Cole Ironwork or Will Sherman at medievalarrows.co.uk@@littlemachette1215
Thanks Kevin for the full class in arrow making! I find the materials used very interesting; people back in the day knew the best use of every tree, plant, animal and stone!👍🏹
It's amazing how much time and precision is required to make one arrow. Can't imagine how skilled the medieval craftsman needed to be to do this work efficiently. Impressive.
IT was factory level production, you had people skilled in a single aspect of the production process, a group of men making shafts, another group making the fletchings, another tying them on etc etc...hence names like Fletcher and Shafter, derived from the jobs.
Thanks Kevin, absolutely captivating. Your workmanship and knowledge shines through and you have a great way of passing on your knowledge. Takes me back to when I used to shoot longbows. I used to make my own arrows but not in the traditional way like this. Mine were made from Port Orford cedar with plastic knocks and purchased fletching with brass arrowheads. Still I took my time with them to get the lengths the same and nicely matched up. It gave me a sense of pride to get a set of a dozen or so that looked as good or dare I say it better than anything shop bought and mass produced.
I’ve always made my own arrows but that wiping on the feathers with that knot is a new one for me I will be using that the next thank Kevin always interesting video
Looks like a joy to do... And here I have a woodlot and a garage full of tools. I'm going to have to talk to the Canada geese about providing feathers before they fly south for the winter. I wonder how hickory works, I have lots, and I might as well start taking down ash, it's all diseased here now, sadly. There are a bunch of other historical glues that can be used - hide glue, from scraping animal pelts, has been a go-to of mine for a long time, but basically any connective tissue, bones, et cetera - boiled down - makes a good natural historical glue... And of course milk glues. Guess I'd have to make the daughter a bow...
@@thehistorysquad a question... I note that your replica arrow appears to have ?shallower? fletching than your 'munitions grade'. Is there any difference in how the fletching is cut/shaped you know of for different bow/arrow use? As you said, a princess might have arrows fletched in peacock. Peacock feathers are not known for their durability. (Might be great for accuracy with the right bow and arrows, though).
@@brianknezevich9894 Hi Brian, in my case I leave the width of the fletching until they're all finally whipped then when I have a batch I trim them down even more, it seems to help with speed. 👍🏻
@@thehistorysquad obviously, an aerodynamic engineer is needed here! Interesting sidenote, the native Americans certainly had different tribal fletchings (or lack thereof) that can be dated to pre Columbian (by central American translated manuscripts) but... A whole lot of the feathers are what I'd consider sub optimal by far. (Although the nature of their combat was much more individualistic, so personal and tribal identity, down to the arrow, may have counted for much more). Food for thought!
@@thehistorysquad btw, thanks for the steaming feathers tip, I'd never thought of it before although I know steam fixes many things... Me daughter will be seeing how that works on feathers savaged by her small black cat
Your instincts Kevin, honed by years in the trench's, are priceless! I would rue the day if I ever found myself facing your lawman instincts from the wrong side of the line!Cheers sir!
Thanks, Kevin, for the informative video on arrow making. I wondered how they made so many back in the days of arrows on the battlefield. Cheers from Texas.
I'm a relative newcomer to your channel & enjoy your uploads very much. History is a passion of mine, indeed of my whole family. I remember reading somewhere, maybe Gerald of Wales, that the men of Gwent used bows made of elm, these, I believe, had a shorter range than other bows but were extremely powerful weapons. Have you ever heard of this?
Yes, I believe that's the case. They did have a shorter range, and a shorter life, but of course they would have used what they could, locally harvested wood. 👍🏻 Thanks for watching the channel.
I have no earthly idea how this video got recommended to me by the algorithm but this is amazing!
Haha, the mysterious algorithm. Thank you!
Just what i was looking for! However i am in the south west of America and have been looking up native American style archery styles and flint knapping.. but I'll be happy to listen to an English bloke bestow some knowledge on the subject
Sir you are a credit to the world keeping history alive . I am from the states and I can't imagine making thousands of these back in medieval times . In your battles videos can you just imagine the logistics needed . Thank you sir for an education .
Amen!
Well said. Thank you.
Cheers John, I appreciate that. If you haven't seen my 'logistics' videos, you might want to check them out, there are two on arrows 👍🏻
Just like Cooper and Carpenter, Fletcher also became a last name. Going by the prevalence of Smith, it took an enormous amount of them to furnish the warring sides all over Europe. There must be equivalent surnames in every culture that uses them.
@@joesikkspac7904 as a pseudo-professional fletcher, i can say, without a doubt, your right.
You wouldn’t, as arrows were precious and reused where possible, if you didn’t make your own, you would replace lost or broken arrows as and when needed. And if you couldn’t, you were probably dead, wearing someone else’s arrow.
A bit more than 60 years ago I used to make arrows using dowel rods I bought from the hardware store (way cheaper than cedar shafts!). I hadn’t yet figured out how to make a fletcher (couldn’t afford that either), and instead secured my fletching using thread similar to what you show here. Only I never thought of leaving it there. Once the glue was dry, I unwound the thread, a step I see was unnecessary!
Great to see that there are places where wooden arrows are still used. I have a box of never-fired cedar arrows stored away. Once I moved to using a compound, I found out quickly that wood simply didn’t last.
Great presentation.
And a great comment David, thanks!
Fascinating. Consider how important this was to Britain, as evidenced by all the English names derived from arrow and bow-making such as Fletcher, Pointer, Stringer etc.
I new two brothers in school who’s last name was Butt . The target . And of course the butt of your joke.
Glueman, steamer
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@@geoffreybudge3027 could've been a bottom washer for the King !
Yes & Arrowsmith, Bowman, the chaps who made them,+many variants, depending on locality, & misspelt versions by scribes who's English was common. Also importantly Ashcrofter's, (people who cultivated Sally gardens- {a corrupted Gaelic term} where copses of Ash & Hazel were cultivated & harvested for both arrows & basket weaving. These copses, many of which have survived in out-of-the way villages, woods & country places, can still be found to this day.
I do historical talks and this info was a goldmine. Thank you
Always a pleasure to watch a craftsman at work. 😊👍
Mr Hicks is probably the only person on the whole of RUclips that has the knowledge and patience to show and explain these medieval crafts skills step by step. There isn't many left from these old shires that still carry the skills from our old world. Long live Mr Hicks.
Cheers Jim, that's very kind of you 👍🏻
“gonna have to take a break to stop the bleeding” is just the casual tone of it 😂 this man is amazing
I remember seeing you with my dad back in the Warwick and Bolsover Castle days. You are a legend in our eyes. I’ll share these videos with him. He’s always asking what you’re doing these days and would be delighted to see them. Thank you for being a legend and keeping history alive! It bring us together!
Wow, thanks Jake & thanks for sharing. 👍🏻
As a veteran archer of 12 years, this was the best arrow making video I've ever seen for traditional archery. I love your content Kevin, I can't wait to try and make my own for my new bow coming in Tuesday!
Oooh, lucky man! Thanks for watching 👍🏻
@@thehistorysquad indeed, it's my first custom. I got it from Toelke bows all the way from Montana USA (been sitting like a little kid waiting for christmas for 6 months). I'll be trying to make myself some wood arrows with the sheep horn inlays just like you did because those make for such beautiful arrows.
@@davisstellman Coincidentally, I'm in Montana right now, I've just visited Little Bighorn today. I was like a kid 👍🏻
@@thehistorysquad wow that's amazing, I'm further south and haven't been up there yet. I hope I get to hike their trails sometime in the near future though!
It's unethical to kill animals be it by arrow or by rifle. Be kind to animals, they have it hard in the wild, and they don't need any hunter to take their life. Animals deserve better. They deserve to live. It's humans I question if they are as deserving.
Another brilliant video sir, shame that Britain has lost a good man but Canada has gained a good man. You're an absolute credit.
Thank you kindly 👍🏻
At the funeral progress through London there were six bowmen flanking the Royals following the coffin. Of the six three were carrying bows and had an arrow at ready tucked under an arm. Great trust was shown to the bowmen since they carried weapons right next to the Royal family. Wonderful to see. Thanks Kevin for irreplaceable historical insights
They were the Queen's (now King's) Sovereign's Bodyguard. No more 'great trust' required any more than their initial appointment.
The Royal Company of Archers.
I loved seeing the men from the Royal company of Archers, but there was a shocking number of lethal weapons involved in that funeral: rifles, pistols, swords, sabres, daggers, Sgian-dubhs, Kukris, halberds, not to mention that big field gun underneath the coffin. But make no mistake: the king himself was also armed.
Let's just say the English monarch is not known historically for his/her charity work.
@@TheEvertw The English monarch is actually very well known for his charity work 😉
@@MrHollowdweller Long live the King.
Fuckem
lol, of course there is a kettle in your workshop, you are truly a british gentleman. love this kind of stuff, keep them coming
😜 indeed
Just come across this talk about fascinating absolutely brilliant really enjoyable 👍
Glad you enjoyed it
may i suggest a video on the Royal Company of Archers, 2 of them were guarding her coffin , i presume most folk will not be aware of them!
Yes, great idea Colin, I'm going to look into it 👍🏻
As an American growing up with emphasis on rifle marksmanship it's grand learning about where that tradition came from and how deep the roots of it go
It's amazing how similar this process is to handloading ammunition for modern firearms.
Excellent video, Kevin! I really like how you make distinction between 'arrows' and 'ammunition'. Because that's what they were, disposable ammo, used in (tens of) thousands on the battlefield. And while some could be recovered and repaired, majority was simply 'spent'. It also puts the 'art' of arrow making into a different light because in the old times, it was not an 'art' but a profession. Of course it required skills, but the consistency and high-volume output were just as important because, in the end, people made arrows for living, not as a hobby.
A brilliant comment there, thanks 👍🏻
they had there own livery company in the city of London for fletchers and a separate one for bowyers which I think means that you had to be apprenticed which at that time was 5 or 7 years there were over 100 livery company's covering most trades and occupations many which are obserlete today the penalty for setting up a business without being a member of these guilds were severe as in middle ages severe ,imprisonment and many of the judges and jurors had connections with these guilds and solicitors and lawyers had there own guilds no fines or suspended sentance then ....
Kills before skills 😉
Valid point, However as a bracket racer, long range shooter and production line setup guy, theres no greater skill than obtaining quality and consistency shot to shot! Its just not "flashy".
Even to this day the treatment still holds true. I make bullets. Some are for distance shoots, I weigh everything, measure everything, etc to make perfect and identical bullets. Others of the same caliber are made from my worst brass as it may or may not be recovered, simple cast lead and produced in as large a quantity as possible as quick as possible for shooting problematic wildlife I may run across or plinking targets for fun.
Some things change and dont at the same time.
It's nice to see something being made rather than machined. Fascinating as always, Kevin!
As a modern compound competitive target archer with an interest in the history of archery i found this a great vid. As I am also a furniture making by trade and enjoy making things I think I will have to give it a go just for the fun.
Seeing you crafting arrows was a hypnotizing experience and enlighting too. I learned so many details I haven't seen before and now I can clearly understand how they were made.
Excellent, I'm glad you enjoyed it 👍🏻
This channel is truly a precious gem!
There must be something meditative about crafting arrows or bow making. Really cool video Kevin. It's almost like you are straight from the medieval era.
when youre producing for your self, it is a great sense of calm, as its no pressure and your completely focused n chilled, during covid, i turned my hobby into a cottage business and the stress levels went up, as any mistakes, people can be super picky on. but when you make for yourself, theres things youll look at n think, thatll do, itll still do the job.
Being a Fletcher seems like it was a pretty sweet gig back then, I'd love to do that all day
This is wonderful. I've never been able to get into archery, shotguns have been more my fancy but seeing a well travelled, educated and spoken man share his craft in a way that you can truly see the joy he gets from it is wonderful. Thanks again Kevin, I love all of your videos.
Gosh, that’s very kind of you. Thanks
the shooting jig and the butcher's - surgeon's - knocking saw, and rucked up, i learned much today, i'm sure to watch this again to go over the process, thanks kevin, regards
No problem, thanks for watching 👍🏻
Pine pitch heated up, becomes a good glue. There are multiple things that do indeed become glue-like. If I lived somewhere away from towns/cities, I'd be making me a bow and some arrows myself.
Best add a litle charcoal dust to the pine pitch, bit brittle without it.
Lol, you make arrows like I spin yarn. "Fancy people say do this with magical modern tools, but do it by eye like they did historically with the simple tools that were the same as we have today and it turns out both beautiful and functional." Nice video! I appreciate the camera angles. There was a good view of each step.
Thanks very much 👍🏻
Thank you for keeping the history alive.
Nice mate, I'm an Australian with all English ancestry and really appreciated this.
Making me homesick for a place I haven't been to yet.
Our people are amazing, very cool you know how to do this and are teaching us :)
This was very useful. It will help me write accurately. Thank-you.
Absolutely amazing. Kevin is a Renaissance man. He makes this look so easy.
I never considered the royal dress would extend to arrows too but it makes so much sense. Man I would love to see replicas of what ceremonial royal arrows looked like or what unique styles the most talented fletchers were capable of making.
That'd be something else eh?
Kevin, very well done. I was intrigued by watching you build arrows while describing the process. I'm 58, I'm a big history fan and always have been. I've been doing genealogy research on my birth father's side of my family for many years. I recently discovered about six people in England specifically who were knights. One of my ancestors is Anne Boleyn so that's awesome for me. I have many ancestors in England and Germany who were royalty but also France I believe. I'd have to look at my pedigree charts in my three ring binder to check the France one.
I enjoy all of the videos you create and present. I live in Texas, my birth father is Canadian and my birth mother is American.
Wow, that's great Guy, an excellent pedigree 👍🏻
Ah the good old Sherwood fetching jig , mine is over 35 years old and still going strong .
You make it look so simple and achievable. I've needed a few arrows, now I know how to do it.
A tip from a Native American for sanding. Way back, we used to grab a piece of animal hide and you take some sand and place it in the hide. Rub it up and down the arrow shaft and it works quite well. Some nations also used sea shells for sanding as the outside was rough and also worked as sand paper.
The fish skin was a cool technique I never heard of till this video. It’s pretty cool seeing how people did things way back from across the world.
How lovely, thanks! Something I found while exploring the U.S. is how interconnected the world really is. I found in a museum in Arizona, arrow straightening stones, very similar to those used in Europe. 👍
I am not a history enthusiast at all but the way you present history is so fascinating. I have watched every one of your videos and I will continue to watch them all. When I watch these videos I feel like a child at primary school, that level of excitement you lose as you get older. Brilliant job.
How nice of you David, thanks so much!
As an adult, don’t lose that excited fascination, ever. It keeps one young at heart. Never lock away that inner child.
Cheers!
Bravo! Excellently presented! Thanks for sharing and the very best of luck!
No wonder arrows cost so much in the old days (well even now) the time spent making them must have kept a lot of people very busy. Thank you so much for the video.
not just with arrows everyday things we do like washing clothes could take a lot longer or making chainmail or and type of weapon or armour
This was very interesting and I am an archer as well in the US. Thank you,good sir, for taking us along! I have been fascinated with archery since I was a small boy!
I have also fletched arrows in front of the tv!😅
Thanks Kevin always enjoy your videos imagine the the man hours over the years it took to making those arrows
You bet
Very good too see the old ways, iv done arrows my self and now I know how too string it better.
I’ve learned a lot from your videos. Amazingly professionally and well presented, and introduces me to a part of history I have not studied in detail. Sends me scurrying to the library. Thank you.
😂 Cheers Ted, I'm glad you're enjoying them. There's worst places to be than a library 😉
Makes me appreciate all the prep work done before battle even before the first arrow is shot. I can also imagine gathering up all the spent arrow and spending days recycling and repairing arrows over a steam pot of water and campfire.
As always, I enjoyed every bit of it!
I've always wondered about the processes involved with arrow making. Well thanks again Kevin, my vast historical knowledge has been expanded just a bit more.
Keep up the great work! Cheers.
Haha, cheers Bob 👍🏻
Very cool, important to keep ancient traditions alive!
It sure is!
Nice to see the arrows as they were. Hollywood has us thinking arrows shot in war are these little flimsy things that men would break with one hand as it's sticking out of their shoulder so they could keep fighting. I dare say being hit with something that big would be like being shot with a bullet. Except now you have a long shaft of wood sticking out of you as well!
Poor, poor Henry V
Yeah, for example - breaking off arrows stuck in your shield with a sword. Todd from Todd's Workshop channel (highly recommend !) has an older video showing how difficult/next to impossible it actually is. Proper war arrows were really sturdy.
@@lazyman7505 yea bit different when it's stuck in like a half inch thick splinter four inches long and look her come some more ....
*zip*
*THOK*
A war arrow is now embedded in your femur. Probably going to need at least two other people to get that out. One to hold you down and one to pull.
Very interesting video. As a restorer of musical instruments, I was totally impressed with your work.
Thank you very much!
Still have the one you gave us at Warwick
Haha, how lovely to hear 👍🏻
I hope you're well Kim
When you watch the process it takes to make just 1 arrow it blows my mind to think how many an army had to have made for a campaign. Totally mind boggling
Wonderful video sir! Both entertaining and informative, as usual. 👍🌟
Great video. I'll never watch commercial TV as long as I have your quality of content available on RUclips. Thanks for that.
Wow, that's really kind Dave, thanks 👍🏻
you have many talents, Kevin. I’d call you a renaissance man for your multiple talents but given how much of your material is from the medieval era I don’t want to offend you!
re: shark skin sanding…it’s still used in Japan for grinding real wasabi so it’s something universal and great that you mentioned it. the tools you used are barely changed in centuries so you’re pretty much doing it oldschool just with bits of extras to help quicken things- something they’d have used themselves if they had them
Thanks Boston 👍🏻
Absolutely brilliant demonstration, captivating and very entertaining, thank Mr. Kevin😊
Thank you kindly!
I have actually made arrow heads out of a very hard wood know locally here in the U.S. as Bodark contracted from Bois d Ark also known as Osage Orange and it makes the best bows in the U.S. but is so hard it makes broad head arrow heads, good for a couple of uses, not RAZOR sharp but able to cut through a deer and they are easy to make with a little practice, cap the arrow or insert it into a hole and be sure to wind string around it. add glue and it's ready to fly and is a little lighter than aluminum . It also makes good target field tips and can be replaced for next to nothing.
Wow, thanks for the tip, haha, pardon the pun. I never knew that 👍🏻
I like to watch Kevin's videos while I make my own arrow shafts.
I've always been curious how such things were done for making 10,000+ arrows for fielding an army or for a castle garrison. This process seems so man-hour intensive. A tactic not mentioned often is forcing a castle to loose all of its arrows during a siege. It seems like it would be an advantageous tactic to use red herring rams and mantlets to force defenders to use up their arrows and then storm the walls with crack melee troops with no arrows left to loosed upon them. A well fortified fortress would have to have thousands of arrows in its armory, and garrison commanders would definitely need to be cognizant of how many arrows they're putting down range. Furthermore, commanders would also need to be cognizant of how long it would take to replenish arrows whether to maintain a defense or timing of successive attacks on fortified positions. A major purpose of armor and shields was defend against arrows. All of this implies there had to be some kind of near industrial scale process of making arrows.
Well, surnames such as Fletcher and Arrowsmith had to originate somewhere.
Bowman, Archer, Fletcher, Stringer….all called Tommy and all at Agingcourt.
Once you take the corners off in the jig put the dowel in a drill and push it through a die,a craftsman on here made oak dowels for furniture this way seems to work a treat.
that trick with the loop to pull the string through the binding is awesome. I try that next time I make some arrows. So far I always have to hide some knots and artificial sinew that sticks out at the ends.
You have a great way of explaining your work. keep it up and thanks.
Glad to help 👍
I loved this video. What a great hobby this would be for the winter.
thank yew kevin. good show. gare
Cheers Gary, hope you're keeping well 👍🏻
Actually. I watch many arrow making tutorial using dowel machine but not quite good enough. Your tips are the best way to keep arrow shaft still in straight.
I really enjoyed that Kevin. Thanks, Mike.
It is always a pleasure watching an artisan who excels and enjoys his trade. Good stuff, Kevin.
I’m just now seeing this video after trying to make arrows for a month…. This is everything I’ve been looking for. I can’t thank you enough
Great to hear! 👍🏻
@@thehistorysquad I’ve made the shooting jig and I’ve made a few shafts, but I have some fletching questions. Is there a special way I need to cut the feathers to turn them into fletchings? And do you buy or make your arrowheads? I’ve found where to buy horn inserts but sadly they’re mostly out of stock at the moment.
Hi, I just use sharp, long scissors to cut the feathers (like those used in dressmaking). I buy my arrowheads, the standard ones from Wales Archery Specialists, and the authentic ones from either Hector Cole Ironwork or Will Sherman at medievalarrows.co.uk@@littlemachette1215
Thank you for taking the time to TEACH, that which almost no modern school will!
Thank you
Love the energy youve got in this video. Good watch
I have made my own arrows and itvery satisfying seeing them succeed in performance.
Thanks Kevin for the full class in arrow making! I find the materials used very interesting; people back in the day knew the best use of every tree, plant, animal and stone!👍🏹
They certainly did 👍🏻
It's amazing how much time and precision is required to make one arrow. Can't imagine how skilled the medieval craftsman needed to be to do this work efficiently. Impressive.
IT was factory level production, you had people skilled in a single aspect of the production process, a group of men making shafts, another group making the fletchings, another tying them on etc etc...hence names like Fletcher and Shafter, derived from the jobs.
@@justinmorgan2126 sure it was factory level of production, still you need bunch of experienced people to run it
Thanks Kevin, absolutely captivating. Your workmanship and knowledge shines through and you have a great way of passing on your knowledge. Takes me back to when I used to shoot longbows. I used to make my own arrows but not in the traditional way like this. Mine were made from Port Orford cedar with plastic knocks and purchased fletching with brass arrowheads. Still I took my time with them to get the lengths the same and nicely matched up. It gave me a sense of pride to get a set of a dozen or so that looked as good or dare I say it better than anything shop bought and mass produced.
Thanks for your comment Steve, I have to agree, the sense of achievement in making your own arrows is pretty special 👍🏻
I thoroughly enjoy this presentation every time I view it.
Cheers David 👍🏻
Excellent craftsmanship, that's quite the skill to have. I'm sure those arrows took down many Frenchmen.
creativity doesn't know right or wrong, as long as you reach a result that YOU are pleased with.
Personally born and raised in Staffordshire, thank you for everything you do
I was raised in Staffordshire too, for a good chunk of my childhood and spent many a day on the Chase on our bikes. Thanks for watching.
Thanks! Been waiting for this subject!
Great demonstration.
I’ve always made my own arrows but that wiping on the feathers with that knot is a new one for me I will be using that the next thank Kevin always interesting video
Great stuff 👍🏻
Brilliant video Kevin thanks for showing us how the arrows are made
No problem 👍
Wonderful !! My Dad had an old homemade fletching jig in the basement from when he was young. Cool to see one in use !
Looks like a joy to do... And here I have a woodlot and a garage full of tools.
I'm going to have to talk to the Canada geese about providing feathers before they fly south for the winter.
I wonder how hickory works, I have lots, and I might as well start taking down ash, it's all diseased here now, sadly.
There are a bunch of other historical glues that can be used - hide glue, from scraping animal pelts, has been a go-to of mine for a long time, but basically any connective tissue, bones, et cetera - boiled down - makes a good natural historical glue... And of course milk glues.
Guess I'd have to make the daughter a bow...
Haha, lovely Brian, give it a shot 😉
Hickory is great for a bow and should do for your arrows too.
@@thehistorysquad a question... I note that your replica arrow appears to have ?shallower? fletching than your 'munitions grade'. Is there any difference in how the fletching is cut/shaped you know of for different bow/arrow use?
As you said, a princess might have arrows fletched in peacock. Peacock feathers are not known for their durability. (Might be great for accuracy with the right bow and arrows, though).
@@brianknezevich9894 Hi Brian, in my case I leave the width of the fletching until they're all finally whipped then when I have a batch I trim them down even more, it seems to help with speed. 👍🏻
@@thehistorysquad obviously, an aerodynamic engineer is needed here!
Interesting sidenote, the native Americans certainly had different tribal fletchings (or lack thereof) that can be dated to pre Columbian (by central American translated manuscripts) but... A whole lot of the feathers are what I'd consider sub optimal by far. (Although the nature of their combat was much more individualistic, so personal and tribal identity, down to the arrow, may have counted for much more).
Food for thought!
@@thehistorysquad btw, thanks for the steaming feathers tip, I'd never thought of it before although I know steam fixes many things... Me daughter will be seeing how that works on feathers savaged by her small black cat
Please stay healthy Mr. Hicks. You have fans all over the world.
👍🏻 thanks. I'm actually just getting over COVID, but should be better soon.
I started making my arrows this way 2 years ago and I enjoy it a lot
Bloody brilliant pal!
Cheers from the Lakes on a wet wild Cumbrian day!
keep creating.
Thanks, will do!
I absolutely love history and really enjoy this channel
Your instincts Kevin, honed by years in the trench's, are priceless! I would rue the day if I ever found myself facing your lawman instincts from the wrong side of the line!Cheers sir!
Haha, cheers Fred 👍🏻
Thanks for,the video Kevin really interesting 👍🏼
Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. Much appreciated
My Stepfather's name was John Arrowsmith. I always wondered what exactly his ancestors did for a living. Nice bit of Blue Petering Kev!
wow. never thought I would be hypnotized by arrow making. wonderful skill sir. love it
Seeing this is quite satisfying 🥰🥰😍
🎯😊.. Can’t get enough of your content these days.. so many topics, so much to learn.. 👍
That's great to hear, thank you!
Thanks, Kevin, for the informative video on arrow making. I wondered how they made so many back in the days of arrows on the battlefield. Cheers from Texas.
Cheers Dave, glad you liked it 👍🏻
This is a treasure, sir. I dig the stache as well, bud. Greetings from across the pond.
Thank you! Cheers!
Another great show Kevin, thank you.
I'm a relative newcomer to your channel & enjoy your uploads very much. History is a passion of mine, indeed of my whole family. I remember reading somewhere, maybe Gerald of Wales, that the men of Gwent used bows made of elm, these, I believe, had a shorter range than other bows but were extremely powerful weapons. Have you ever heard of this?
Yes, I believe that's the case. They did have a shorter range, and a shorter life, but of course they would have used what they could, locally harvested wood. 👍🏻
Thanks for watching the channel.
Definitely fascinating, interesting, and informative. Thank you sir.
Thank you so much for this. This video has inspired me to resume making arrows and ash long bows again. Thank you
Wonderful! Go for it 👍🏻