Wooden Arrows & Traditional Bows

The first archers used bows and arrows made of wood. Wood remains a favorite choice of material for archery materials, particularly arrows, but using wood brings several negatives alongside its positives.

  1. Traditional Bows

    • English archers originally made bows made of wood, typically yew, wytch-hazel (witch hazel), elm or ash. Traditional archers used self bows and longbows. The composite bow appears similar to the self bow but is made with multiple materials.

    Advantages of Wooden Arrows

    • Archers using wooden arrows indulge in a sense of traditionalism. Early archers made arrows from a single wood; later archers made arrows of multiple wood types to improve the arrows' properties. Moreover, wooden arrows make an inexpensive, suitable choice for beginners and target practice use.

    Disadvantages of Wooden Arrows

    • Wooden arrows tend to warp over time and lack durability. Cedar arrows resist warping but move slower due to their heavier weight. Archers remove warping by heating and bending them back into shape, but this process takes additional work and does not ensure a long-term fix. Additionally, differences in wood causes variation in flight from arrow to arrow.