Composite bow

Uncommon card · No. 158096

A composite bow is a bow made from many different materials. Composite bows can be made from any combination of horn, antler, bamboo, wood, or sinew. These materials are typically laminated together with glue. Materials such as horn or antler are added to composite bows because they have extraordinary compression strength, which complements the similarly exceptional tensile strength of sinew. This combination greatly increases the energy-storing potential of a composite bow, relative to its length. Composite bows are able to be drawn to the same length as bows that are much larger, making them more efficient. However, it is very difficult and time consuming to make a composite bow, and the finished bow is more sensitive to moisture. Materials such as horn and antler are also very heavy, which can affect speed. It is unclear when and where horn composite bows first originated, but the strongest evidence suggests that they were first developed by sedentary Bronze Age civilizations in Anatolia...

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