Mark Stretton posts test results of using a crescent-headed arrow to hunt game, slice sails, and cut ropes holding heavy weights in the field. Interesting stuff! Warning: Includes photos from shooting the carcass of a goose for testing purposes.
So crescent arrows are not practical in a real world sense, and really only good for "trick" arrows. But they may still have some use in a game where amazing feats of daring-do are more common for high-level "mythic" figures.
What I'm seeing is that there are some uses for crescent-shaped arrowheads, but those are very specific cases.
On a related note, everything that I've seen so far indicates that the reason that fire arrows are pretty rare in history is that they are not very effective. I mean, if they go into dry thatch, that's one thing, but they have a hard time setting fires in any other material - and dry thatch is pretty rare.
Oh sweet Petunia! Have we reached the point where hunting (dead) game requires a trigger warning?
ReplyDeleteGreat material!
ReplyDeleteSo crescent arrows are not practical in a real world sense, and really only good for "trick" arrows.
ReplyDeleteBut they may still have some use in a game where amazing feats of daring-do are more common for high-level "mythic" figures.
What I'm seeing is that there are some uses for crescent-shaped arrowheads, but those are very specific cases.
ReplyDeleteOn a related note, everything that I've seen so far indicates that the reason that fire arrows are pretty rare in history is that they are not very effective. I mean, if they go into dry thatch, that's one thing, but they have a hard time setting fires in any other material - and dry thatch is pretty rare.
I don't disagree with that.
DeleteWow that war bow blog is quite an amazing resource.
ReplyDeleteThe efficacy of brigandine is surprising!
Indeed!
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