Benton Frisse Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Hey gang, I've been searching around and I've found a few resources on forging medieval style arrow tips. I've been thinking of doing some, maybe a dozen or so, and mounting them on some arrows for my English longbow and giving them a whirl (why not, right?). Have any of you forged any arrow tips? If so, do you have any tips or suggestions? I have two books that have nice, short sections about the subject. Thanks! Cheers! Benton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Here is a start '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benton Frisse Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 Wowza, thanks for the links, Steve! That's a gold mine right there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Next time you search, (for anything) using the common name will be a LOT more successful. "Arrow tips" isn't a term anyone who shoots or makes bows uses for "arrow head". Heck even the back end of the arrow has another name, "noc." Maybe this is a bit of a side track but finding things on the web depends on the right name. Even if you don't know the correct terms the net is there to use, you can try searching, "Arrow parts names" and get more info than a person needs. Okay, I guess this is a web search tip. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benton Frisse Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 Thanks, Frosty! After reviewing the threads that Steve posted, some books, and a few videos on youtube I've seen... I'm not seeing many people forge weld the socket? I had assumed that was a standard, to keep them from opening up and getting stuck/removed during arrow extraction? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Hector Cole and he has a short Youtube on forging a bodkin. http://www.evado.co.uk/Hector%20Cole/index.html Hector will be at the International Blacksmiths Festival on his medieval forge making arrow heads and other stuff,and he like to chat and give spectators what they request. So if anyone coming along has questions, he's your man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benton Frisse Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 Hector Cole and he has a short Youtube on forging a bodkin. http://www.evado.co.uk/Hector%20Cole/index.html I watched the video you posted on another thread of him forging a war bodkin. Excellent video! I wasn't aware that you could become a certified master arrowsmith?! I have never head of that. It's pretty cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick maxen Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Benton, As far as I know, the sockets were not welded just rolled round to form the socket. One thing to remember is that most of these were only used once and the design of most war points with the barbs on would prevent removal anyway. Also it was probably a lot better that the arrowhead stayed in the enemy. The smaller swallow tail and broadhead hunting points for game had small holes in the socket so they could be firmly attached to the arrowshaft with a small nail or similar. Hector Cole's name has been mentioned and he is the expert in the UK for anything to do with arrow heads, forging and the history side of it. Do a search for his website and he has a page that shows all the differant styles of points that he makes. Mick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benton Frisse Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 Well, after two failed attempts-errrr-i mean learning two way NOT to forge a bodkin head, here's an image for y'all. The two failures and the one that... kinda worked. I got the socket to fold finally on the third try. But after watching Mr. Hector Cole's war bodkin forging video about 17 more times, I figured out what I was doing wrong. When I would hammer the stock flat for the socket, I was flattening it thin enough, but it wasn't the right shape. I realized, that I needed a more square look like Mr. Cole was using instead of a fan shape. I made the socket too long, but I figured I could grind a lot of it away instead of taking the chance and not having enough material. I'll be attempting them again tonight and this weekend. Practice makes perfect and you have to start somewhere, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 War arrow heads were "thrown away in use" and not expected to be re-used. Of course the original bodkin point I have from a renaissance german crossbow quarrel was forge welded; however crossbows were "upscale" weapons much more expensive than the simple longbow peasants used. Also original wrought iron is easier to forgeweld than modern mild steel especially in very thin cross sections Hector Cole is definitely the go to guy for this sort of thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Shoot! Even for garden tools that get HEAVY use I rarely weld the sockets... they just don't need it, are plenty strong as rolled! For heavy gouges and other carving tools I find that a simple rolled socket is quite sufficient for the stresses of use! A welded socket is more of a conceit than it is needful, IMO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikecopXXX Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benton Frisse Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 Hey ya'll, had some better luck forging some arrow heads yesterday. Here's one of them. The only big issue (that I could find, I'm sure there's plenty more) was that once the arrow was inserted, I hadn't quite thinned the socket enough in a spot, so the head sat SLIGHTLY crooked. But I shot it a few times anyway, and judging by the damage it caused to my bag target and my tomahawk target.. these bodkin's are nasty little boogers! I'm going to try to make a dozen of them, get them all attached to some arrows, and have a ball! The nice heavy heads seem to help the flight and accuracy of my arrow, too. Or maybe it was a few lucky shots... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Looks at least twice as heavy as my original quarrel point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benton Frisse Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 Yeah, it's got quite a bit of mass. I was thinking of thinning the socket more, and grinding it to be shorter. I start out with it longer because I'm scared I wont have enough material flattened out for a socket, so I can then grind it shorter if need be. There's getting to be so much more fine detail work to practice in arrowhead making than I ever imagined. They're a real pleasure to make, though. I just need to make a spring fuller for the neck in between the body of the point and the socket. I think It'd help it come out a bit cleaner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 For archery you would like to get everything to come out identical. Think about a swing arm fuller with a circular relief in it to make all the necks identical Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benton Frisse Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 Awesome! I think there's blueprints for those on Anvilfire.com! Thanks, Thomas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basher Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I would really recommend buying an arrow head or two from someone like hector so that you can get an idea as to how thin /light / small they need to be to function well. and make a load of them, once you are on a role you wont need swages for bodkins. I was lucky enough to document a few arrow heads at the museum of london and guess what some were forge welded............ shooting your own arrow heads is a great feeling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benton Frisse Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 I think I'll do just that, Basher. Thanks! You're right, I'm so excited to shoot my own arrow heads. Granted, I still probably won't be able to hit the broad side of a barn but nonetheless. I think I'm going to give a broadhead a whirl, too. Those look fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsoldat Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 hitting the broadside of the barn is easy :) just have to think inside the box on this on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benton Frisse Posted September 8, 2014 Author Share Posted September 8, 2014 Forged this broadhead yesterday. Spent 30 minutes digging it out of a stump... but seemed to work well. Not too heavy, and I made the socket shorter. I also compressed the socket a bit more, it's a little big in the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Looks pretty good. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitch4ging Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Very cool, Benton! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benton Frisse Posted September 9, 2014 Author Share Posted September 9, 2014 Thanks folks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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