What Is a Traditional Bow? Longbows or Recurves

There are many different types of bows, from compound bows, crossbows and longbows, to recurve bows and takedown bows. But, what is that mythical looking bow called? After watching The Game of Thrones, The Hunger Games, The Lord of the Rings and even Robin Hood I fell in love with the look of a traditional bow. Traditional bows are the ones that have been around for centuries and are still popular. If you are like me and you want a bow like the one Ygritte, Legolas or Katniss use, then you are looking to get a longbow or a traditional recurve bow. Here are some things to keep in mind before you buy one.

What makes a bow a traditional bow?

Traditional bows are simple, only the body and string. The body may or may not have an arrow shelf. They do not use additional technology to help with aiming and shooting. Most archers would agree that the body of a traditional bow is made out of one piece. However there are some bow makers that are now adapting the “takedown” technology to make “traditional bows”. A take-down bow is a bow with a body that can come apart. Some other archers would insist that a traditional bow should not have this kind of technology and use only natural materials. I agree with this, however take-down technology is pretty neat and if you don’t care about the purists definitions and you want a more resistant and portable bow that looks traditional then, why not?

There are traditional bows from all over the world and different cultural traditions. Depending on the shape they can be either recurve bows, longbows, flatbows, reflex bows or asymmetrical bows. American traditional bows are referred to as flatbows and a type of asymmetrical bow is used in the Japanese martial art Kyudo. Since traditional recurves and longbows are the most common I will focus on those in this article.

Is it a recurve bow or a longbow?

How can you tell them apart? The main difference between these 2 bows is the shape of the end of the limbs. Longbows end in a straight line possibly slightly curved towards the shooter when held to shoot. The recurve bow has limbs that curve away from the shooter when the archer is holding the bow to shoot. And the string must touch this curve when not drawn.

Refer to this short guide on the classifications and description of bows,  for a more detailed explanation of bow types and classifications.

Longbows and traditional recurve bows are very simple, compared to modern bows. They allow an unfettered and intuitive archery experience. You don’t need to deal with any accessories, so your intuition and skill play a major role in determining your success in hitting targets. Most longbows and traditional recurve bows happen to be made using a single piece of wood. It is most often yew wood, which is a versatile, hearty wood capable of withstanding both tension and compression, thus making it ideal as bow material. Other traditional bows are made using 2 different kinds of wood  and laminating them forming a composite material that can handle tension and compression from each type of wood.

Where can you use longbows vs recurves?

A traditional bow is ideal for target archery. They are great for beginners since especially if you are in it to really hone your archery skills and have a passion for challenge and accomplishment. Some archery coaches actually agree that people who start with traditional bows are better archers when they later try other bows than people who started only with other bows, like for example compound bows or crossbows.

You have to keep in mind that longbows are quite large and cannot be taken down, since they are one solid piece. As a result they are difficult to be hauled around for bowhunting or field archery. However, it isn’t completely impossible. It is just one consideration if you want to hike a lot with with your bow. One-piece traditional recurve bows are smaller so they are more popular in target archery and bowhunting. In fact, a few bowhunters prefer traditional recurve bows over other modern alternatives especially to hunt smaller game.

Most of it is dependent on your personal preferences, the type of terrain where you are going to be shooting, if you want to really develop your aiming and releasing skills, and the aesthetic you want to have with your bow. Of course you can always own more than one bow, and use them depending on the occasion.

Pros & Cons of traditional bows

Longbows and traditional recurve bows have several pros & cons. First and foremost is the opportunity to truly develop your skills. Archers who start with a traditional bow develop skills like aiming an releasing that you won’t be able to develop when using other kinds of bows, and they actually help in making them better archers when using any kind of bow.

Traditional bows do not have man-made assistance tools and require you to aim manually and consistently while simultaneously sustaining the bow’s draw weight. This is both a pro and a con. On one hand, it makes them simple and fun to use, and when you hit a target correctly it will give you a unique sense of accomplishment. On the other hand, the absence of modern technology or features, makes them slower and less efficient. And that can be frustrating for beginners, especially before the fundamental skills are mastered.

Selecting the right traditional bow

The first thing to consider is what are you interested in, what bow do you really want to hold and master. Do you want to be like Legolas and master the longbow? Or are you considering getting a smaller recurve bow like Robin Hood or Rambo?

For traditional recurve bows

These bows are the most recommended for beginners because you can have a lower draw weight. And yes, this is a good thing. Before starting I thought I should get the highest draw weight that I could manage. And, as I found out, it is actually not recommended. Remember you are not going to be pulling this weight back once or twice. You are going to be doing it hundreds of times; especially if you are as passionate as I am about getting better.

Start with answering the 9 questions of the beginner’s checklist  and then check out my recommended traditional recurve bows.

Selecting a longbow:

Go for a longbow that is as tall as you are. You should also consider the bow’s weight while selecting a longbow for the type of archery you will be doing. It is important that you be capable of holding the longbow well enough to aim & shoot accurately. Therefore, you must also be capable of lifting the longbow without much trouble. Heavier longbows support greater draw weight and can launch your arrows at higher speeds. On the other hand, lighter bows tend to be slower, thus affecting both your accuracy and speed simultaneously. It is best to go for a heavy longbow, whose draw weight you are okay with. For a detailed list of the things you should know and decide before purchasing a bow read my beginner’s checklist: 9 questions to answer before buying your first bow.

In Conclusion

Traditional bows have been used for centuries. The skill of the archers was a deciding factor in many battles. This is a testament to their efficacy when well-trained archers use them. With enough practice you can master the aiming, releasing and accuracy complexities of longbows and recurves.  This challenge is what really attracted me to archery in the first place. The sense of accomplishment when you master the traditional bows is indescribable. The skills that you develop with these bows are transferable to other bows and will make you a better archer.

Traditional recurve and longbows are fun and stylish but make you sacrifice the efficiency and speed available in modern bows.  First-time archers should look into starting with a traditional recurve bow. Traditional recurve bows have lower draw weights than longbows but, still provide the skill-building opportunities needed to really become a good archer