Assurance Malaise » 2005 » June

eBay Experiment - Part II

yibble — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 13:26:34 +0000

Looks like I’ve found the limitation for thirty meters of fletching thread, and it’s about nine arrows. So before I can finish all twenty-four, I’m going to need to re-stock on thread. But before that, I’ll be selling the first batch of six on eBay within the next few days. The only thing stopping me now, is postage and packaging details, which I’ll be researching within the next few days.

In the meantime, here’s a picture of nine lives.

eBay Experiment - Part I

yibble — Wed, 08 Jun 2005 08:21:08 +0000

The materials for my first eBay experiment have arrived. While these are the cheapest prices I’ve been able to find from a supplier, I still need to spend some time finding cheaper raw-material suppliers.

I’ve purchased enough materials to complete twenty-four arrows, I’ll be selling them off in batches of six, currently I’m thinking of putting starting bids on the batches at £15, and Buy It Now values of ~£25.

For twenty-four arrows, I acquired:

2 dozen 11/32″ Steel Bullet Piles, £7.60

2 dozen 9mm Pine Shafts, £11.90

2 dozen 11/32″ Bjorn Nocks, £2.80

6 dozen 5″ Parabolic Fletchings, £10.00

Additional materials:

HMG Glue, £1.95

Araldite, £-.–

Fletching Thread, £1.25

Tools:

23/64″ Taper Tool, £3.90

Craft Knife, £-.–

Fletching Jig, £-.–

Spiritual Side of Archery

yibble — Sat, 04 Jun 2005 22:16:28 +0000

I was reading quite an interesting article in Volumes 13, Issue 2 of Primitive Archer. The article touches on the apparent renaissance for Archery in many parts of the world, Tibetan and Chinese traditional archers, re-creational Mongolian archers, Islam’s relationship with the bow, and of course the rise in popularity of Kyudo. For me personally, I think that some folk are valuing the link with their ancestors that the bow can provide, not only in it’s creation, shooting, competition and social mechanics, but also as a spiritual metaphor and aid.

I feel it is a relaxing and spiritual thing to shoot a bow, in particular for me, a Longbow. As if the motion takes me back to some dormant recollection of the event as second nature, similar to eating, an action that means life. The act of shooting the bow has a sacred feel and rhythm. Repetition, and stillness are key to good shooting, and knowing that you can hit dead-centre, and all misses are due to a lack of calm and stillness.

The late Ming Dynasty writer, Li Chengfen, wrote:

[...] But for all that, a bow and arrows are no more than tools. Archery is no more than a skill. The tool represents the lower form: the method represents the higher form. Skill represents preparedness at the lower level, Virtue represents preparedness at the higher level. ‘There is more to the rituals than jade and brocades; there is more to ritual music than bells and drums.’ Likewise, there is more to archery than bows and arrows. The pulling of bows and grasping of arrows is a method of study at ground-level; but when the skill comes naturally to your hands and flows from the heart, then it becomes a soaring achievement. I can write about the study at ground-level, but words cannot express the soaring achievement.

Bring You Up To Speed

yibble — Fri, 03 Jun 2005 23:10:18 +0000

So, already a year or so in, and I start blogging. I’ll need to fill you in on the details to date. The primary reason I decided to take up Traditional Longbows and all the disciplines that that encompasses, was to get away from computers (he says whilst writing a blog entry). My hobbies have been computing, my work heavily involves computing. It can’t be a healthy combination.

Traditional Shooting will get me out, and keep me exercised, keep me practical-minded, and should allow me to develop my art and craft side, once again. Better still, what if I could actually earn a living this way? And in many ways, this is — of course — connected with the Druid Path that I’m walking.Can a person shirk that rat-race? Drop the most advanced toys in Silicon-Technology for the most advanced toys of Twig-Technology? I’m game to find out.

I completed my first Do It Yourself Longbow kit, a few weeks ago. Whilst not ‘perfect’, I’m still very impressed with the outcome. I now have a spanking Hickory-backed Lemonwood Longbow. I’ve showed it to a couple of friends and work colleagues, and already, three people have asked me to make them one! Well, first things first… I need to cut costs down by using more raw materials, and earn cash in the mean time, via that panacea of the bring-and-buy sale, eBay.

Before I begin creating commisioned bows, I’m going to experiment with selling Longbow arrows on eBay. I’m expecting some raw materials to arrive next week, enough for twenty-four arrows. Once they’re ready, I’ll be selling them in batches of six on eBay.

Hello world!

yibble — Fri, 03 Jun 2005 22:37:28 +0000

I don’t do blogs, everyone knows that. But, a possible need has arisen, and who am I to keep information learnt, to myself? The Budding Bowyer, will hopefully become a journal of my exploits within Traditional Archery, and the long road to becoming a decent Fletcher, and Bowyer.