When you receive your bow you can be sure every care has been made by us to produce a high quality product.   It only seems right that you give your bow the same attention.

Before shooting your bow:

·         Brace your bow at least 30 minutes prior to shooting it.

·         Give it a good rub down with some wax. This will warm the bow and help with the initial drawing of the bow.

·         Carefuly examine your bow string and if it looks frayed or damaged in any way do not use it. Replace the string.

·         Check the string is sitting correctly in the nock slots and check for any dirt that may be trapped between the string loop and the nock; clean if necessary.

·         Draw the bow slowly to about half draw a few times and then to three quarter draw another couple of times.

·         Think of your bow like a carefully made "Stick" - if you bend a stick too quickly it will snap; however, take it slowly and it will bend.

Shooting your bow:

·         Your longbow now needs to 'learn' to shoot.

·         Be sure that your arrows are good and that there is no damage either on the shaft and, more importantly, on the nocks - a broken nock could result in a broken bow.

·         After you have checked your arrows and are happy with them, shoot a dozen or so arrows at half draw, followed by another two dozen or so at three quarter draw.  You are now ready to shoot at full draw. 

·         Never hold your bow at full draw. It is not a recurve or compound bow, it is a piece of wood and at full draw it will be nine tenths broken. A second or two is long enough; any more and you risk damaging the bow.

·         Never 'dry loose' your bow; again this could result in a broken bow.

·         Never draw the bow beyond its tillered draw length. The wood has had to be taught to bend to its tillered length and if you go beyond this then there is a high probability your bow will break.

·         Never take your bow out to shoot if there is a ground frost. Wood becomes very brittle in freezing conditions and you could break it. However, this is not so much of an issue with an Italian Yew self bow.

·         If your bow is a self yew bow, English or American, then be very aware that any damage to the sap wood could reduce the bow's integrity and it could fail.

Storing your longbow:

·         Once you have finished shooting your bow unbrace it.  This will help reduce any set in the bow and keep its performance.

·         Check over your bow for anything that may cause you concern. If you find anything at all, however small, be sure to contact us for advice.

·         Always place your bow back in its bow bag. This will help protect it from knocks and scratches in transit.

·         Ideally, place your bow on a Bow rack with its back facing down and the two supports approximately 12" either side of centre.

·         Do not store your bow in a room where extremes of temperature are present, not near any radiators or near patio doors; and definitely not in a wooden garage or shed.

These guidelines are there for the well-being of your new longbow and if adhered to will help lengthen the life of your bow.