STEVE STRATTON MASTERCLASS - Warbow and English longbows

[timbow]

I am ****** l wasnt well enough to go to this workshop it looks like you all had a great time.
Mark will have to pick your brains mate
Great pics too

[Gilly]

Looks like a great time was had by all!!
Fabulous to see so many beautiful bows

[stringnstik]

Watching them evolve and come alive under your fingertips is amazing Gilly, the curve is just beautiful.
No worries Tim, sorry to hear you wern't well. My brain pickings are available for 5cents an hour, about all they are worth nowadays

[Gilly]

What were the bow weights??

[stringnstik]

What were the bow weights??

only small ones;) range was about 95-128 from memory

[kerrille]

yep all around a damn fine weekend.feeling sorry and sore but well worth it

...nev...

[White Hawk]

Well, now it is all done and dusted I can honestly say that was truly one of the highlights of my life. So may great things to reflect on. The workshop on Saturday was brilliant, Steve has a rare eye for working wood on the tiller and the subtly of his observations was amazing. He could see and point out such subtle nuances in the bend of the stave, it was very impressive.

I looked around the room at one point and saw the faces of those in attendance and all were totally focussed and immersed in what they were doing and hearing and seeing. The guys with the staves were working away on shaping their bows Steve was wandering around giving tips and advice and the rest were fully engaged in what was happening. Steve somehow managed to get every person with a stave (there were 7) to the point of stringing up and drawing a bow in one day. The warbows produced ranged form 98lbs up to over 115#.

It was amazing to see the bows at full compass bend on the tiller at 31-32". They were perfectly round, it just didn't look like it should be that way, yet Steve managed to gently 'teach' he wood to bend to full compass. Such a graceful shape.

Sunday proved equally impressive and for me as a warbow archer a highlight to be coached by one of the best warbow shooters in the world. I saw people who thought they had no chance of drawing a big bow get a heavy bow right back to the ear with Steve's expert tips on drawing "in the bow", the girls included.

The afternoons roving Mark was a hoot, and an eye opener to many who had not shot this event before. All who attended had a great time, and learned a new style of event.

Sitting chatting to Steve's amazing knowledge of all things warbow was a privilege and facinating. His work with the Mary Rose trust and his consultation on the Urtsy (spelling?) Iceman find made for engaging listening. A down to earth guy with some amazing life experiences.

A great weekend was had by all who attended and I am sure it will be a memorable event in many people's minds. Warbow Australia will be able to move ahead with leaps and bounds now and I can foresee warbows becoming more numerous on the line in competitions in the not too distant future.

A big thank you to the Black Griffin Trad Archers committee and members who assisted in making this event happen, it was a huge undertaking 12 months in the making, thanks folks. But the biggest thanks should go to Leigh Adamson who was the driving force in organising this event, a great job mate and a big thanks on behalf of all who attended.

Gav

[Gilly]

What wew the tips for drawing in the bow? I would love to know!
Good to see the girls shooting heavy bows too

[kerrille]

steves wife michelle is only a small girl and can draw 85# and still going up

...nev...

[Gilly]

steves wife michelle is only a small girl and can draw 85# and still going up

...nev...

WOW! Is that to the ear? That's impressive!

[kerrille]

yep and i just found out its 90#

...nev...

[Gilly]

yep and i just found out its 90#

...nev...

That's brilliant!!

[Dennis La Varenne]

I weep !!!!! How did I get it into my head that it was on NEXT weekend?????

[Len]

The weekend with Steve Stratton was the best thing I've done to do with archery. The guy's knowledge is just fantstic, I've finally met someone who knows more and is even more passionate about Elb's than me . This guy has inside info on the Mary Rose bows as well as info on the ice man's bow that the public will never get and to see him shoot his 120lber and make it look like most archers shooting an 80lber was fantstic .
If he ever comes back for another workshop I'd highly recommend it.

[roscoe]

I would like to thank & congratulate the organisers of the Steve Stratton Warbow workshop & shoot. Thanks very much for your fine hospitality & friendship, it was a very interesting weekend, i am glad i didn't miss it...Roscoe

[kerrille]

it was really great meeting you rosco the jars we had on satdee will be warmly remembered i hope your in a warmer place now

...nev...

[roscoe]

Thanks Nev, it was good to meet also. Yes, I am back to the warmer weather. I cant pull that warbow back yet? will have to work up to that beast...Roscoe

[Lochmoy]

The visit from Steve Stratton was amazing. We learned so much about the making and shooting of the English War Bow. I realized that you don't have to be strong necessarily to pull a heavy weight. That much of it is in the technique. Along with our New Zealand counterparts, we have devised a ranking system based on distance and accuracy. To check this out go to our new website:

warbowaustralia.weebly.com

The website explains a lot of what we are doing. The visit by Steve and his partner Michelle has really given a boost to this element of trad. archery. We now have bowyers, shooters and events in every Eastern state with the largest number by far in Victoria.