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Medieval composite cross bows seem quite a bit faster than steel bows

While this is a very neat and entertaining video, I don't think this test is very accurate against chainmail. If that was the case in the Templars and the Crusaders would have dropped chainmail for some other armor going against composite bows in crossbows in the Middle East. Looking at the video and doing research on chainmail, this is an extremely close range to shoot any armor, really. I don't think any other armor could withstand what that other than plate armor. Shooting 12 to 20 meters away is very close range, I'm more than willing to bet shooting chainmail at 35 meters or further the projectile wouldn't have gone through enough to neutralize the target. This is especially true when going against European chainmail, which the Europeans had the best in the world.

Sehr schöne Armbrüste die sie da bauen! Die Videos sind auch sehr informativ! Weiter so

This test, and the conclusion at the end do not match. This test was at extremely short range, which is a major advantage for the crossbow. Reload time and effectiveness drop off due to range are the disadvantage of the crossbow. Very quickly there becomes a matrix where the leaders of the armies involved calculate the maximum range the crossbow MAY be effective, the average reload time, the rate of closure for an advancing enemy, and whether a follow-up short range shot is likely or even possible. You may even see tactics like lightweight, disposable shields whose only use is to absorb that first volley prior to the charge. No armor is ever used by itself as sufficient defense. Each type and application is used in the setting and with the tactics that make it most likely to be effective. Viewed this way, armor may even be less significant than the other components of defense. So the ending conclusion that the maile didn't provide sufficient protection from crossbows fails first by not considering setting, second by not considering tactics, but mostly because it assumes that the maile was ever supposed to defend against the crossbow.

DO U HAVE A PROJECT OF THIS ?

If the weight of the arrow is reduced, can the speed of the arrow be significantly increased?

On the 3:30 minutes What is the range of the crossbow ? Please

Is there a detailed documentation of how you make your horn bows? There's a great YT channel called @McClawin. He shows how he does it but I would be interested in how YOU do it. I'm especially interested in what kind of horn you use and how you acquire it as well as how exactly you process and apply the birch bark. I got a copy of Holger Richter's book "Die Hornbogenarmbrust". It is an invaluable source of information on the topic but it is unclear about a few details of the making process. Unfortunately I was not able to get the latest edition - which is sadly no longer available. Do you have some sort of online article about how you do it? Maybe pinterest, instagram or the like? And is there a chance we will see videos about the making process in the future? :D Thanks for your great work and the best wishes to you.

So excited

Excellent test. I have now concluded a similar test on my channel with a faithful reproduction of a 15th-century mail sample. Wire thickness, inner diameter, and even metallurgical quality were matched to the 15th century museum chain mail shirt by Phil Parkes (a world-renowned mailsmith and certified museum conservator). The mail sample is, in Phil Parkes' opinion, a robust and “high-end” example of mail armor intended for torso protection of that time period. I tested the sample in combination with a linen jack (gambeson) in accordance with the 15th-century Burgundian ordinance prescribed for the defense of horse archers. I used four different bows with draw weights between 75-103 lbs. What was interesting is that my 103 lb bow produces nearly identical amounts of energy as the crossbow used in your video, 85-93 J (ke). The sample I used did prove a little bit more resilient than your sample. That is to say when penetration was achieved with war bodkins (which are similar to the arrowheads you used), I saw a 50/50 ratio of success (so some arrows did not penetrate) The arrows that did penetrate did so to a lesser extent than yours. About 3 inches (70-80mm) which is still significant penetration but not as deep as your test However, when using Needle Bodkins, even the 75 lb bow, 55 J (ke), was able to consistently defeat the armor with ease. The difference in penetration between the war bodkins (between our tests) is likely due to the fact that I used 15 layers of total linen in my test (as opposed to 5 on one facing for yours), and my mail sample may have been a bit more robust than yours: Dimensions: 1.3-1.4 mm thick wires with an ID of 6.5 mm. But either way I think both our tests highlight that by the 15th-century mail could no longer be relied on as the primary defense against Warbows and military Xbows.

Such draw weight but with a light ahh arrow, make the arrow out of aluminum or iron would be perfect

nette burg. wo ist das ?

I think the crossbow man is running if the enemy closes within 12 meters.

Sort of medieval equivalent to a Barrett 50 cal.

Must be down to the power stroke then. As you see the other reproductions using steel bows with same draw weight and short draw having the same power as a longbow with 120 lb draw. Makes u wonder if alot of the composite crossbows were more effective than we've been led to believe. Certainly Chinese medieval ones would have been deadly as they had long draw lengths.

Ausgezeichnete Arbeit, wie immer!!!

The metal of male's rings is too fine... I think it is about 0.5 _ 0.8 millimeter. But usually it was about 1.2-1.8 milimeter

Your crossbows are awesome ! As well as the quality of your films !

I sub'ed purely on the channel name 😆

3:39 up until today, I had only seen that type of goats foot lever on books. I believe this is the first video on CZcams of someone actually using it 😮

Thank you so much for covering the goat's foot! I wasn't expecting you to, but I'm glad you did, as it was very informative. I always loved the design (in both senses of the word, visually and mechanically) but I understand that it was probably a late invention. The wood spanning one always looks so awkward to use, but I totally understand it as a simple crossbow spanner.

welcome back Andereas! we had to wait a while but the new video is fantastic! finally some attention also for the southern part of the Holy Roman Empire! I also have a reproduction crossbow made in Italy, but to be honest, using it gives me a little discomfort on the cheek with its squared profile, I feel more at ease with the rounded profile of the typical Central European crossbow.... greetings from Liguria!

How common were sinew backed crossbows? Were they ever used just wood and sinew or always horn, wood, and sinew? I have access to a lot of juniper which performs very well sinew backed.

Do you know when the gaffle first appears in the written sources? At least with armour, it's very rare for something to show up in the art before it shows up in the written sources, and sometimes written sources can predate the visual record by more than fifty years.

Gute Videoqualität und Präsentation. Zudem sehr schön gefertigte Armbrüste. Grüße aus dem Bgld

die armbrust bei 5:00 , hast du Maße des bogens für mich?

Beautiful!, I do love your intro :)

Welcome back

Thank you for sharing!

After my knowledge the earlyest depiction of a goats foot leaver is from Diebold Schilling anno 1478-1483!

Windlass spanned crossbows ("arbalète à tour") were likely known at least as early as 13th century. Book of deeds of James of Aragon, (supposedly autobiographical, so written no later than in the 1270s) tells us about one of those being used during the siege somewhere around 1230 - Saracens dug counter tunnel and stormed the tunnel of the besiegers - but someone carried the crossbow in there, and shoot trough two Saracens and their shields at once. It clearly had to be very powerful crossbow, and likely a war machine, not personal weapon, but still portable enough to be carried to the tunnel, even if with great difficulty. Probably some kind of huge wall crossbow. Kinda surprising that all those levers are more Renaissance than medieval, since they are very handy. But I guess belt with a hook was just way less cumbersome, since if it was at your waist, you didn't have to worry about carrying it. And with sufficient strength and training, allowed to span pretty powerful bows, likely.

you are back

Just came from Tod's Workshop. You forgot the Goat's foot.😉

Now for plate armor

never heard a crossbow crack like that... sounds almost like a gunshot

What was this used for? Hunting, war, or soemthing else? It seems a bit big for the field...

Awesome footage, thank you! It's shocking how much the steel (high modulus of elasticity) wriggles around... also the string! WTF!

Dear Mr Bichler, I am writing a book on the longbow for Helion and Co. I wonder if you could help me with a query, as you obviously have very great expertise in this area. One question that has arisen is what would be the effective range of crossbowmen against unarmoured targets? I am assuming that they would have been using composite bows with a draw weight of perhaps 400lb 181kg . Best wishes Jonathan Davies

its True 😮 🎉❤ Watch Pankaj Crossbow Shooting arrows, And my channel also Crossbow video Amazing

Waiting until a large channel makes a 3000 lb spring steel crossbow ( it wont snap for sure!!! )

German codex Löffelholz crossbow is different from the Da vinci version, despite both being similar. Each group of peoples in Europe developed their own technologies separate from one another. German technology is so depurated, functional and accurate that it deserves a lot of respect. Germany is for sure the dominant power of Europe, but germans need to recognize the power they have comes in part by the developing of good relationships and collaboration with their excellent neighbours who surround them (Swiss, Austrians, Czechs, nordics, etc). By the way who can really assure that Da Vinci was the real developer of the crossbow with easy lever integrated mechanism?

Great video as always ❤

good video, das est fantastiche :)

The shock wave through the body would have some effect on performance of the wearer I’d imagine

Modern soft body armor is made of woven amarid fibers which have tremendously high tensile strength, but virtually no compressive strength. This provides great protection against firearms, while still offering reasonable comfort and mobility. The mechanism of effect is relatively simple; the armor defuses the kinetic energy imparted by the projectile along a wider cross section than the immediate area of impact, which slows or stops the projectile while also reducing the impact stresses imparted on the wearer. The faster and smaller a projectile, the easier it is to punch through kevlar or a similar material. Larger diameter bullets are less likely. Imagine trying to push your finger through your shirt, then try it with a needle. The needle will penetrate easier.

我是機械和電子工程師，這些工作很棒

You missed the goatsfoot lever, which is also mentioned in sources

Id pay if you could make a video on how to build one of these or show how you made it

👍