Medieval Crossbows: Not That Easy to Use (vs. Modern)

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  • čas přidán 7. 04. 2020
  • The basic concept of a crossbow hasn't changed since the Middle Ages, but modern technology has brought new, highly efficient materials that allow for improvements in certain design features. How much of a difference does it make?
    In this video I'm trying to give you an impression of the difference in accuracy, and I also talk about other practical improvements (particularly reliability and ease of maintenance).
    What I used here:
    15th century crossbow reproduction with goat's foot lever (350 lb draw weight):
    todsworkshop.com/collections/...
    Cold Steel Cheap Shot (130 lb):
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  • Zábava

Komentáře • 710

  • @Skallagrim
    @Skallagrim  Před 4 lety +448

    What the hell... The comment section on this video is seriously glitched, at least on my end. I keep trying to copy and paste what Tod said via email and pin it but it disappears every time. And Tod's comments are invisible to me, so I wonder if there are others I can't see either. There was one comment of his that I was able to find, so I asked him to edit it so I can pin it. Immediately after he edited it, gone. Can't see it anymore. Has anyone encountered a weird glitch like that before?
    [Update] Since this post is still here I tried once again to post what Tod said about the crossbows. And guess what? It immediately disappeared. There must be some broken algorithm that picks up something in his message that causes it to delete it. Makes zero sense, there is nothing "bad" in there.
    Ok, so I'll sum it up in my own words: Tod pointed out the age of the crossbow (around 4 years by now) and thinks that the trigger is worn and needs to be re-built. It's a simple trigger system that needs to hold a very high load, and the main difference is that medieval objects require much more maintenance than we're used to from modern materials. Changes in moisture in the wood can affect the seating of the parts and cause problems. Tod offered to repair the crossbow if I sent it back to him. He also thinks that the goat's foot crossbow has dropped in power as well, and the string needs replacing or tightening. In other words, he has been quick to respond and offer fixing the issue, which I appreciate.
    There, hopefully that works now.

    • @jay_idk337
      @jay_idk337 Před 4 lety +2

      Nah Fxck tod

    • @ChasseurKGB
      @ChasseurKGB Před 4 lety +6

      2:41 “Grind the heads of the rivets off...”
      RCMP: **HEAVY BREATHING**

    • @AliAsghar-cv3og
      @AliAsghar-cv3og Před 4 lety +2

      Hey Skall love this channel, I was wondering if you could do videos on what it would be like for soldiers on the battefield and just how dangerous is was. Also maybe talk about injuries you could recieve on the battlefield?

    • @HistoricalWeapons
      @HistoricalWeapons Před 4 lety +8

      Hi Skallagrim, I finished my documentary about the Chinese Crossbow (single shot ones 400lbs@30" for example)
      czcams.com/video/k4iqUmVvmT8/video.html
      hoping this video will spark interesting about building this crossbow

    • @F1ghteR41
      @F1ghteR41 Před 4 lety +3

      On a cursory look I can't see any Tod's comment. YT comment section is broken for a long time, it seems.

  • @sashagotanoa6291
    @sashagotanoa6291 Před 4 lety +1243

    Skall: “I wouldn’t want to shoot this in the rain” Genoese crossbowmen who were defeated by the English longbow-men because of the rain: *sadness noises*

    • @riograndedosulball248
      @riograndedosulball248 Před 4 lety +214

      the fucking french thought it would be a good idea to send the crossbowmen without their shields and heavy crossbows coming in the carriages, just *THE THINGS* that make crossbowmen effective

    • @austinhoward6557
      @austinhoward6557 Před 4 lety +26

      Wouldn't the rain mess with the longbows too? Or does it just mess with them less?

    • @SuicideNeil
      @SuicideNeil Před 4 lety +149

      @@austinhoward6557 Less- there are no tightly-fitted moving parts inside of the stock that can jam up of the wood swells when wet. A long bow is just a wooden stick & string after all...

    • @owenpook2262
      @owenpook2262 Před 4 lety +106

      Austin Howard It actually wasn’t the soaked bowstrings that stopped them. The english took the string off their bow to stop it getting wet, but crossbow strings were made of leather, and therefore were waterproof. What caused them to lose was the mud- it stopped them being able to use the foot stirrup to reload quickly, which ended up having the English fire three times faster than they could

    • @bosknight7837
      @bosknight7837 Před 4 lety +13

      Austin Howard Not really,there’s not much to mess with. Rain and wind would make shorting accurately harder,but since accuracy wasn’t a concern anyway...

  • @ALovelyBunchOfDragonballz
    @ALovelyBunchOfDragonballz Před 4 lety +733

    This is kind of like the [old gun] v. AR15 discussion.
    Some people will say "well, its not fair because the AR15 uses 30 round magazines, has better sights, can take an optic and night-vision equipment, has provisions for mounting all kinds of accessories like grips and bi-pods, can easily take flashlights..."
    Yeah, kind of the point. The modern thing is better. The old thing is cool, and in it's time it was hot shit, but time has moved on. Should we forget about the old? Never. But should we pretend that it's still the best thing? No.

    • @squeethesane
      @squeethesane Před 4 lety +33

      The next iteration isn't always better though. Don't get me wrong, totally improved bows over time. We hit the wall with planes though.

    • @martins.4240
      @martins.4240 Před 4 lety +64

      Exactly. You don't shoot 14th century crossbows because they're the epitome of crossbow design, but because it's pretty cool to experience history that way.
      Is the Hawken rifle a good hunting rifle?. Yep, especially in the 1840's. Can it compete with a modern generic .308 hunting rifle? Of course not, but it's still cool as all hell though.

    • @bigredwolf6
      @bigredwolf6 Před 4 lety +33

      “30 round magazine”
      California: “wait that’s illegal”

    • @edi9892
      @edi9892 Před 4 lety +1

      I wonder how the damage compares when you have on one side a 6mm projectile at 800m/s and on the other a 20mm piece at 200m/s...

    • @patrickfrost9405
      @patrickfrost9405 Před 4 lety +7

      @@squeethesane No we haven't. We're just waiting for power sources to update. We'll have them flying cars eventually.

  • @Str4vv
    @Str4vv Před 4 lety +699

    "When the wood swells so much, that the nut cant move freely"

  • @justiciar1964
    @justiciar1964 Před 4 lety +225

    I heard they're reforming the Dawnguard. Vampire hunters, or something.

    • @bensul9979
      @bensul9979 Před 4 lety +15

      the skyrim references on medieval related videos are just pure gold

    • @BlazeSLK
      @BlazeSLK Před 4 lety +6

      *completely different voice* “Citizen”

    • @fierysaucer1272
      @fierysaucer1272 Před 2 lety +1

      at an old fort near Riften…

  • @faenrir11
    @faenrir11 Před 4 lety +661

    Why not contact Tod about the crossbow failure? If I recall, that's his product. Pretty sure he'd try to help you.

    • @MrCantStopTheRobot
      @MrCantStopTheRobot Před 4 lety +48

      Scrolled down to see if someone else already posted. Yep!
      Send Tod some love, peeps.

    • @bikerdude923
      @bikerdude923 Před 4 lety +12

      I was about to say the same thing!
      Also I terms of weakness that seems on par with what Tod has found in terms of power for a crossbow like that, about 54 joules (said 95 originally) if I remember correctly, which is less than a 22lr.

    • @D5quared91
      @D5quared91 Před 4 lety +4

      bikerdude923 no no no no, about 55 joules

    • @SaftonYT
      @SaftonYT Před 4 lety +2

      @@bikerdude923 Yeah, though it's important to remember that kinetic energy is only one aspect of the game.

    • @Reavenator
      @Reavenator Před 4 lety +1

      @@bikerdude923 It was 110 joules.
      czcams.com/video/kHnZo6ELEV0/video.html

  • @csknives
    @csknives Před 4 lety +150

    Nice! For future reference, it does have "iron sights". If you remove the red dot, the red V on the rear and the three dots on the bridge at the front are the iron sights :)

    • @yungsouichi2317
      @yungsouichi2317 Před 4 lety +3

      Is the red dot included with the crossbow? If so, what brand is it?

    • @chuggon7595
      @chuggon7595 Před 4 lety +7

      @@yungsouichi2317 Skall made a video on it I think about 3 months back, but it does come with one but it was VERY poorly built. Skall has put a Holosun red dot on it, they are about $130 USD but that is still like $150 cheaper than a proper name brand.

    • @yungsouichi2317
      @yungsouichi2317 Před 4 lety +5

      @@chuggon7595 eh, I could always just switch out my Crimson Trace from my AR to this I guess

  • @XIIIphobos
    @XIIIphobos Před 4 lety +184

    *”Hahahahahaha”*
    ”You hear that?”
    *”Hohohoho”*
    ”What was that?”
    *”Let me SHOW you it’s FEATURES”*

  • @rollastoney
    @rollastoney Před 4 lety +48

    We are at 40 meters.
    Skall: points directly up at the sky.

  • @hootenknives153
    @hootenknives153 Před 4 lety +198

    the traditional arrows probably weigh a good bit more than modern arrows that's probably another area where you lose alot of speed on the shot

    • @2bingtim
      @2bingtim Před 4 lety +36

      Medieval crossbows needed heavy bolts to get the best out of the mechanically inefficient design of medieval crossbows. Modern bolts work well with modern crossbows because there is a far more efficient longer power stroke, lighter bow limbs & lighter/thinner string. It's a bit like saying because race horses go fast with light jockeys, the way to make cart horses fast would be light jockies.

    • @joshuathinker8546
      @joshuathinker8546 Před 4 lety +11

      @@2bingtim well the heavier bolts would pierce leather armor better I'd imagine

    • @JanoTuotanto
      @JanoTuotanto Před 4 lety +7

      Those historically incorrect solid metal roller nuts certainly don't help either.
      There is a significant proportion of energy released while the string is clearing itself from the lock -up to 30%-40% with those short power-strokes.
      As the outer rim of the nut moves with same speed or faster than the bolt, 10-20% of stored energy is easily lost there. That is why they were made out of light weight exotic materials like antler or ivory back in the day.
      And it certainly does not help that these modern replicas categorically have considerably thinner limbs than the historical examples. This is an understandable safety measure for warranty and liability reasons, but it also means that the shot only has about third the energy and half the potential arrow speed available.

    • @sharpestbulb
      @sharpestbulb Před 4 lety +3

      it would be nice to see a modern bolt in the traditional bow, just to see what happens

    • @StevieB8363
      @StevieB8363 Před 4 lety +5

      @@sharpestbulb I'm guessing "not much". The low launch velocity of a traditional bow would be useless with a light bolt. Modern bolts are light so as to take advantage of the higher velocities achievable with compound bows/pulleys.

  • @uglybaby001
    @uglybaby001 Před 4 lety +640

    Next episode: How to repair a crossbow.

    • @joe125ful
      @joe125ful Před 4 lety +4

      Or how make working one:)

    • @conni4518
      @conni4518 Před 4 lety +1

      Damnit what did you do...

    • @uglybaby001
      @uglybaby001 Před 4 lety +1

      @@conni4518 I regret nothing, let the world burn !

    • @Daniel-rd6st
      @Daniel-rd6st Před 4 lety +4

      @@joe125ful Step one: Call Joerg

  • @lucasduque8289
    @lucasduque8289 Před 4 lety +302

    Alright then, how can I get my Rhodok Sharpshooters to be equipped with the Cold Steel Cheapshot?

    • @fat6776
      @fat6776 Před 4 lety +23

      Download Prophesy of Pendor. Join the Empire. Ave Victoria.

    • @m1sz3lpl24
      @m1sz3lpl24 Před 4 lety +50

      Rhodok sharpshooters are good, but all the cool kids nowdays roll with them V L A N D I A N S H A R P S H O O T E R S

    • @jorgejohnson875
      @jorgejohnson875 Před 4 lety +11

      @@m1sz3lpl24 I heard Imperial Sergeant Crossbowmen pack quite a punch as well.

    • @m1sz3lpl24
      @m1sz3lpl24 Před 4 lety +15

      @@jorgejohnson875 tbh currently every ranged unit is very strong, partially due to them being accurate and unlike warband they learned to lead thier targets but also because tier 1 units don't have any, even shitty makeshift, shields

    • @91rumpnisse
      @91rumpnisse Před 4 lety

      If you want a more modern crossbow, you might as well go after modern firearms xD

  • @duchi882
    @duchi882 Před 4 lety +141

    This is why I prefer to use Pommels instead

    • @ulysses2921
      @ulysses2921 Před 4 lety +4

      Duchi just let the joke die at this point.

    • @space_powder
      @space_powder Před 4 lety +8

      @@joseanponce4603 its not a woosh get out of here stinky redditor

    • @ulysses2921
      @ulysses2921 Před 4 lety

      Josean Ponce r/iusereddit

    • @joseanponce4603
      @joseanponce4603 Před 4 lety +2

      space_powder i dont even use reddit

    • @heinrichschmehl611
      @heinrichschmehl611 Před 4 lety +22

      As much as you might want them to, the pommel jokes of Skallagrim will never die.

  • @undertakernumberone1
    @undertakernumberone1 Před 4 lety +128

    With the glasses and the coat it kinda makes you look like "Professor Skall" :D

    • @superdarklink
      @superdarklink Před 4 lety +2

      Class is in session bitches

    • @westsenkovec
      @westsenkovec Před 4 lety +6

      Or a student at Columbine

    • @DH-xw6jp
      @DH-xw6jp Před 4 lety +4

      Van helsing's nordic cousin
      (Are there any vampire like creatures in scandi mythos?)

    • @TheEchoreader
      @TheEchoreader Před 4 lety +2

      @@DH-xw6jp Draugr seem to be a mix between vampire and zombie o believe.

    • @DH-xw6jp
      @DH-xw6jp Před 4 lety +1

      @@TheEchoreader zompires or vambies?

  • @lachy1709
    @lachy1709 Před 4 lety +32

    Shooting crossbows at a target, missing and hitting a workshop door, is this joerg sprave Canadian dub

  • @skeltonslay8er781
    @skeltonslay8er781 Před 4 lety +182

    This dudes looking like he’s about to join the dawngaurd

    • @jackbelmont4389
      @jackbelmont4389 Před 4 lety +7

      I'm thinking of joining myself :D

    • @skeltonslay8er781
      @skeltonslay8er781 Před 4 lety +6

      jack belmont “mind if I join you on the way there?” Or however it goes.

    • @alvianekka80
      @alvianekka80 Před 4 lety +11

      " "My pa's axe"? Stendarr preserves us."

    • @theethereal188
      @theethereal188 Před 4 lety +3

      Alvian Ekka I’m more of a “Nerevar guide me!” :)

    • @atrocious7766
      @atrocious7766 Před 4 lety +3

      He needs those Dwarven upgrades ASAP.

  • @brainyskeletonofdoom7824
    @brainyskeletonofdoom7824 Před 4 lety +75

    I'm Genoese and i'm weirdly fascinated by this video

    • @Batmack
      @Batmack Před 4 lety +13

      Stay safe from the plague buddy

    • @brainyskeletonofdoom7824
      @brainyskeletonofdoom7824 Před 4 lety +22

      @@Batmack Trying to, my workplace has been shut down since mid February, the mercenary career is now more appealing than ever
      (thanks for the concern, mate!)

    • @Batmack
      @Batmack Před 4 lety +24

      @@brainyskeletonofdoom7824 quite a sensible change in any career path. I would discourage working for the French, they are nice and pay well, but they are a bit unreasonable when it comes to pulling out of disadvantageous tactical situations and may end up slaying you for percieved cowardice.

    • @sheev15yearsago81
      @sheev15yearsago81 Před 4 lety +13

      @@Batmack Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries!

    • @Batmack
      @Batmack Před 4 lety +6

      @@sheev15yearsago81 Hey, watch your mouth when you talk about my hamster mum.

  • @chadcase5936
    @chadcase5936 Před 10 měsíci +39

    The couch arrived in two boxes four days early, which was great because we'd just moved into a new house and needed places to sit. My son and I put it together pretty quickly czcams.com/users/postUgkxitRzxya-XugamYgLwa_2G1gxPg4MCJHa . Another reviewer suggested inserting the seat into the side and I'm glad they did as the instructions weren't clear on that matter. It's incredibly light and slides easily across the wood floor, making it easy to move. It's firm, but comfortable. It will even be great to nap on. I got the gray, which definitely has strong blue undertones, but I'm okay with that.

  • @Scout887
    @Scout887 Před 4 lety +1

    Long-term product reviews are so underrepresented, thanks Skall.
    The true quality/characteristics of a product only tells after a certain amount of time, espcecially when it has moving parts like the crossbow.

  • @Gurfbagel
    @Gurfbagel Před 4 lety

    Thanks for the great video, I like the comparison and it's interesting to see how the subtle differences make a huge impact.

  • @rafaelalodio5116
    @rafaelalodio5116 Před 4 lety +10

    A modern crossbow in medieval times would be like a target tracing bullet in our time, OP as hell.

  • @speckledjim_
    @speckledjim_ Před 3 lety +1

    I've watched this before but enjoyed watching it again. Like you I'm into crossbows and find them fascinating 👍🏻😏

  • @fettmaneiii4439
    @fettmaneiii4439 Před 4 lety +12

    Skallagrim: Crossbows!!
    Everone else: Skallchion?!?!

  • @Choom89
    @Choom89 Před 4 lety

    Great video, hope you and yours are well!

  • @lelandvaughan4429
    @lelandvaughan4429 Před 4 lety

    Wow this is super helpful for balancing the range of crossbows in my game. Having only used modern ones I thought they always had a high velocity. Good to know!

  • @mortifier6694
    @mortifier6694 Před 4 lety +67

    Do you think 'Shooting yourself in the foot' came from someone trying to reload a loaded crossbow?

    • @GallopingWalrus
      @GallopingWalrus Před 4 lety +8

      It's supposedly from when the first percussion cap revolvers were in use. They're surprisingly easy to misfire, to the point that most people carried them on an empty chamber.

    • @hanadashi3910
      @hanadashi3910 Před 4 lety +4

      @@GallopingWalrus
      Also why they say to only load 5 rounds instead of 6, or something like that

    • @GallopingWalrus
      @GallopingWalrus Před 4 lety +1

      @@hanadashi3910 usually 4, they were mostly 5 shot revolvers.

    • @hanadashi3910
      @hanadashi3910 Před 4 lety +1

      @@GallopingWalrus oh yeah, I didn't think of 5 rounds revolvers, thanks

  • @colinmackay92
    @colinmackay92 Před 4 lety +5

    Awesome video Skall! The modern crossbows are definetly better in most ways but the historical ones are way cooler and fun. Also I'm still sometimes not getting notified of your videos even though I have your notifications turned on. Just wanted to let you know. I always check in though.

  • @thegreatlemmon7487
    @thegreatlemmon7487 Před 4 lety +61

    I still would like to see the lemon and pommel crossbow

  • @taintedmatic1530
    @taintedmatic1530 Před 4 lety +4

    The light crossbow and its arrow drop when compared to the modern one remind me when I played Battlefield 4 and was out snipping snippets with a Mares Leg 40x Zoom at 1500m+

  • @sushanalone
    @sushanalone Před 4 lety +3

    Skall, when you change aim high or low, you also change the direction the point travels, it is ideal to be perpendicular and hence misjudging the fall can mean the negative effect on penetration is increased even more due to inefficient energy transfer to the target.

    • @Skallagrim
      @Skallagrim  Před 4 lety

      Yep, and unfortunately that's unavoidable with a light medieval crossbow beyond a certain distance.

  • @lucidiabautista2085
    @lucidiabautista2085 Před 4 lety

    Should do a video like this one but focusing on the maintenance different for a medieval crossbowman vs bowman vs earliest arquebusiers. Alot of media doesn't appropriately show all the work you had to do (and still do) to maintain weapons in the old times.

  • @cheersbro7347
    @cheersbro7347 Před 4 lety

    Interesting topic. I like that kind of stuff.

  • @raziyatheseeker
    @raziyatheseeker Před 4 lety +5

    Wouldn't have thought of a lot of medieval crossbow issues, hmm. I always assumed they hit harder than bows without needing as much strength, but never thought of their own issues. Between modern bowguns and compound bows, a bit of engineering and modern materials do make archery accessible in an age of hunting with guns.

  • @bruceluiz
    @bruceluiz Před 4 lety +27

    "There is something wrong with my crossbow´s trigger"
    *Allied Crossbowmen sweats profusely*

  • @zreiser
    @zreiser Před 4 lety +1

    Dude, when are you and Jorge Sprave going to do a collab?! I would love to see the two of you traipsing around the woods messing with different projectile weaponry!

  • @mr.personhumanson6871
    @mr.personhumanson6871 Před 4 lety

    I'd like to see part 2 of this

  • @LiveStoked
    @LiveStoked Před 4 lety +3

    "Undesirable, but safe". That gave me a big laugh. My shed knows the feeling.

  • @hokaroorvana6507
    @hokaroorvana6507 Před 4 lety +28

    I'm going to be honest being a crossbowmen in the midieval times must've really sucked.

    • @b.h.abbott-motley2427
      @b.h.abbott-motley2427 Před 4 lety +6

      This video isn't an accurate representation of the performance of decent-quality medieval military crossbows. The best ones still small enough to conveniently use managed the same velocity as the Cheap Shot but with as much kinetic energy as any mass-produced modern crossbow. & the larger ones that needed to be shot from a support were more even powerful.

    • @mpsmith47304
      @mpsmith47304 Před 4 lety +2

      @@b.h.abbott-motley2427 Any evidence for that? No one I know of has established that. The steel bow, properly heat treated, pretty much is what it is. And given the use of modern materials and heat treat, our steel bows today are certainly as good as theirs and likely better. That's just physics. The question, then, is about efficiency. We have surviving originals, so we know the geometry and release mechanisms. There is no magical medieval bow that suddenly doubles the amount of delivered energy.

    • @b.h.abbott-motley2427
      @b.h.abbott-motley2427 Před 4 lety +2

      @@mpsmith47304 There's lots of evidence from period sources as well as a limited amount from modern reconstructions. See Andreas Bichler's 1,200lb horn crossbow replica for the best performance to date form a reconstructed crossbow small enough to conveniently use. It managed approximately 145 foot-lbs at 230 fps. & various museums contain larger horn crossbows from the 15th century. The crossbow shot in this video resembles those found from mid-16th-century Spanish shipwrecks in the Americas. The crossbow had almost entirely left European battlefields by that time. The purpose of those crossbows is unclear; they may have been for hunting, military use on a budget, only for defending fortifications or the ship, or some combination of these. & the original may have performed better, especially been this one, which was in a state of disrepair.
      In terms of physics, lots of factors affect initial kinetic energy. With bows, high-end performance bows shoot much better than cheap ones. As with warbows, I suspect military crossbows that rely on strength to span had higher draw weights than most people can manage. This includes goat's-foot-lever crossbows such as the one here. We know from *El Victorial* & other sources that spanning a crossbow from the belt was a feat of strength that knights & other soldiers competed in.

    • @matthiuskoenig3378
      @matthiuskoenig3378 Před 4 lety

      obviously not, or it wouldn't have been used by every country in Europe and the Mediterranean to some extent (yes even the Arab states and English used the crossbow), and it wouldn't have been the preferred weapon of elite mercenaries. the Italians, polish, Hungarian and certain musilim states loved the crossbow so much it replaced all infantry and even light cavalry (primary) weapons in their armies untill gunpowder weapons became common.
      it sucks compared to now, but compared to contemporary stuff it was golden.

    • @spectre9065
      @spectre9065 Před 3 lety

      @@b.h.abbott-motley2427 And have about 1/5 the rate of shot of a modern crossbow. It takes at least half a minute to load a bolt with a Windlass.
      I looked up a horn crossbow out of curiosity and found this.
      czcams.com/video/AA5M0QKXtWU/video.html
      It shoots 315 ft-lbs of Kinetic Energy, which is powerful, but looks too bulky to be used for anything other than defending.

  • @knutzzl
    @knutzzl Před 4 lety

    With the medieval crossbow you can use the thumb of your trigger hand as a rearshight.
    In combination with markings on the stock for different distances

  • @floop_the_pigs2840
    @floop_the_pigs2840 Před 4 lety +25

    Red dot sight on medieval crossbow. I dare you

  • @Greensleeve11
    @Greensleeve11 Před 4 lety +1

    Given what Tod's mentioned about crossbows, it sounds like the nut needs replacing. He's mentioned that the metal sear present in crossbow nuts make it stronger, but also makes it wear faster. Wouldn't surprise me if that's the problem, especially given how high the draw weight of that beast is.

  • @hegetelevi3344
    @hegetelevi3344 Před 4 lety

    Amazing video
    🍻🍻

  • @neilduh
    @neilduh Před 4 lety +3

    Skall's beard gives me Varg Vikernes vibes, in its length :p

  • @bencoomer2000
    @bencoomer2000 Před 4 lety +1

    I love my bent stick longbow. It's fun and challenging and when I get a good group, it makes me very happy.
    If it's about putting food on the table, give me as modern as you got...

  • @vectorstrike
    @vectorstrike Před 4 lety +10

    0:38 that looks like way more damage than the 1d8 for light crossbow!

    • @shionkreth7536
      @shionkreth7536 Před 4 lety +1

      Right? :D
      (Though being chopped by a battleaxe is the same range... :P)

    • @VoidplayLP
      @VoidplayLP Před 4 lety

      Considering a dagger does a d4, a d8 for this seems pretty high.

  • @oyblech8671
    @oyblech8671 Před 4 lety +11

    your "unconventional but still halfway accurate" way of measuring the crossbow's draw weight had me dead

  • @idontwanttoputmyname403

    Skall has that NCR Veteran Ranger coat going on.

  • @FlDubbie
    @FlDubbie Před 4 lety

    Would be interesting to see a comparison between the fly times of the modern and medieval projectile. Looks like the modern crossbow has more draw and I asume that a modern bolt (or would you call that an arrow?) is lighter. This would result in a flatter trejectory i think and that is of course a benefit.

  • @crozraven
    @crozraven Před 4 lety +2

    You should sen one of your crossbows or bows to Joersparve & do a collab videos. Maybe like his new repeating crossbows or Instant legolas bows ideas.

  • @tlotpwist3417
    @tlotpwist3417 Před 4 lety +1

    I have seen a version of the crossbow in the museum of one of the Loire castles (either Angers or Amboise, don't remember) that was nearly as tall as the armor it was displayed next to.
    If elephants were flying animals, this crossbow looked like it would be the perfect tool to hunt them

  • @bl4cksp1d3r
    @bl4cksp1d3r Před 4 lety

    Just as I'm working on building my own 100 lbs crossbow. The perfect video for a break :D

  • @Linkous12
    @Linkous12 Před 4 lety

    The sound of that modern crossbow is super satisfying.

  • @BunkerFox
    @BunkerFox Před 3 lety

    Hey, he's got that shirt on again! Love that shirt, wish I knew where I could get it

  • @larsmurdochkalsta8808
    @larsmurdochkalsta8808 Před 4 lety

    Have you considered getting a version of that red dot with a bullet drop compensator? Also if you get a higher mount for the reddot you'll be able to shoot farther without having to compensate at the cost of having to aim high at close range too.

  • @Intranetusa
    @Intranetusa Před 4 lety +1

    It'd be interesting to see the relationship of draw weight vs powerstroke by comparing different designs. Ancient East Asian crossbows had a different design of lower draw weight but much longer powerstroke. The average Qin-Han era infantry crossbow had a 6 stone (387lbs) draw weight with an 18-20 inch powerstroke. Crossbows ranged from 1 stone to 10+ stones (the lightest ones were for training while the heaviest ones were for large mechanically aided versions used as field artillery). The Qin-Han era crossbowman would draw the crossbow in a sitting position where they would use their leg, torso, and arm muscles all at once to draw the string. I've read that the crossbowmen might even had laid on their backs for the heavier crossbows so they didn't have to deal with the weight of their torsos when drawing the crossbow. The Han Dynasty had an excellent training program where they would physically condition and train the new recruits for 1 year before sending them into combat, so even skinny city folks who don't do manual labor would have sufficient time to beef up and become strong enough to repeatedly draw heavy crossbows.

    • @kovona
      @kovona Před 4 lety +1

      Longer powerstroke usually spells out to wider bows, so as a whole these crossbows were less compact and more unwieldy in tight spaces.

    • @Intranetusa
      @Intranetusa Před 4 lety

      @@kovona True. However, a composite recurve design can help keep it smaller compared to a non-recurve design. It will still wider than shorter powerstrike designs, but could be kept small enough to use in tight spaces. eg. Some recreations of Scythian recurve bows are ~3.5 feet in length when strung and have a ~26 inch draw. Increasing the draw weight would only require increasing the thickness of the bow prod without having to increase the length (or width if oriented horizontally).

  • @Riceball01
    @Riceball01 Před 4 lety

    Skall, you need to get your hand on of Joerg's improved magazine fed version of your modern light crossbow.

  • @GaudialisCorvus
    @GaudialisCorvus Před 4 lety

    I feel like that stray bolt is the first of many that will hit the wall 😁 Hope you're doing well, Skal

  • @salvadorpneri
    @salvadorpneri Před 3 lety

    You are absolutely correct about medieval crossbow failures. But, put yourself in a time period before the first printing press was invented. Crossbow usage was as regular as with anything else in the medieval period. Not only the well-to-do but, the middle class (if there was ever such a class in feudalism) had the means and access to the practice, fabrication, and maintenance of crossbows. As previously mentioned, crossbows were a way of life. It was second nature to shoot and to repair crossbows because, at the time, there was nothing else to do or to shoot with (maybe the occasional RPG rolled in).

  • @kaiserkarry8242
    @kaiserkarry8242 Před 4 lety

    Hey skalla love the vids! I wanted to ask, how realistic would a crossbow from the Witcher 3 be? It is a one handed, seems to be pretty easy to pull back crossbow and I always wondered wether its something that could have possibly been used by some obscure military group.

  • @teph1256
    @teph1256 Před 4 lety

    one thing to keep in mind, is that while crossbow had problems, so did bows. I read an old historical document on bows and archery, and the author went in great details about bow exploding.

  • @Siegmernes
    @Siegmernes Před 4 lety

    Wtf? I just now got a bell notification for this xD

  • @L3.mp3
    @L3.mp3 Před 4 lety +16

    That design is not cold steel's. It was engineered by Jorge Sprave from the slingshot channel. He has a bunch of videos on how he made it. Go check it out.

    • @sebastianriz4703
      @sebastianriz4703 Před 4 lety +10

      Joreg didn't design the crossbow. Only the magazine and helped perfect it.

    • @hornyducks4090
      @hornyducks4090 Před 4 lety +1

      @@sebastianriz4703 cold steel still wasn't the original designer. And he didn't work with cold steel.

    • @otwk
      @otwk Před 4 lety +2

      Yeah, that's the cobra mechanism, I'm pretty sure.

    • @JanoTuotanto
      @JanoTuotanto Před 4 lety +2

      That is actually a medieval design from Löffelholz manuscript.
      Also known as "Leonardo daVincis fast loading crossbow"

    • @leonruvalcaba1549
      @leonruvalcaba1549 Před 4 lety

      Jörg Sprave effin' rulez dude

  • @tommyfred6180
    @tommyfred6180 Před 4 lety

    sounds to me as if the sear has burred on the big crossbow. or its got some play in its pivot point. I have every confidence that tod will sort him out with a fix.
    a friend of my old boss has one of tod's crossbows and sent it back for servicing some time back. when I got to have a look at it when it came back it look like it was new.

  • @Tiger-ol7ef
    @Tiger-ol7ef Před 4 lety

    I would really like to see what would happen if you use the 900 pound medieval crossbow compared to the 150 pound modern crossbow.
    Also are you planning to get more bolts for both? Id kind of like to see the grouping you can pull off.

  • @Sideshowbobx
    @Sideshowbobx Před 4 lety

    A word on the arrow Backstop net - you got to have it free swinging like a curtain. The net has to grab around arrow and head before the arrow and pierce thru, that what stopping them.

  • @ArtoPekkanen
    @ArtoPekkanen Před 4 lety

    You should make a belt strap or some such for that loading lever :P

  • @HowHingPau
    @HowHingPau Před 4 lety +5

    Every time I've seen a goat's foot lever being used, the thing that comes to mind is: why doesn't the user have a leash on it to hang it on their shoulder, so they don't need to look for a place to set it down?

    • @mpsmith47304
      @mpsmith47304 Před 4 lety +1

      There is actually a clip on them to allow them to hang from the belt.

  • @bones1x285
    @bones1x285 Před 4 lety +1

    I would send 900 lbs crossbow to tods workshop. I know, across the pond but... He knows his stuff.

  • @SuperVarno
    @SuperVarno Před 4 lety +2

    Would have been very interesting also a comparison with the earlier crossbows, which the charge was manual and the bow was in wood. Technically, in this video the medieval crossbow is an arbalest.

  • @ProFoundArt
    @ProFoundArt Před 10 měsíci

    Greetings,
    Good video. Informative.
    Would you be interested in recommending a traditional/medieval (European) reproduction available for purchase anywhere?
    I've looked around a little bit (just internet browsing), but I don't know if any of them are very good or not.
    I appreciate your recommendations on production swords available for purchase, but was wondering if you prefer any makers over others, with regards to crossbows.

  • @100KGNatty
    @100KGNatty Před 4 lety

    Rockin' that "Don't come to school tomorrow" trenchcoat with a crossbow

    • @Skallagrim
      @Skallagrim  Před 4 lety +2

      It's an Australian Outback duster, so no 'Murica in this. :p

  • @Limp_Bizkiteer
    @Limp_Bizkiteer Před 4 lety

    Have you ever done a video on the German Zweihander? I was just playing Skyrim and using the Steel Greatsword which is based on the Zweihander and wanted to see if you ever did a video on it but I don't think you have.

  • @nymalous3428
    @nymalous3428 Před 4 lety

    It's too bad you couldn't get the heavier crossbow to work. I would really have loved to see, and hear, that thing fire (and also see the resulting connection to the target). Nice video.

  • @P3x310
    @P3x310 Před 4 lety

    Would it help to just jam your hand between the trigger lever and the stock so that it can't move, or does it slip and let go of the string anyway?

  • @Aestheticnerdlife
    @Aestheticnerdlife Před 4 lety

    you should try the most powerful crossbow Scorpyd Aculeus long power strokes make high velocity.

  • @dalingeringwillow4425
    @dalingeringwillow4425 Před 4 lety

    You probably won't see this considering the glitch in the matrix with the comments section and the fact that you lead a busy life and probably won't care, but a gaming CZcamsr ESO started a playthrough on the new Mount and Blade game Bannerlord and his character bares quite a resemblance to you minus the hair and beard models.
    Just thought that you would find that tidbit of information fun. I love your vids man. 💯

  • @user_name_redacted
    @user_name_redacted Před 4 lety

    Are these crossbows from Tod's workshop? I saw a video with a 1250lbs one which looked remarkably identical to your heavy bow (albeit with a few repair modifications and heavier draw weight))

  • @cavemancult1999
    @cavemancult1999 Před 3 lety

    Skall looking more n more like a nuclear wastelander in each video, I'm digging it

  • @raics101
    @raics101 Před 4 lety

    Can you link where you got that exibitionist coat? I need it for something.

  • @ratheryoudidntknow8436

    you have made me want a cross bow

    • @bruderk4257
      @bruderk4257 Před 4 lety

      Yeah, that ColdSteel thing seems to be nice.

  • @spacewiz163
    @spacewiz163 Před 4 lety

    Hello Skallagrim could you test out a Kusarigama or any sickle with chain?

  • @Musketman84th
    @Musketman84th Před 4 lety

    Wish I could shoot in my yard! Nice job...I'll shoot my cheap shot too with no sight but being in my garage it's not a challenge lol.

  • @lucassoh4905
    @lucassoh4905 Před 4 lety

    I would like to see a video about sword staff

  • @Auxxua
    @Auxxua Před 4 lety +4

    Have you ever tried a shepherd's sling? It would be interesting to see a video from you to talk or even try out them. I made one out of paracord (there's a bunch of videos about how to make one on youtube) and trained with it to be quite accurate. It's a cheap and interesting weapon.

  • @SampoPaalanen
    @SampoPaalanen Před 4 lety

    If I had to guess (mind you I'm no historian or craftsman) I'd suspect that the mechanism that's holding the nut in place against the bowstring has become weaker thus is engages and holds against pushing on it by hand but is too weaker to keep the bow "loaded". To fix it after disassembly might be as simple as replacing the faulty spring or much, much worse depending on the exact mechanism.

  • @arthobbitworks791
    @arthobbitworks791 Před rokem

    You look like you should be hunting vampires and you'd be totally kicking ass doing it too. Really good job with comparing the modern do the medieval crossbows.

  • @BH-rx3ue
    @BH-rx3ue Před 4 lety +1

    on your heavier crossbow, have you tried engaging the nut and pushing the lever "down" to ensure that it isnt something like the lever sticking?

    • @johncrowerdoe5527
      @johncrowerdoe5527 Před 4 lety

      Also check if the lever rotates all the way. Maybe some dirt snuck in and keeps it from moving far enough to hold the string.

  • @user-cx9mb7cs9n
    @user-cx9mb7cs9n Před 4 lety

    Skallagrim, crossbow 1000lb vs longbow test! Please.

  • @ModwainAllaron
    @ModwainAllaron Před 4 lety +10

    In all fairnes, medeivil bolts are way heavier too

  • @MrLazyleader
    @MrLazyleader Před 4 lety +3

    6:42 when the dungeon master tells you he won the fight, but you are not allowed to check his roll...

    • @Slash-XVI
      @Slash-XVI Před 4 lety +1

      Well you could clearly hear the bolt striking the target, but also ROCKS FALL YOU DIE!

    • @MrLazyleader
      @MrLazyleader Před 4 lety

      @@Slash-XVI Omg, I loved you in Death Note!

  • @corwinhyatt519
    @corwinhyatt519 Před 4 lety

    Maybe the heavier one has a slightly worn sear surface? I know you said you haven't shot it much, but that is the first thing that comes to mind. Another possibility I think is that the pin that is holding the sear is flexing in its hole while under pressure. /shrug

  • @ThePurplemaneater
    @ThePurplemaneater Před 4 lety

    I think it would be really cool to do a comparison between medieval crossbows vs longbows as to which is better at different ranges. I know in Dungeons and Dragons, they typically make crossbows a better weapon from farther out, but it appears as though the opposite would actually be true, at least as far as medieval ones go. Modern equivalents might be more skewed towards crossbows, but medieval I'd think a regular bow would win out, no?

  • @Mkoivuka
    @Mkoivuka Před 4 lety +4

    At 4 minutes: "Sometimes the wood swells up" I think this is just modern design trying to "improve" the old. Lemme give you an example.
    So in Finland we have something of a sauna culture, and long before we could afford metal or other fancy things to the point we'd (gasp) make a bucket out of it for *water*, we used wood. Wood buckets. Okay, not nearly as exciting as I thought but there is an interesting thing: None of these buckets are actually water proof. There are massive gaps between the wood pieces. You fill this bucket up with water, it will retain 0% of the contents.
    So clearly the bucket is bad! Right?
    Nope. What you're SUPPOSED TO DO is stick this bucket into the water and hold it down with something (a rock perhaps) and while you're working the sauna up (takes 30-40 minutes) the wood will absorb water and the gaps disappear. You have a long-term usable water container, hooray!
    Enter modern wood bucket things that chip after a few months or a year depending on how much you use them, because modern industrial design has to be perfect.
    I think (though don't know) the same is true of these modern replicas. They look at the metal bit and the wood and think "huh there shouldn't be a gap there, clearly the wood is damaged or aged, that's okay I'll just make everything nice and snug, make it look pretty" And then you go out for a few hours or leave the crossbow out for that time, decide to go shooting and it stops working because of course it will, because the original was designed the be able to absorb the humidity. The same is most likely true of many modern replica longbows.
    And even if you make the replica "correctly" and to the right measurements, you're still hosed when it comes to materials. Modern materials are "clean" and "efficient" and "pure" which is all well and good, but the same thing that caused a spike in colon cancer (pure white flour) is probably to blame for a lot of problems we might see in replica creations.

    • @mpsmith47304
      @mpsmith47304 Před 4 lety +1

      The saddle (the bit the nut fits in to) has to fit the nut fairly closely, or the nut doesn't turn cleanly. But Skall has a "munitions grade" bow with a plain wooden saddle. Better bows have the saddle lined with horn or bone (or even steel) to avoid that problem. I think this is just an artifact of a "cheaper" bow.

    • @Mkoivuka
      @Mkoivuka Před 4 lety

      @@mpsmith47304 Bone and horn is a good point.

  • @mrgreen497
    @mrgreen497 Před 4 lety +30

    I tend to lose power if my nuts twist so I can't relate

  • @richardtague5992
    @richardtague5992 Před 4 lety

    Is there a significant weight different between the two bolts that might be partially to blame? Also is there a significant difference in impact force between the two? Would be interested in the follow up video measuring kinetic force.

  • @echothebm
    @echothebm Před 4 lety

    that is soo Awesome :D

  • @detective_0267
    @detective_0267 Před 4 lety +1

    I hope one day they make it with a magazine, like on the slingshot channel

  • @yvesgingras1475
    @yvesgingras1475 Před 4 lety +1

    What was the modern best crossbow you didnt show? I want to aquire a modern crossbow, but not sure wich model I should go for.

    • @yvesgingras1475
      @yvesgingras1475 Před 4 lety

      @@My_initials_are_O.G.cuz_I_am Thank, but I was speaking about the bigger one, the one that he only show a brief sneak peak at the end.

  • @Mateus_Longo
    @Mateus_Longo Před 4 lety

    Hey Skall, make a video abbout how to protect your personal space in the corona pandemic :D

  • @davidewing946
    @davidewing946 Před 4 lety

    .I would love to see the same theam of viedo, however test the crossbows, in medieval armor and modern armor.