Hey there crossbow-lovers, Geezer here with a mystery. A few weeks ago, Mac asked me to post particulars on an article a customer sent me... maybe 20 years ago about making ancient Finnish Crossbows. Well, I dug up the article under a pile of sawdust and assorted manuscripts pages. It's a photo-copy taken from a Finnish periodical. Based on copious pictures and drawings, the writer seems to know his stuff, but the text is all... well Gibberish, or more properly Finnish, which has essentially no cognates with English. I'm including whatever pertinent data I can wring from the title page, but will warn you all now that I don't know the periodical or date. Clues: One illustration is dated 1977.
I once did a web-search for what appear to be authors' names and turned up evidence that they're highly regarded in historical/recreation circles. Anyhow, here's what it says on the title page:
Perinteisen Suomalaisen Varsijousen Valmistus
beneath are author's names: Olavi Paateri , Martti Arkko
There are plenty of illustrations, including half a dozen archaeologist-style drawings of stocks, with scales giving dimensions. This article is the source of my model 5F stock.
So have fun stormin' the castle, language scholars.
Geezer.
I once did a web-search for what appear to be authors' names and turned up evidence that they're highly regarded in historical/recreation circles. Anyhow, here's what it says on the title page:
Perinteisen Suomalaisen Varsijousen Valmistus
beneath are author's names: Olavi Paateri , Martti Arkko
There are plenty of illustrations, including half a dozen archaeologist-style drawings of stocks, with scales giving dimensions. This article is the source of my model 5F stock.
So have fun stormin' the castle, language scholars.
Geezer.