emergency arrow making

[Bivikez]

does anyone know how to make an arrow in an emergency?
I carry several scalpel blades in my kit and they could be arrowheads in a pinch,but what about the flights(or fletches)?
Does anyone know a link to detailed instructions?
Also,the only survival arrowhead i could find to buy in the uk cost 12 quid which i think is excessive,considering you would need at least 4.....

[bigpaul]

you can make arrow heads from bone or flint, or simply sharpen to a point and harden in a fire, fletches can be made from gaffa tape or birds wing feathers.

[Scythe13]

Flights, gaffa-tape. Knock, just cut it in the back.

BP has posted some great vids on arrow making.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndjGHlvzqzU

[Skean Dhude]

I think I could make an arrow but not sure if I could do so in the time needed for an emergency. That is why I would be prepeared to spend the money to have a couple if I wanted them for emergency use. Which I don't see in my plans.

[Scythe13]

(11 October 2013, 08:36)Bivikez Wrote: Also,the only survival arrowhead i could find to buy in the uk cost 12 quid which i think is excessive,considering you would need at least 4.....

Contact Beardyman about Broadheads.

[bigpaul]

Bodkins are sharp enough, they cost £1.15each.

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here's the link to the bodkins: http://www.longbowandarrow.co.uk/re-enac...-551-p.asp

[Tartar Horde]

Having to make an arrow in an emergency is not something any seasoned Archer would want to do , even with the skills to make one there is a lot more to arrows than first meets the eye. I would make sure you have a good supply of shafts bought and correctly spined for your Bow and practise making Arrows from component parts bought from archery shops. The key is preparation, and we should take a leaf out of Otzi the Icemans book and have arrows at all stages of completion to be made up when needed.
If you want to make an Arrow in the field from natural materials like our ancestors, then it will be a steep learning curve for you and you will soon find out that not any stick will make a good arrow. You will need to identify the Trees and bushes that have good arrow wood, Hazel and Ash are the most common in the Uk and make good shafts. The shafts need to be collected then tied into bundles at the top, middle and bottom and seasoned for a few months. Once seasoned you have to scrape the bark off and straighten the shaft under heat so the shaft does not return to it's previous shape. Using "green" wood straight from the Tree/bush is not a good idea as the shaft will warp as it dries out ruining accuracy and affecting "spine". You can leave the green shafts alongside a fire etc to dry them out a bit, but this is not ideal, but if you are talking emergency then the shafts will work, but will not perform like correctly seasoned shafts, and accuracy is everything. You will find a lot of you tube videos showing people making arrows from green shafts but I can tell you this is misleading as this is not the way archers of old made them, they thought in advance THEY WERE PREPARED.

[Mortblanc]

So, if one is caught away from the stash there is no need to bother making a bow and arrows because the best selection of aged woods is not present?

In other words, death is preferable to using crappy gear?

[bigpaul]

both bow and arrow woods need to be seasoned, probably for a year, so it would be a good idea to make some bows and arrows in various stages of construction. it is possible to make a survival bow from green wood, literally a bendy stick, but it probably wont last very long.

[Timelord]

Would it not be possible to make expedient arrows from alternative sources? For example off the top of my head - what about lengths of brake pipe from vehicles. It would have a good weight, might not need a separate head and flights could easily be fitted to a slot cut in the back for expedient quick measure. They can be easily bent "straight" and even fire hardened/tempered by quick immersion. The fact they might bend on impact is not an issue. Thy could be re-bent straight again for reuse. Brake pipe is common in our environment. There will be many other straight lengths of material that could be used if one stops to think about it. "The sky's the limit". lol. TL.