In purchasing a bow, it is always better to go to a good maker; the
inferior makers, although they may sell their goods a trifle cheaper,
are still not to be depended upon, and as a good deal concerning a
bow has to be taken upon trust--_e.g._, whether the wood is properly
seasoned, horns firmly fastened, &c.--a maker who has a reputation to
lose always proves the cheapest in the end. Having selected a maker
and determined on the price you are willing to give, you will proceed
to see that the bow tapers gradually from the handle to horns; that
the wood is of straight, even grain, running longitudinally and free
from knots and pins, or that, if there are any pins, they are rendered
innocuous by having the wood left raised around them. The bow should
be quite straight, or even follow the string (bend in the direction it
will take when strung) a little. Beware of a bow which bends away from
the string; it will jar your arms out of their sockets, and should the
string break, there will be an end of it. See that both limbs are of
equal strength, in which case they will describe equal curves. The
handle should not be quite in the middle of the bow, but the upper
edge of it should be about an inch above the centre. See that there
are no sharp edges to the nocks on the horns of the bow, for if they
are not properly rounded off they will be continually cutting your
string. Lastly, make sure that your bow is not beyond your
strength--in other words, that you are not overbowed. It is a very
common thing for persons to choose very strong bows under the idea
that it gives them the appearance of being perfect Samsons; but their
ungainly struggles to bend their weapon, and the utterly futile
results of their endeavors, are, we think, anything but dignified.
The weight of the bow should be such that it can be bent without
straining, and held steadily during the time of taking aim. The
strength of bows is calculated by their _weight_, which is stamped in
pounds upon them, and which denotes the power which it takes to bend
the bow until the centre of the string is a certain distance
(twenty-eight inches for a gentleman's, twenty-five inches for a
lady's bow) from the handle. It is ascertained by suspending the bow
by the handle from a steelyard whilst the string is drawn the required
distance. Gentlemen's bows generally range from 48 lbs. to 56 lbs.,
and ladies' from 20 lbs. to 32 lbs.