Technology changes, circumstances change, but basically people do not. Early humans made art and beautifully crafted objects just as we do now and in the case of these two very different crossbows, they are separated by 400 years and technologically very different but the thinking behind them was very similar, almost identical.

We wanted it in 1603 and we wanted it in 2023.

Are the bows 'the same'? Clearly not, but the similarities are very striking. Let's have a look.

I now have a Patreon page where you can sign up to see bonus films, build blogs, behind the scenes and loads more stuff and just finishing a step by step build of a ballestrino (assassins) crossbow   / todsworkshop  

For budget medieval replicas of fantastic accuracy and value https://todcutler.com/collections

For commissions and custom work https://todsworkshop.com

For merch https://todsworkshop.creator-spring.com

For those who enjoyed Arrows vs Armour https://todtodeschini.com

Magazine fed 120lbsw longbow - tested    • Tod's 120lb Medieval Legolas - TESTED  

Who would use a magazine fed longbow?    • Who would use the Instant Legolas?  

Jorg Spraves channel can be found here    / @ucvzlxkkqlvvqzrjxhagq42q  

Let's talk units.....I live in the UK and although we were supposed to have gone Metric in 1973, we still haven't shaken off the old world so most of us work in a mixture of the Metric and Imperial units....Sorry. Also the chronograph is in feet per second, but I convert it later to actually work out the Joules as those are my preferred units for energy. Sorry for the mess - sums up the UK really.

Just for the record, I built my own house. Plasterboard is in metric and is 1.2m x 2.4m and plywood is in Imperial at 1.22m x 2.44m so every ply board has to be cut to make a timber framed house if you want the plasterboard to line up - go figure.......