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| | The Helm Rocker
Send those opposing archers scurrying for cover with a few shots from this
handsome and accurate crossbow built in the Flemish arbalest style 'popularized'
in 15-century western Europe.
Made of a heavier hardwood (maple, cherry, or walnut), this model features a
routed bolt channel that reduces friction and keeps the
bolt closer to the top of the prod. A smooth, spring-retracting firing mechanism
and a track/prod design that minimizes bowstring abrasion make for an exceptionally
smooth-firing crossbow.
The prod itself is sewn into leather covering and bound onto the tiller with
braided dacron. The finish is a clear spray lacquer. Stock length is typically
30-32".
Custom lengths can be accommodated.
These crossbows come standard with a stirrup and a heavy brass bolt hook.
$210 + $30 shipping
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A very fine example of a walnut helmrocker. I make
these in walnut, cherry, and maple, though walnut is by far the most
popular choice (I have no idea why). I have access to a hardwood
supply that deals in exotic hardwoods, so if you'd like to try something
different (and are willing to pay extra for it), please be sure to let me
know.
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An underside view of the same model. The tickler is
made of a piece of 3/4" x 3/16" mild steel bar, with a loop
hammered into the end. I have on occasion made ticklers out of
brass. The post is made of a cut-off 1/2" bolt that is
spring-loaded to provide negative pressure on the tickler.
Besides feeling really good when you pull the trigger, it makes for a
quieter-firing crossbow, and gets the post back out of the way for loading
the next shot.
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Detail of the binding. If took quite a few attempts to
settle on a binding material and style I like. It takes about 100'
of braided dacron and an hour's worth of time to get the prod bound on,
but the effect is very dramatic and the prod is rock solid (and stays that
way). I have cord in several different colors, ranging from
off-white to beige to golden brown to russet. I even have some olive
green (pictured here) that is surprisingly good-looking.
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Although I personally prefer *not* to have a bolt holder on
the crossbows I use, I do make them for others. If you are using
tennisball-tipped golftubes, they are essentially required. Made
from 3/16" brass bar, they are not springy, but can be set to just
the right height for your ammo so that they hold the bold snugly and
release sharply without deflecting the bolt or slowing it down.
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Personalizing the bolt holder is a fun thing to do. I
can carve fleur-de-lis or crosses or other *simple* shapes into the finial
on the back end, or I can do a bit of engraving on the surface of the
brass itself. Because I am a crossbow maker, not an artist, the
result is necessarily primitive, just like the good old days!
Personalizing the bolt holder costs extra.
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A close-up and description of the firing mechanism |
 
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