[Archers] Winter Gear Service

[Garth Groff]

Noble Friends of the Bow,

Lady Sarah Sinclair and I are winding up inspection, servicing and 
cleaning of Isenfir's loaner kit, as well as our privately-owned loaner 
equipment.

I inspected all the arrows, making repairs to several that had damaged 
fletches. All were cleaned to remove dirt, and the points and shafts 
were conditioned with furniture oil. Had any of the sets been short, I 
would have made replacements. Over the last couple of years I brought 
all our sets up to 14 or 15 arrows. It's easy to make a couple extras 
when you build some replacements.

We worked together on the bows, inspecting them all, waxing the strings 
(with special attention to the upper loops, the most common wear point), 
adjusting brace height, adjusting arrow nock indicators, and doing any 
needed cleaning (including removing string wax from the limbs and 
grips). We have ten more bows to go, an afternoon's work, before we will 
be ready for our next practice on 22 January.

This is a perfect time for those of you who are loaner gear stewards to 
get your equipment into top shape. We should give our guests equipment 
that is at least close to what we ourselves use. Our guests may not know 
much about archery, but they certainly can compare inadequate loaner 
gear with the "good stuff" the regulars are shooting. Issuing guests 
unadjusted, broken, dirty or unsafe gear an only an insult, it can be 
dangerous. As hosts and representatives of the Atlantia and the SCA, we 
must do better for our guests.

For those of you mentoring marshals-in-training, a gear inspection and 
servicing session is great training in skills we too often forget to 
teach the next generation of marshals. Thank them for their work with a 
pizza.

I urge you all to give seroius attention to your loaner equipment now 
during the slack time.

Hoping to see you all on the range soon!


Mungo Napier, Shire of Isenfir TA Marshal-in-Charge


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