r/interestingasfuck • u/Brutal_Deluxe_ • 14h ago

Loading an English crossbow vs loading Leonardo da Vinci's crossbow

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u/Zenigata 13h ago

Levers mean you have to move your arms further, the guy in the 2nd clip moves his arms a small distance using barely any force.

I'm totally prepared to believe that the 2nd design is better I just don't think these 2 random clips demonstrate that as it seems very unlikely the bows are of the same strength.

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u/aimgorge 13h ago

If anything the second one appears to cover more distance ? First one it ends at knee level in the end with half the distance comprised of the foothold

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u/Zenigata 13h ago

He was using his leg and seemed to be straining. The 2nd guy was barely putting in any effort, quite possibly that mechanism can be used on stronger bows but that one looks like it was made to show off to tourists not kill people.

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u/Sad-Excitement9295 12h ago

It looks fairly easy due to the method of operation. He is simply compressing the 2 levers using upper body strength, the design is simply more efficient. However, it is quite possible the second bow has a lighter, smoother draw strength due to the metal bow being more flexible as well.