Military Equipment Specifications

[Signature: Jian]

For the crossbow stock original: nushen (弩身); the wooden body or tiller of the crossbow, the deep red heartwood of the jujube tree is considered the highest quality; the deep red wood of the wild pear tree is the next best.

Regarding jujube wood: the variety that produces small, sour dates that are unfit for eating has a texture that is dense and solid. The variety that produces large, sweet dates is secondary in quality, though it is still superior to wild pear wood. Furthermore, jujube wood often contains internal cracks or defects; one must carefully select material that is perfect and free of "disease" original: bing (病); used here to mean flaws, rot, or structural knots in the timber before it can be used.

The force of the crossbow's draw is quite strong and its design is powerful and swift. If it is constructed from damaged materials, it will certainly not be durable. To have the weapon fail when facing the enemy would be a matter of no small consequence.

When selecting wood, use only the deep red heartwood from the center. The white sapwood original: biaopi (標皮); the younger, softer outer layers of the tree trunk is not strong and must not be used.

As for wild pear wood: the variety that produces small pears about the size of a fingertip is usable, but the variety that produces large pears is not dense and cannot be used. For the small pear variety, wood with a deep red center is also the most desirable.

Explanation of Dimensions for Making Crossbow Stocks