[header] How to buy a traditional bow [title] Decide between a longbow and a recurve bow. [step] The longbow represents one of the earliest and most time-tested bow designs; it is constructed from a single stick and a string. The limbs of the longbow curve gently back towards the archer's body, and the shaft is very long. 
A recurve bow has limbs that curve away from the archer's body towards the tips, with the string contacting the limbs over several inches (several cm). [substeps] Longbows tend to be easier to draw especially for taller people.