Our Story · Our Craft · Our Mission
AboutRepeating Crossbow
We didn't set out to sell weapons. We set out to preserve an art form — one that has survived two millennia and deserves to live on.
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Born in Pennsylvania.
Built with Purpose.
It started in a cramped Pittsburgh workshop with a single question: why has no one built this properly? The repeating crossbow — the zhúgě nǔ — is one of history's most elegant weapons, yet nearly every modern reproduction was cheap, inaccurate, or purely decorative.
Our two founders — one from Pittsburgh's South Side, one from Philadelphia's Old City — met at a historical weapons exhibition in 2018 and discovered they shared the same obsession. James Calloway, a Pittsburgh-born master woodworker who had spent twenty years building traditional furniture and bespoke items along the Monongahela River, and Daniel Reeves, a Philadelphia mechanical engineer with a lifelong fascination with East Asian military history, joined forces to build what no one else had.
Today, every weapon we ship carries that same obsessive attention to authenticity. We don't cut corners. We don't compromise on materials. And we don't stop until the lever cycles as smoothly as it did two thousand years ago.
The Journey So Far
From a Pittsburgh workshop to a worldwide community of archers and collectors.
Chinese engineers develop the first repeating crossbow magazine mechanisms — allowing multiple bolts to fire in rapid succession without reloading.
The strategist Zhuge Liang perfects the lever-magazine. The zhúgě nǔ becomes capable of firing ten bolts before an enemy notches a second arrow.
James Calloway (Pittsburgh) and Daniel Reeves (Philadelphia) meet at a historical weapons exhibition. A shared obsession becomes a business plan.
James opens a dedicated workshop on Pittsburgh's South Side. The first prototype takes three months of trials, research, and hand-fitting to complete.
Word spreads through archery and history communities. Ships to first international customers across the US, Europe, and Japan.
Daniel opens a second studio in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighbourhood, handling engineering refinements, new model design, and the Imperial Display Edition launch.
Two Pennsylvania workshops. A worldwide community of archers, historians, and collectors united by their love of this extraordinary piece of human ingenuity.
Our Core Values
Every decision we make traces back to these four commitments.
We study primary historical sources, not fantasy replicas. Every mechanism and dimension is informed by research, not guesswork.
No shortcuts on our signature lines. Stocks are hand-shaped in our Pittsburgh workshop, mechanisms hand-fitted by craftspeople who care.
We exist to serve archers, historians, and collectors. We share knowledge freely, answer every question honestly, and stand behind every sale.
If it's not right, we fix it. Our lifetime mechanism warranty reflects our belief that when you buy from us, you buy for life.
Meet the Craftspeople
Two Pennsylvania cities. One shared obsession.
Born and raised on Pittsburgh's South Side, James spent twenty years building traditional furniture and bespoke wooden instruments along the Monongahela before a chance encounter with a museum-piece zhúgě nǔ in 2015 changed his life. He runs our Pittsburgh workshop, where every stock is hand-shaped and every mechanism hand-fitted. James has studied the original lever-magazine design longer than anyone on the team.
A mechanical engineer who grew up in Philadelphia's Old City neighbourhood surrounded by American history, Daniel developed a parallel fascination with East Asian military technology. He bridged ancient design intent with modern engineering precision, ensuring that every mechanism we produce is not just historically accurate — but genuinely functional. He runs our Philadelphia Fishtown studio, handling new model development and the Imperial Display Edition series.
A former competitive archer who discovered repeating crossbows at one of James and Daniel's early demonstrations, Sarah joined the team in 2020. Based in Pittsburgh, she ensures every order is packed safely, every shipment is tracked, and every customer question is answered with the depth and honesty it deserves. If you've ever emailed or called us, you've spoken to Sarah.
From Timber to Quiver
Every crossbow passes through the same hands — in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia — before it reaches yours.
Aged ash, walnut, and bamboo composites are hand-selected by James for grain, density, and resonance at our South Side workshop.
The tiller and stock are rough-shaped by hand using traditional draw-knife and spokeshave techniques — no CNC on our signature lines.
Daniel's Philadelphia studio fits and tunes the magazine channel and trigger assembly until the lever cycles with smooth, satisfying action.
Every bow is live-tested at range in Pittsburgh before finishing. Limb alignment and draw weight are verified against spec.
Oiled, waxed, or lacquered by hand. Display editions receive additional carving and brass hardware installation in Philadelphia.
"We build every crossbow as if it will be passed from one generation to the next."
Ready to Hold History?
Browse our collection — or reach out and we'll help you find the right weapon.