Bow Makers

**Jericho117** · 09-28-2008, 05:26 PM

Today I made a bow out of a Hickory sapling. It's about 68 inches long and im letting it dry. I was really indecisive about which way I should shape it. Make the handle rigid, make dips in the middle section, or leave a primitive style bow? Anyway I was wondering what you guys prefer on making your bows (the type of wood, preferred tillering method, draw weight, ect.....). Personally my favorite wood is Maple, and I make an all primitive bow with no rigid handle or dips, just one straight piece of wood craved out, with a 2 inch handle. But Iv'e been making those bows for quite some time, but what are the ups and downs of a dipped handle on a bow? I know they are more likely to break (downs), the grip is comfortable (ups), but is it really an ideal way to construct a bow in a long-term survival situation? I want to here your guys opinions.

**Jericho117** · 09-28-2008, 05:31 PM

The primitive bow consists of a rounded back to keep the wood from lifting, and a carved belly. But I made plenty of bows were I carved the back and front, they bend more easily and the wood doesn't lift, unless your using weak wood, not hardwood.

**huntermj** · 09-28-2008, 06:14 PM

Jericho, its sounds like you have some experience making bows. i have a lot of willow near me and would like to make a bow from it. Do you have any good web sites or personal info that would help I have never made an expedient weapon before. always relied on the .22
Thanks, Jim

**FVR** · 09-28-2008, 07:19 PM

Here is a good starter site.

http://mysite.verizon.net/georgeandjoni/archer.html

Been making bows for over 15 years, what is a dipped handle? You have the D bow which bends through the handle which puts alot less stress on the limbs, bows with handles usually have more of a working limb.

I prefer hickory over maple, osage over elm, elm over hickory, hickory over everything else.

**huntermj** · 09-28-2008, 07:46 PM

great website thanks!

**FVR** · 09-28-2008, 08:49 PM

Jawg comes here every now and then. Good guy, great bowyer.

**Jericho117** · 09-29-2008, 02:43 PM

Hickory is a good wood. Theres no Osage Orange here, but iv'e heard the Plains Indians used it alot. But I also use the primitive method which involves both sides being shaved. I mean the dips on the side of the handle, that taper in the middle.

**Jericho117** · 09-29-2008, 02:44 PM

I read somewhere that the fully bending bow has a more fluid draw and is less likely to break. I will try the handle on a bow, and compare them, although it may not turn out pretty my first time.

**chiye tanka** · 09-29-2008, 02:47 PM

There use to be a guy in NH, the name of his place was Silver Arrow I think. He's world renouned as a bow maker. If you check out an issue of Primitive Archer, his adds use to be in there all the time. He uses orange osage.
Madisen Parker also makes primitive bows. Nell posted a link on one of the other threads for his web site.

**erunkiswldrnssurvival** · 09-29-2008, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by chiye tanka

There use to be a guy in NH, the name of his place was Silver Arrow I think. He's world renouned as a bow maker. If you check out an issue of Primitive Archer, his adds use to be in there all the time. He uses orange osage.
Madisen Parker also makes primitive bows. Nell posted a link on one of the other threads for his web site.

Fred Bear is also a world renowned bow maker, Google "Fred Bear Bows" to see his designs and hand made bows.

**klkak** · 09-29-2008, 04:26 PM

Fred Bear "Was" a world renowned bow maker!

**FVR** · 09-29-2008, 09:13 PM

There are alot of bowyers out here. Go to sites like Primitive Archer, Tradgang, The bowsite, Paleoplanet, all are full of not only great information, but excellant sources for a variety of supplies.

I use to make osage, hickory, and black locust flatbows which I sold at rendezvous and art shows. Art shows, chachingggg..........

Plains Indians use to make a variety of pony bows. These are short little bows that were very staut and could put an arrow through a buffalo. There draw was not the 27 / 28 inch of the European shooters but rather around 18".

What you speak of is taking off the bark, cambium, sapwood and finding one ring for the back of the bow. Then the bow is tillered by shaping the limbs and taking wood off the belly of the bow. With a handle, your limbs will fade into a riser that you hold, that can have a rest whittled out of it and is usually a non working part of the bow.

The D bow is a very hardy bow that bends through the handle. When I made my little 48 inch pony bows, I would make a handle, but not thick enough to prevent the bow from bending through it. Just my way.

I have kind of stopped making bows, unless I have to. I have to when I decide to make one for a friend or need a new one to hunt with. My bows are usually osage orange, 60" long, thin handle, backed with 6 or 7 layers of elk or deer sinew, pulling in the area of 60 to 65lbs.

The advantage of hickory is that you can violate the rings or they can run off the side of the limb, and you can still have a very good dependable bow. Don't go ding this on elm, maple, black locust, or osage. Well, osage you can a little if you are careful, but if you are careful, you won't. Hickorys downfall is that it is affected by moisture. But if you seal the bow 5 or 6 coats, then you won't have that problem. Wax it 2 or 3 times a year and you will be good.

I can talk about this all night.............

**Gray Wolf** · 09-30-2008, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by erunkiswldrnssurvival

Fred Bear is also a world renowned bow maker, Google "Fred Bear Bows" to see his designs and hand made bows.

He died 20 years ago!

**Jericho117** · 09-30-2008, 03:35 PM

I leave my handles somewhat rigid, thicker in the middle, but they still take on a slight bend to it.

**crashdive123** · 09-30-2008, 03:39 PM

Jericho - do you have any pics?

**Jericho117** · 09-30-2008, 06:11 PM

On my myspace I keep telling all of you guys that. I can't upload pictures here on this sight, it let me with the trout but not my tools. Go to my myspace.

**crashdive123** · 09-30-2008, 06:19 PM

Went to myspace - don't know how to find your account. Typed in jericho117, and unless you're a 37 year old guy in Alaska (I know you're 15 and in Va. Beach) couldn't find you.

**canid** · 10-02-2008, 09:13 AM

having a rigid or partially rigid handle section certainly creates a different dynamic of draw/cast, but this is easily compensated [with experience] by different allowances in tiller. in principal, a bows, limbs being tillered the same in both instances must be longer to give the same draw with the same strength, but all things not being equal, this is really needn't be the case except with verry short limbed bows [pony bows, brush bows and the like].

personally, most of my bows these days are of the modern built up riser type, as in these red oak board bows below. as you can see in one, the core stave is almost cut through in shaping the grip, and there is no great loss of integrity.

i have used a similar approach in many of my selfbows such as sapling flatbows [if you can agree to call them that]. even with alder, as long as the handle is deep enough to remain at least much more rigid than the limbs just behind the fades, i've had no problems.