New Osage Selfbow

Last seasoned stave from the split. Made a Southeastern style stick shooter braced at 6" and 63" total length. Approximately 50lbs at 27" which my preferred shooting style puts it back towards an easy 45lbs at 22.5". Shoots fast and hard, will probably make a set of cane arrows around 25".

Finished brace height and final tillering.




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Burnishing with an elk bone.

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Thank you! I need more in a hurry... patience is the key and I've got a year to wait for my fresh staves to cure...

Cane is fabulous, very easy to work. I'll get a topic going when I start the process of checking spine weight and straightening.

I tried the hickory board bow and must say... not a fan... VERY hard to dictate quality on milled lumber. Had a few runouts that unfortunately ran into the back which I figured would potentially be a problem and it was. Got the bow braced and began to tiller and she snapped right near a runout spot. With minimal issues on a board bow I'd think fire hardening the back would likely be worthwhile. Have about six other pieces to have a go at.

Hawk,
 Tell us about chasing a growth ring...
 BTW, what book was the illustration from ?
 This guy has Great videos on NA shooting style :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeTGp7FX7LA&t=18s

Also must say something I feel is extremely important and anyone who builds primitive bows needs to understand... There is a difference between traditional bows and primitive bows.

With primitive bows we are working a natural material with individual character that has to be coaxed into becoming a bow with patience. You put a little of yourself into the wood, you become aware of what it wants and how it wants worked. You develop a relationship of sorts with it.

Traditional laminate bows and the like... No emotion, no character, no personality... The aim is repeatable results and constant consistency which is fine for many but not me and not for those who understand primitive archery, think they would agree, or could be dead wrong. Personally I have nothing to do with modern archery because to me, it requires no true skill to be successful and I've proven that with many "big time bow hunters" I work with on a daily basis. Put a primitive bow in their hands and watch them slither away when their pride takes a tumble...

With the primitive bow there is often an old style of shooting that needs development and that is the quick acquisition of your target and the release of an arrow quickly. Hence the shorter draw lengths and poundage. This is another area that is misunderstood by many. While yes the power of the bow is important for a humane kill its not of all importance. If you build a 65-70lb+ plus primitive bow you just won't be able to control it nor have consistency. A skilled bowyer with a 40lb bow and quality crafted arrows, and even with stone points can swiftly dispatch any game he needs accurately and reliably.

Obviously different cultures across the world have various designs and what not. The English warbow comes to mind often, which is a completely different animal to our NA bows. I do feel much in terms of the traditional archery design today comes from the English bow, which in it's own right is a phenomenal design. I personally own an English yew warbow and it's a powerful weapon indeed.

I guess in closing my main point here is... ALLOW THINGS TO HAPPEN NATURALLY. Understand you are working a material that is natural and was once alive. Enjoy the experience and what the wood teaches you, connect with it, learn, watch and listen. Clear your mind of what "Traditional Archers" tell you how and what it should be. Take pride in crafting your bow, even if it fails, do it again, and again... Understand that natural wood has limits, don't push it and it'll return the gratitude with each shot. Lastly understand the primitive side of archery offers you something you absolutely will not find anywhere else, embrace it and enjoy it!

Very true.
This tackle is vastly underestimated and underrated.
The guy who taught me bow building and some other primitive skills and I went hunting together once. He was hunting completely primitive gear, cane or rose shoot arrows with wild turkey and goose feather and stone points he made himself.
We sat down in some tall weeds for a "head shed," sitting flat on our butts with legs crossed. A doe walked almost right up to us. He lifted his bow off his lap only chest high, drew to his chest and let fly. Complete pass through, both lungs, short blood trail. We measured the draw to hi chest in that position later and checked the draw weight at that length,,,, only about 37# draw with a reduced "power stroke" due to the reduced draw length.

If I ever get back to bow building the turtle bow is high on my list. Then a couple things I've never done. A linen backed whitewood bow and a bamboo backed bow. I've done the Sudbury and would do that again. Normally I just made a simple flat bow style with limb edges parallel for about 2/3rds theory length then tapering to the tips, with a stiff handle. I'd like to try a bend through the handle bow that constantly tapers all the way to pointed tips with thread wraps to create the shoulders to hold the bow string.

Pretty accurate. To me, when he shows the end of the stave showing all the rings, it looks like he received it with no sapwood. He just needs to choose and reveal a good ring of heartwood.

See if you can get a copy, at least on loan, of, "The Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Vol.1"

That book will make so many things make sense.