View Full Version : bowmaking
Santa got me a longbow stave for Cgristmas, wondered whether anyone could reccomend a good book (website) to help me turn it into a bow.
Cheers Heath
The Bowyers bibles books are brilliant. Paleoplanet and primitive archer are great sites full of information and people willing to help a beginner.
Bardster
09-01-2010, 15:25
Probably the best book for a real beginner would be "The Traditional Archers Handbook" by Hilary Greenland.
The Bowyers bibles are fantastic but probably too much info for a beginner - they can be a bit overwhelming. About 80% of it also would not be relevant.
Thanks for the info, I'll check them out.
mikethescout
11-01-2010, 15:50
There is good thread on the forum by nagual, of him making his own bow. Could be worth having a look:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45489&highlight=bow
Mike
Probably the best book for a real beginner would be "The Traditional Archers Handbook" by Hilary Greenland.
The Bowyers bibles are fantastic but probably too much info for a beginner - they can be a bit overwhelming. About 80% of it also would not be relevant.
I would agree with Bardster. Hilary's book is pretty good.
Bring you completed Bow to the Bushmoot for us all to marvel at.
What materials is your bow stave made from?
Don't store it in a centrally heated room.
I found JohnJayRambo1111's videos really helpful. In this one he's using stoneage tools, but he makes one with only a knife too, anyway, you should get the gist of it from him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpw5P3c3T3k&feature=PlayList&p=51226E3EDB922EBB&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=36
Tom Mills is a primitive bow legend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPJmrWZmSRI
What materials is your bow stave made from?
Don't store it in a centrally heated room.
Not sure what wood it is but it's actually three woods laminated.
How should I be storing it?
Not sure what wood it is but it's actually three woods laminated.
How should I be storing it?
If you have a nice laminated stave i would save it until you have a bow or two under your belt before going at it. Most people break a few bows before they get a durable, well shooting bow. Its pretty easy to find staves or saplings that you can practice on first that are either free or very low cost if you know where to look and who to ask :o
I should imagine a nice laminated stave would set you back a few quid and you would kick your self if you killed on your first bow.
Just my 2 peneth worth ;)
Grooveski
12-01-2010, 20:41
Only bow I've managed to finish was my first, a 3 laminate longbow blank. :D
The couple I've broken since were staves I'd cut myself and I was gutted. :eek:
For the longbow I went by the design in Pip Bickerstaffs wee book and took it real slow.
Thanks for the advice folks, keep it coming please.
How should I be storing my stave, its a three piece laminate?