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New Member here with a few questions

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huntsmanlance:
Hi ya Pat! and thank you everyone for the welcome and advice. Mark thank you for the help! I have been reading most of the post on here to get the feel of making a warbow and when i am ready to start my own bow i will certainly be asking for more advice! I work with leather quite a bit but never was introduced to working with wood. Thus i dont have any of the tools....bandsaw and such. I have read and read about about making bows, books and post such as yours and like Pat said i have been on Trad Gang for quite some time.

Yes Mark i would have to say the bows i have shot were not made well. but it wasnt until i started asking on Trad Gang about the ELB's that i was told that a properly tillered bow would perform far better than i had experienced and...not shake the teeth right out of your head with the hand shock!

As for the performance difference....yes i have to admit that i am used to the modern recurves and longbows....i am starting to realize that if i get a very well made ELB and just stick with it i will get used to how they shoot and not even think about  comparing them to the modern ones after awhile. I will say that i have shot some well made selfbows in the flat style that just....had a "feel" to them which you dont get from a modern glass bow. It is like they have a life to them....but that isnt really the best way to describe it....but i am sure you out there that make them understand.

I have been into the whole medieval thing for quite some time. Just look at my homepage. I have been shooting traditional archery for around 7 years now but only recently got serious about reenacting the archery part. Here in Oklahoma....which for Mark's sake...is right smack in the middle of the States and there just isnt anyone close to me who is also into this. Most of the groups here that do do medieval shoots are very inclusive and dont say a thing about people using recurves and such.

But for me personally i want to do it right. So I can experience the feel and adventure of being in a huge expanse of woods with no one else around and being able to roam, camp and hunt where ever my feet take me.

SO....any recommendations for a bowyer? I have been looking at the bows Gerald Welch of Welchman Bows makes and have a good feeling about them, but at around $800 that is quite a price to come up with....especially when you have twin 3 year old girls!  :o

Again thanks for the welcome all and for listening to my ramblings!

Lance

duffontap:
Welcome to the forum!

John Strunk builds a fabulous English Longbow but you'll notice that the chapter in the Bowyer's Bible is about the 'Yew Longbow' and the dimensions given are American and not English.  This has created some confusion for new bowyers who think ELB's have a narrowed handle--they do not. 

English longbows have excellent cast but they must be made well.  Perfect tiller should be job 1, and nice light tips are very important as well.  My last ELB was 80#'s when I finished it and it would shoot a 650-700 gr. hunting arrow about 215-220 yards.  No hand shock. 

Most of us can relate to your desire to make instead of buy.  A recent bid for a 150# warbow replica from D. Adams (US not UK) was $3,500.   ;D  I just thought that was funny. 

        J. D.

huntsmanlance:
Thanks J.D. i have seen some of his bows for sale but they were all tillered to 27" and so....i have a 29 1/2" draw and that has really cut down on the bows i could get without causing a set.....as i have been told because i am new to these.

I did find a Welchman War Bow for $600 but it was 70" long and also tillered to 27". On Geralds site he recommends a 73" + bow for my draw length.

I have looked on the classifieds here but they dont allow used bow sells. I have also been looking on the other traditional bow sites that have classifieds for people selling used bows and on E-Bay but havent seen many ELB at all.

Any suggestions?

markinengland:
You could buy from the UK. Trouble is that airmail and customs are really high.
Why not make one, those of us who make longbows would be more than happy to talk you through the process.
A good simple hickory backed hickory longbow would be quite simple to make and do exactly what you want for little money and a great making experience.
Mark in England

duffontap:

--- Quote from: markinengland on January 10, 2008, 06:48:17 pm ---You could buy from the UK. Trouble is that airmail and customs are really high.
Why not make one, those of us who make longbows would be more than happy to talk you through the process.
A good simple hickory backed hickory longbow would be quite simple to make and do exactly what you want for little money and a great making experience.
Mark in England

--- End quote ---

Yep, and after you've made 10 of them, you'll be hooked like the rest of us.   ;D ;D

         J. D.

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