Author Topic: Sturgeon Skin/rawhide backed Penobscot Bow  (Read 8174 times)

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Offline Almostpighunter

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Sturgeon Skin/rawhide backed Penobscot Bow
« on: November 12, 2016, 01:51:11 am »
This is a story of 1 + 1 = newfound inspiration.
I haven't posted in a while and, to be honest, I haven't done much bow making lately either. I kind of fell flat on the whole bowering thing over the last year or so. Don't get me wrong I still love the craft and the bows, but I just wasn't inspired like I used to be. I've been doing more leatherwork recently and decided to sell off a lot of my bowering materials to make room for the leather. In the process of cleaning out my work space I found some old staves that I either been hoarding or never finished and decided to just go through the motions one more time. The 54" osage stave became a rawhide backed,bend through the handle, bow a few days later... but I already have/made several of these bows and I felt it was "just another bow" to me. I also had found a 60" hickory bow that I had backed with rawhide as well and got into tiller, but I never finished because the limbs had some minor propeller twist in them. Something about the 60" length of the hickory bow tweaked a memory and I checked this book (pic 1) for this picture (pic 2) and suddenly I had my inspiration.

I converted the osage into the smaller "back" bow and left the hickory as is. The resulting penobscot bow is made as close to the specs of the book as I could manage but with the obvious differences of wood type and sturgeon skins (lil' primitive archery bling-bling). I was very excited about the look, but nearly jumped out of my skin on firing the first shot! The bow draws incredibly smooth and feels like a 45-50# bow despite it having weighed in at 63# @ my 29" draw. The arrows screamed to the target and hit really hard. I can't wait to shoot through a chronie the next time I make it out to the range. In the end I am very happy and hope you guys like what you see!

If you'd like to see the bow in action, I posted a video on my YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXEVqVzVS48

Long bow:
Rawhide backed Hickory
60" nock to nock length
Sturgeon Side skin with scutes

Short "back" bow:
Rawhide backed Osage
30" nock to nock length
Sturgeon Dorsal skin with scutes

63# @ 29"

Offline Almostpighunter

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Re: Sturgeon Skin/rawhide backed Penobscot Bow
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2016, 01:57:12 am »
more pics

Offline Almostpighunter

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Re: Sturgeon Skin/rawhide backed Penobscot Bow
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2016, 02:00:07 am »
Tiller

Offline chamookman

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Re: Sturgeon Skin/rawhide backed Penobscot Bow
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2016, 04:38:41 am »
I've always been a Fan of Sturgeon Skins - Cool Bow ! Bob
"May the Gods give Us the strength to draw the string to the cheek, the arrow to the barb and loose the flying shaft, so long as life may last." Saxon Pope - 1923.

Offline Orrum

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Re: Sturgeon Skin/rawhide backed Penobscot Bow
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2016, 06:58:20 am »
First I have seen of sturgeon skins and I like em a bunch!
Knapping....If your hobby does not consume you then you have no hobby.

Offline ---GUTSHOT--->

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Re: Sturgeon Skin/rawhide backed Penobscot Bow
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2016, 07:17:15 am »
Cool bow!

Offline Almostpighunter

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Re: Sturgeon Skin/rawhide backed Penobscot Bow
« Reply #6 on: November 12, 2016, 09:13:14 pm »
Gutshot, Orrum, Chamookman, thanks guys!

Offline Danzn Bar

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Re: Sturgeon Skin/rawhide backed Penobscot Bow
« Reply #7 on: November 12, 2016, 09:21:04 pm »
very interesting......fine workmanship.....and I really like the wood combination.
DBar
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking

Offline upstatenybowyer

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Re: Sturgeon Skin/rawhide backed Penobscot Bow
« Reply #8 on: November 12, 2016, 09:43:52 pm »
Very cool. Wonderfully executed. Never seen one like that  :o

Cheers
"Even as the archer loves the arrow that flies, so too he loves the bow that remains constant in his hands."

Nigerian Proverb

Offline bubby

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Re: Sturgeon Skin/rawhide backed Penobscot Bow
« Reply #9 on: November 12, 2016, 09:54:48 pm »
Nice job Mike! Good to see you posting again
« Last Edit: November 13, 2016, 11:31:15 am by bubby »
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline BowEd

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Re: Sturgeon Skin/rawhide backed Penobscot Bow
« Reply #10 on: November 13, 2016, 07:59:12 am »
Very cool bow Almostpighunter.Nice video too.It really snaps them out there from 2 of the favorite types of wood I like.Dazzling finish with those sturgeon skins.Like you said a starry starry night look.
BowEd
You got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything.
Ed

Offline osage outlaw

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Re: Sturgeon Skin/rawhide backed Penobscot Bow
« Reply #11 on: November 13, 2016, 08:12:27 am »
I really like those skins.  Nice work.
I started out with nothin' and I still got most of it left

Offline Pat B

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Re: Sturgeon Skin/rawhide backed Penobscot Bow
« Reply #12 on: November 13, 2016, 12:47:51 pm »
I've never been a fan of the Penobscot bow but you have done a good job on this one from the well done tiller to the sturgeon skin backing.  I think the sturgeon skin would have been plenty strong enough backing but understand it was a second thought.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline burn em up chuck

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Re: Sturgeon Skin/rawhide backed Penobscot Bow
« Reply #13 on: November 13, 2016, 01:00:02 pm »
      very very cool

                    chuck
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Offline Stick Bender

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Re: Sturgeon Skin/rawhide backed Penobscot Bow
« Reply #14 on: November 13, 2016, 01:07:56 pm »
Very cool bow Mike I watched your vid last week & thought that was a unusual bow for you but realy nice , sorry to here you lost your bow mojo you sure inspired me long before I became a PA member & I learned a lot from your vids hope that bow inspires you again !
If you fear failure you will never Try !