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How many bows?

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jeffp51:
I saw a video the other day about a guy who claims to have taught 3000 people to make a bow.  In the meantime, I have around a dozen shootable bows around my house. It is making me wonder how many wood bows are out there since the revival of wooden bows in the last few decades?

Eric Krewson:
I would say the guy is lying unless he is counting hits on a youtube video. His claim is like the sports stars who claim they had X amount of girlfriends, to accomplish what they claim they wouldn't have time to play sports.

It would be anybody's guess about the number of new wood bows out there, some guys are very prolific. I have made around 160, I know a guy who has made thousands and another guy (now deceased) who claimed to have made 10,000 bows and probably did. Guy #2 had milling machines set up to shape his bows, he would run a bow through the machines, string it and do a rough tiller on a balloon sander then pull the bow to 31", if it didn't break he shipped it. Total time start to finish; about 15 minutes, I was in his shop one time and watched him crank them out.

BowEd:
Just to make a shootable unfinished bow does'nt take that long.The type of design and style can make a difference also.A bend in the handle type board bow can be made to shoot within 1/2 hour and the eye for your basic tillering skills achieved.Making a horn bow can take over 6 months start to finish but along the way making that horn bow more is learned IMHO.
I hav'nt kept track exactly how many bows I've made successfully and broke also but I'm sure it's in the hundreds.

Eric Krewson:
The #2 guy was the infamous Jimmy taylor, he made mostly hickory backed cherry and hickory backed walnut bows. At first he sold them for $20 at a local indoor flea market, later he started shipping them worldwide and raised the price to $60. I told everyone who wanted one to order a high poundage one and retiller it to your target weight. With Jimmy you could order a 60# bow and get a 30# bow and vice versa, some accidentally came out to be pretty good bows, he made a zillion of them. 

PEARL DRUMS:
I just finished up a one on one complete instructional class, I know for fact I couldn't teach 3000 people in 5 life times, even doing it full time. Those 3000 people he "taught" didn't learn much.

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