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Old Bow Question

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Gordon:
I am refurbishing an old bow that a member of my black powder club picked up at a gun show.  The bow appears to be made from a lemonwood board, has a handle lamination that looks like purple heart, no arrow shelf or pass, and self nocks. There is a label on it, but it is badly deteriorated so I can't tell who made it. I'm guessing that the bow was made in the 1930's or 40's. It's in decent shape except for the handle overlay starting to delaminate and some set in the outer limbs due to it being whip tillered.  The bow appears primitive in all regards except it is backed by a black paper-thin material. I've scrapped off the finish and the material does not appear to be either silk or fiberglass. Any ideas what it may be?

Pat B:
Could be compressed paper, Gordon. Some of those old lemonwood bows had what they called fiber backing, compressed paper. Somewhere around here I have an old York Archery catalog with a description of bows and some had the fiber backing. They cost $8 or $9 dollars with the backing.

Gordon:

--- Quote ---Some of those old lemonwood bows had what they called fiber backing, compressed paper.
--- End quote ---

Ah, I bet that's what it is. I've been fixing the tiller on that old bow - lemonwood is a dream to work with a scraper. It's a shame you can't find that wood anymore.

Thank you, Pat!

Pat B:
I've made a few lemonwood bows. It is a dream to work. Good luck with that one.   :OK

Hamish:
I've never used fiber, but I looked into it a few years ago. You can still buy it in the US, or even online from China. I think they use it for electrical boards, gasket material, and as colourful laminations in knife handles.
There was a story in an archery magazine, either PA or Instinctive Archer a couple of decades ago about a guy who was still shooting one of these lemonwood fiber backed bows, and it still worked really well.

I have a couple in my collection, black, and reddish brown fiber. I don't shoot them though they are still in good condition. You can often see them on Ebay.

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