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"The Bent Stick" Design Discussion - with photos

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organic_archer:
I'd love to open a new discussion on Paul Comstock's design from The Bent Stick and TBB1. I made several a couple years ago and really liked the way they shot. There wasn't a noteworthy amount of speed loss or hand shock. Donny Dust has one of my first in this design and has been putting it through the wringer for years.

I searched the archives and wasn't able to find much other than people recommending The Bent Stick. How many of you make and hunt with these? There aren't many examples on PA or PaleoPlanet.

If you love it, why? If you hate it, why? Anyone have photos to share?

I've got one made of Hackberry in the works right now. It's being done "by the book". The stave was seasoned for 2 months, the blank roughed out, and is now sitting in a hot box at 103 degrees. It's 2" wide at the fades with a very slight taper to 1.75" wide 10" from the tips; so nearly 2" wide for most of its length. I went with 64" length instead of 66", because he recommends a 66" bow for up to 29" draw and mine is 26 inches.

I'll post the completed bow when it's finished. The few before this one were between 68-72" long so I'm looking forward to seeing how a shorter one shoots.

One in the hot box.




One I made a couple years ago for Donny. It pulls 62# and didn't take any string follow. The stave had a minor deflex spot that was placed in the handle/fade area of the limb to the right in the profile shots.

willie:

--- Quote --- 2" wide at the fades with a very slight taper to 1.75" wide 10" from the tips; so nearly 2" wide for most of its length.
--- End quote ---

Is this width profile what makes it a "Comstock design"

(still looking for his book, it around somewhere)
It was the first bow I built, and book I bought many years back. needless to say it suffered from many of the faults of a first build, but I never thought to try the design again....hmmm

very nice work BTW, I like the tiller and finish.

Pat B:
This is a practical, very durable design, a real work horse. What's not to like about it. I got my copy of The Bent Stick back in 1988 and built the different designs Paul Comstock described in my early years.
 You've done a very nice job on your bow, tiller is spot on.  :OK

Aksel:
Nice bow! I also made my first few bows following his design from TBB1 from Birch and Elm with pin nocks and rattan wrapped handle. I still have one from 20 years ago.

Thinking back at it it was a lot of unnecessary work cutting elm trees of a diameter of 12 inches to get a flat, wide cross section. I soon learned an Elm sapling bow of 4 inches makes an as good bow and is a lot less work and a skinnier, more pointy front profile comes naturally.

He said in TBB4 he stopped making the outer 1/2 as wide as described in The Bent Stick.

Pat, I am curious - what other designs does he mention in the book?

I´ve been thinking of buying the book for a long time.

organic_archer:
Willie - It's essentially a shortened Meare Heath. The extra width for ~2/3 of the limbs and ~66" length makes it his design. It's worth building another one if you like the looks! Bonus that it doubles as a canoe paddle  (W

Pat - thank you! Glad to hear you've built some!

Askel - The one in the hot box currently came from a 6-7" diameter tree. At 2" wide it does have a little crown, but not too bad. I agree and have also lately been drawn to Holmegaard-style bows made from saplings with really pointy tips. I just finished one and will try to get pics for a post soon, but it's been raining for days.

I recently gifted The Bent Stick and don't have the copy in front of me, but recall Paul covering two designs. One is a full 2" wide for most of its length (1.75" for bows under 55#). The other was something like "the ideal hunting bow" toward the end of the book. It was full width for ~half its profile, tapering to narrower tips.

I'm pulling from memory and could be wrong. Which reminds me... I need to order another copy!

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