Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: duffontap on December 26, 2007, 09:58:50 pm
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Hello Friends,
It's been a couple months since I've been able to post a bow. Changes at work and enjoying life as a father have made discretionary time harder to come by. Anyway, all the time I've been away, I've known what I would post when I came back. I built this bow just for you guys--my dear fellow travelers of this narrow road called classical archery.
On the first day of the 2006 archery season I called in an elk which hung up about 20 feet from me on the other side of a huge Oceanspray thicket. While I waited in vain, I noticed some Oregon Crabapple growing around the Oceanspray and I made a mental note to come back with a saw. When I came back, this was the stave I found. Snarly, thorny, snaky, knotty and mysteriously beautiful. I'm not a total sucker for character bows, but they have their place and I was so confident in the integrity of Crabapple as a bow wood that I knew a serious bow could be made from that stave. I promised myself that I would build the most perfect character bow I could.
While I was tempted by wide limbs, extra length, and lower weight at first, I decided that I wouldn't stoop to overbuilding a Crabapple bow. It is 66" nock to nock and very random in width but averaging around 1 3/8-1 1/2" wide at the fades. It draws 70#s at 28".
Limbs taper to 3/8" tips with overlays of buffalo horn. The buffalo horn overlays have deep, carefully-fitted Abalone inlays. The strike plate is horn with a round fretboard-type Abalone inlay. I also strove for perfect tiller in spite of the obstacles. Crabapple is surprisingly forgiving to work so that was in my favor.
In spite of about 60 knots, the bow has held together nicely and shoots well. It has no string follow at rest due to the impressive compression strength of Crabapple. It is a sweet shooter but I'm not going to kid myself about what it is. I crafted this bow with a great investment of time and care and I can't imagine how I would feel if it blew up.
This bow is a reflection of the best work I am currently capable of. I owe so much to the people here who have helped, inspired and encouraged me along the way. This bow is dedicated to all of you. I hope you enjoy it.
Abalone and horn strike plate:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q35/duffontap/StrikePlate-1.jpg)
Showing string position at rest:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q35/duffontap/StringPosition.jpg)
A "Glob" Fade:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q35/duffontap/Glob.jpg)
Horn overlay with Abalone inlay:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q35/duffontap/TipOverInlay.jpg)
About 60 knots in all:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q35/duffontap/KnottyBack.jpg)
At least I call them knots:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q35/duffontap/Branch.jpg)
On the belly too:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q35/duffontap/BellyAndKnots.jpg)
My superior in archery Joy:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q35/duffontap/JoyAndKnots.jpg)
Gratuitous picture:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q35/duffontap/BringingKnottyBack.jpg)
Lulu and a braced bow:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q35/duffontap/BracedLulu.jpg)
Backyard shooting buddy:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q35/duffontap/JoshAndLulu.jpg)
Tiller:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q35/duffontap/FullDrawBack.jpg)
Last picture for sure:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q35/duffontap/FullDrawFront.jpg)
J. D. Duff
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Definitely got a couple of knots in it. Good job, Justin
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Wow, that was fast Justin! Thanks and Merry Christmas to you and your family.
J. D.
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Oh man that F$#%ing cool... yes i said that out loud to my self when i seen the 1st pic a the full bow.
Very cool.
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Thanks so much for posting that. I just destroyed my first attempt at a bow, a pretty funky peice of buckthorn. Something about the "character" wood has great appeal to me. I suppose I should be learning on board bows or easier wood, but I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.
This is a truly inspiring bow! right on man.
\By the way, could you show a picture of your quiver/ What is the construction? Very nice. Eric
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:o :o J.D., that's one of the most impressive bows I've seen in a long time. It's easy to see that many hours of work and craftsmanship went into it. Awesome! 8)
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Leapingbare, thanks a lot.
Erik Kol, hang in there. I've broken my share of bows. Remember that historically the very best staves were sought out for bows. We can build character bows because we don't depend on theme for subsistence (or to maintain freedom from invading armies, etc). This bow is an exception for me. I usually like trying to find truly excellent staves with very little character and making the longest-lasting bow I can from it. Go easy on yourself and buy a clean, straight stave of a reputable wood like Hickory or Osage. It's good to get a long-lasting shooter on the bow rack.
Hillbilly, Thanks so much. I was hoping you would like it. This is only my second crabapple bow but I really wish there were more good staves around. I see good ones on private property but never where I'm permitted to cut. Thanks again.
J. D.
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Dude, Thats about the coolest character bow ever! sweet! ;D I'm very envious.......I'm always looking for staves like that. 8)
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WOW J.D.,
That's gotta be the sweetest character bow I've seen. The strike plate could have come off my Taylor...SWEET !!!!
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I would run from a stave like that! You're much braver than me and obviously a very skilled bowyer. That's one to show off for sure, great job!
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Ryano, Thanks a lot! The thing I like about the bows of yours that I've seen is that they are perfectly tillered, long-lasting hunting bows. That's what it's all about. Character bows are fun but I don't think they are the best measure of the bowyer just as shooting pills out of the air isn't the best measure of a deer hunter. Hey, are you running your dogs these days?
Jpitts, what a compliment. I have always been insanely jealous of the inlays produced by good luthiers. I've always wanted to turn out a bow that looked like a D-45.
Saw Filer, You would be wise to run from it. A lot of work, and for what? Ha, ha. Thanks again.
J. D.
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A master piece, Josh. Thanks for braving the build and sharing the results with us...and you did nail the tiller!!! ;) Pat
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awsome! that piece of wood is so knotted up i don't think a beaver would have used it on it's damn.
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Great bow J.D.--all that character/looks great, and I'm with J.D.--its amazing all the talent and craftsmanship thats brought out by all of you on this site.
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JD your my kind of guy. Excellent excellent job. You must be a real sutbborn fella when you want to be cause it doesn't look like you had any give up in ya when you labored on all those knots. Hopefully I will develop my skills to the point I feel confident in taking on a bow with any character knots let a lone a gazillion of them. Once again the bar is raised. Danny
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J. D. Great bow! I maybe biased being an Oregonian but you and Gordon have made my favorite bows since I started on here. Keep up the good work. Joel
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Cool stave and awesome tiller. Good work. Ron
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J. D. Wonderful work on a wild piece!
Rich
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Pat B., Thanks. This was the bow I told you I was trying to get around to posting. I have been staring at it on my bow rack for three months wishing I had more time.
Mechslasher, it's hardly what you would call a clean stave. ;) The cool thing about crabapple is that the tree seems to route extra strength around the knots. It's strong in spite of the mess of knots.
Glenn R. Thanks. In my opinion, this is about the best forum on the internet.
Sidewinder, Thanks Danny. I don't know if I'll ever really raise the bar with bows. When I look at Chester Stevenson's character bows I feel like sawing my bows up for firewood. Ha, ha. I have to admit, I am smitten with this bow.
deerhunter97370, Philomath huh? Good to see a fellow Oregonian on the boards. We have an incredible archery heritage here. If you like Gordon and my bows, you should take a class with John Strunk. Gordon and I both studied under him and I owe the better half of my thanks to John for insisting that I keep my standards high. The man is an inspiration and ten times the bowyer that I am.
M-P, I think the stave gets most of the credit. It was a pleasure to work with. Thanks for the kind words.
Hey Rich! I was hoping you would check in. Thanks for the compliments. It was a fun project. I hope I don't get pegged as a 'character bow guy' because I really believe in the value of practical, dependable bows--but I can see the beauty in a crooked stick as well as the next guy. I do think self bows are where I want to develop my skills though. How you guys make those perfect glue-ups is beyond me. Thanks again.
J. D.
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JD - I don't post many comments about other people's bows... it's something that just doesn't seem to be in my nature. But this one I just couldn't resist. I have to say that that is the most beautiful bow I have seen in 6 years of lurking on these forums. To have the courage to even attempt something like that is amazing, and to have the skill to pull it off equally so. Everything from stave choice, down to tiller and even such vain things as cosmetics. It looks exactly like the perfect traditional bow to me. Someday I hope to pull off something that nice.
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Superb bow mate! ;D Looks real nice and the leather work looks good too!
-Alex
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jd thats got the front page of next years calendar already sewed up. dont know what else to say. ive been on here a long time and thats quite possibly the best ive seen. peace
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J.D. let me start by congratulating you on your new baby no doubt your finest creation eh ;D
Sure am glad to see you back on the board and what an entrance you make this bow is going to be a Hall of Famer!!!
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WOW...is an understatement.
If I didn't know any better, I'd accuse you of breaking into John Strunk's bow vault and stealing his most prized character bow. After seeing John's bows first hand in his living room, I can honestly say that bow is just as finely crafted (and tillered!) as any of John's bows.
Thanks for destroying any chances of anyone getting a single vote for BOM in December! :'(
Fantastic work JD!
Joe
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Very nice bow Josh. You certainly got as much as you could out of that piece of wood.
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Wow JD that is a character bow for sure!! Great work.
Alan
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Very unique!! I like it. I hope it shoots as good as it looks!
Wells
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That is an awesome bow. Truly masterful craftsmanship. I just love seeing character bows on this site. Jawge
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Waterlogged, Thanks for that amazing compliment. In all honestly, this bow is not what I would consider the ultimate traditional bow. It holds together because Crabapple is so strong and it was very carefully tillered but I hunt with bows that have clean backs. ;) Thanks a lot.
Far East Archer, I appreciate the comment about the leather. I've been working really hard at developing a grip style I like. That leather was tough to work so I'm going to try a different kind but I like the way it looks.
Jamie, thanks a lot. It's a very special bow to me. I'm glad others are enjoying it too.
DanaM, being a father is the best. My wife and baby come out and visit me in the shop and it's so fun. I have a little Yew stave picked out for her first bow.
330bull, I think John is one of the best self-bowyers in the world. Every self-bow he builds is amazing to me. When I go to his house I promise myself I'll raise my standards. Getting compared to him is always a high compliment but, as I've said before, he's ten times the bowyer I am.
Marc, Thanks a lot for the kind words. Most of my focus lately has been on staves with as little character as possible so this was a fun challenge. Not what I'd call practical though.
Woodland, I appreciate the compliments Alan. Thanks.
Wulamoc, I was surprise at how well it shoots. I never had intentions of making this a regular shooter. With all those knots I don't think it could last forever like a good, clean selfbow would. God-willing, I'm going to try to build a couple Yew bows from clean billets and staves that follow the same basic dimensions and tiller.
Jawge, Thanks a lot. I worked really hard on it so I'm really glad it has been so appreciated. This site does produce some amazing character bows. I like all the selfbows.
J. D. Duff
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JD. That is an absolute masterpiece. Anyone that has ever worked on an extream character bow, can definately appreciate the time dedication and skill that such a bow requires. A bow like that pushes the envelope of problem solving and paitient carefull planning.Your skills as a bowyer are an inspiration to us all. Great bow !!!
PS. Be carefull, those character bows can be extreamly addictive. You might just get hooked. Keenan
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Just can't quit looking at that beauty JD. I'm wonder if my wife would notice if the crabapple in our yeard was missing. LOL Keenan
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Not only primitive but a skillfully-made bow. Handle wrap is tops!!
How'd my dog get in the pics? Anyway, truly bookmarked for Dec Self Bow of the Month!!
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Absolutely beautiful! I was going to post the question "can you use crabapple to make a bow?" So now I know. I live on Vancouver Island and I am looking for native bow wood. The crabapple we have here is Pacific Crabapple. Do you know if this is similar to the species that you use? The knots in your stave are many. I have Pacific Yew staves with knots ...and was wondering - how can I tell if these knots would be detrimental to the bow? Being a first-time bow-builder, how can you tell if a stave is suitable for bow-building before you start? Or do you just go ahead and try making it and see what the outcome is?
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Wow....just wow. ive printed thoes pictures off and theyre going up in my shop. just a little reminder about how real bows are supposed to look! its verry humbling to be able to rub shoulders with great bowyers such as yourself and many others on this site! ive got some thorn apple here on my land, verry hard stuff! sounds about like what youve got there, just wondering what your thoughts on it might be, i live in northern Pa. i cut some last year while we were clearing some pasture land for my pops. did a density test and it was something around 80 to 90 from what i could tell. There are some reletively strait trunks that ive found. sorry for rambling, i get all worked up looking at beautifull bows ;D
Phil
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JD that is a beauty. I think you made a good example of what can be done with a horrible piece of wood and lot of patience. You have my vote for sure.
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Keenan, You should cut that thing down! Ha, ha. I wish I could get permission to cut Crabapple in a local swamp--I'd be set for life.
Thanks Oldbow! I've been working hard on my grips. I think it's one of the most difficult parts to keep natural looking.
Timber Wolfe, I'm not sure there is a difference. I've studied what my tree books say about Crabapple and it seems that Pacific/Oregon are used interchangeably. I have another Crabapple bow I made from a very clean stave that draws about 90# @ 28" and I've pulled it a lot further than that. It's great wood. Look for the cleanest, straightest, stave you can find and it will last forever.
Phil, What an honor to have a picture in someone else's shop. By 'thorn apple' do you mean, Osage or Hedgeapple? Crabapple is also called 'thorn apple' and 'ironwood' in some areas but I don't know if what you have is the same thing. If it's any of those things, however, it should make a great bow. Your density test is more than good news, too. Let us know what happens.
WIBOWYER, Thanks a lot. It's a definite 'worst case' stave.
J. D. Duff
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ya know im not sure what the actual name for it is, i know for sure that its not osage :'(, it grows probably at the most 20 ft tall, and the largest trunk ive seen was probably 10-12 inches. like i said ive got a couple of trees in my mind right now that i think i can get at least 68 inces out of...youve inspired me to go grab a chainsaw! thanks!
Phil
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Fantastic work on that one.
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JD
Im a sucker for a pretty bow, and that is a piece of artwork my friend, wow, what can you say about that.......wow.
Bishop
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Fantastic!!!!
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Beautiful Bow JD,just Gorgeous!
Pax
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Wow! That's really cool!
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Wow!!...Bow of the Year? Great bow J.D.....Brian
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Sweeeeeeeeeet! Thats one nice bow and the knots just scream primitive.
wvflintknapper
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awesome, dude...just awesome. coolest character i've ever seen.
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JD, Thanks for the complements. I just got back from a bear hunt with hounds in West Virginia, see my thread in the hunting/shooting section. Ive had my dogs out a couple times this fall. Glad to see you posting here again, keep up the good work.
Ryano.
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I only want to say this to you...GREAT BOW...i love character bows...all the wood that i have right now has a little charcter on themm so i realy love this kind of bows...a bow like this makes you give all the best that you can...and i think that you realy have made a beautifuul bow here....well done.
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JD, Just got back and saw that bow.Man,that is nice! You got my vote for BOM and Bow of the year.
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Most Exelent Craftsmanship on that bow, That Fir table aren't bad niether.
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Just amazing,how you got a bow out of that knarly piece of wood - and a 70# to.Hang it on the wall J D it is the most beautiful ugly bow I ever seen.
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Damn that is nice!
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Burnt Hill, grab that chainsaw and go for it. Sounds like you've got access to some good staves there. Don't let them slip through your fingers.
Shooter, thanks for looking!
Bishop, I really appreciate the compliments. This is an 'artful realm' as Tim Baker once put it.
Andrew S., Thanks!
Loki, you're always an encouragement. I appreciate you taking the time to check in.
Kviljo, Thanks. How's the smitty?
Koan, thanks a lot Brian!
wvflintknapper, Primitive? or perhaps just crazy. ;)
Carpenter374, wow, thanks.
Ryano--cool videos Ryan. I wish I lived in a state where running dogs was legal. Just looks like a blast. I meant what I said about your bows. You're making a very serious contribution to selfbowyery by staying true to perfect tiller and practical designs. The world needs more bowyers who think that way.
akila, Thanks a lot. I'm looking more and more for clean, near-perfect staves these days. I have made the mistake in the past of collecting a lot of junky staves and passing them off as 'character wood' when they were basically worthless. This stave was a 'perfect' character stave so I did my best with it--heart and soul. As I have said above though, character bows have their place but they are not as practical as bows made from clean staves and should be seen for what they are. They sure are inspiring though.
Mullet, quite a compliment coming from as good a bowyer as you. Thanks a lot.
PK, Thanks. I made the table as a gift for my wife our first year of marriage. I love fir. I have quite a collection of old-growth fir I've salvaged for arrows. I've been wanting to get a chainsaw mill so I can quarter-saw a bunch of a big log I have a permit for to use for flooring in my house. I dream big. Ha, ha. Thanks again.
Mamba, it's hanging now. Thanks.
Brian, thanks a lot!
J. D. Duff
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You are quite a good writer also you've got it made.Hope your dreams, The good ones come true.
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J.D., In nearly 10 years of pouring through trad websites, that has to be one of the neatest, and most cleanly executed character bows I've seen. The tillering, abalone inlays, and grip work are impeccable. To think that you got 70# out of a ratty piece of crabapple is amazing!
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PK, Thanks a lot. I hope to write more in the future. I do enjoy it.
Adam, 10 years ago I didn't even know the internet existed. Thanks for the compliment on the tiller--that's job # 1.
J. D. Duff
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JD Thats Very nice bow. Marlon ;)
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Marlon! How are you doing man? I've been meaning to check in with you for a while. How are things in the CSI city? Thanks for the compliment. My failure to produce a 150# warbow for you still bums me out. I like to keep my failures close to my heart.
J. D.
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CARUMBA!
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JD, that is an extrodinary bow - the way the bow flows with the character of the wood, the flawless tiller and the immaculate attention to detail. You've learned your lessons from John well and have become an exceptional bowyer. Thank you for sharing this remarkable piece of work with us.
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Ghost Dog, Thanks!
Gordon, Thanks a lot. It means a lot coming from such a good bowyer as yourself. I think you would really like this wood. It cuts and scrapes very well. You don't get the tears and washboards that you get with vine maple or Cascara. It's not nearly as common though. I'd love to hear what you think of it if you can find a stave or some billets in your searches.
J. D.
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THAT,..is the most beautiful bow I've ever seen,..EVER !!!!
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I have been away from PA for a few days and this is what I come back to....OMG!!! I don't think their is any compliments left to give J.D. Simply stunning, thats all I can say. :o
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JD
Try and find the landowner and they might give you permission to cut the tree's ,, I got permission from a coal company to remove some wood, so asking never hurts.
wvflintknapper
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JD, I just happen to have a set of crab apple billets in my garage. Your bow has inspired me greatly to do something with them.
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WOW! you are one brave dude. with all those knots I would think that it would have the life expectancy of a shrew :D you did a great job on tillering such a challenging stave.
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Hey Manny--thanks a lot. You've seen some pretty nice bows (and made a few yourself!) I was thinking a while back, I wonder if anyone will ever tie with themselves again like you did? That was the first thing I read when I first signed on here. Again, thanks.
Jbell, I appreciate it Jbell. I've been away for a couple months. It has been a warm welcome from all my friends here at PA.
wvflintknapper, I should. I have permission to cut on a number of acres of private land but the Crabapple doesn't seem to like tree farms as much as it likes the beach and the swamplands around town. I guess I could check with the Department of Transportation to see if I could get a permit for along the highway. I did notice that the last storm blew some down in a few fields near town and I was thinking about trying to get some billets out of them if I could find the owners. I'll post if I do.
Gordon, I would love to see a picture of your billets. One thing I've noticed about Crabapple is that it's tough to debark. I've cut it in spring and fall and it was a major chore to get the bark worked off all the bumps and out of all the valleys these staves tend to have. Perhaps powerwashing would be the best trick? Also, I should try to cut some in midsummer. Sap may be higher then.
Juniper, I don't doubt that it would have the life expectancy of a shrew. This wood is really tough and I worked the outline to the best advantage I could see. Like I said in an earlier post though, I'm not pretending that it's something that it's not. A bow with that much character may shoot well but the life expectancy is just going to suffer. If I didn't have faith in the stave, I certainly wouldn't have tillered it to 70# @ 28", but then I wont be taking it elk hunting either. In other words, it is what it is. Thanks again.
J. D. Duff
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That bow is so ugly its beautiful!!! :o ;D ;D awesome skills you've got there.... awesome..
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That bow is so ugly its beautiful!!! :o ;D ;D awesome skills you've got there.... awesome..
Hard to know how to take that first part. ;D Ha, ha. To be honest I was going for plain old beautiful but the back was left as rustic as possible. Everything else is as refined as I could get it. Thanks again!
J. D. Duff
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HA- my computer finally let me load this :)!
WOW- now THAT is a bow man! Got my vote for BOM man ;D.
And to think, the tree that most often gets stuck in my bowstring would work well with a bowstring >:D!
You're an inspiration man- wicked bow ;D!
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Is your Crabapple the same species as the one in England J.D ? Malus Sylvestris,if so there's a few in my mams garden ;D.
http://www.british-trees.com/guide/crabapple.htm
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Kegan, I wonder why you couldn't load the page? That's weird. Hey, thanks for the compliments. With the head start you've got on me, you'll make me irrelevant in no time. ;D
Hey Loki, The stuff I have around here is Malus fusca. It may be very similar to what you have. It's a very dense wood that will barely float or even sink like a rock in water. There are a lot of things that make a bow wood worth using--availability, elasticity, density, compression strength, beauty, workability, etc. Crabapple has everything but the availability of lots of clean staves. There are nearly perfect staves out there but they are hard to find. Billets are much more likely. When you do find one, you'll find a wood that tools like purpleheart, and holds up like Osage. It's pretty cool.
http://depts.washington.edu/propplnt/Plants/M_fusca.htm
J. D.
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Hey JD! just came back to have another look at that bow again! It keeps callin... :D
I guess I did leave you with a hard to read statement... ;D
I guess I was taken aback some when I first seen the pics! Took awhile to pick my jaw off the floor! :o ;D
I've got a real soft spot for well done character bows.. ;)
Just looking at the back of that bow gives me the desire to try to attempt a character bow as well. Its so gnarley and humpy bumpy its all I can do to try to see a bow in that piece of wood! The job you've done on that stick is inspiration to all I'll reckon!
I've got a chokecherry stave that is almost as wonky as your crabapple that I have debarked and just sitting in the vise waiting....
waiting for something like this thread to inspire and motivate...
Again nice job on the bow! and thanks for the motivation! ;D
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Justin, that has to be one of the coolest bows I have ever seen. I have a feeling a lot of us will be out looking for character staves after seeing yours. I do a few a year but they are seldom straight enough or too twisted to take very seriously, now I am seriously looking for something with character. We need to get a bowyers calender going to showcase some of the great work you guys are doing. Steve
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J.D. I think you just did tie your self with this awsome character bow and your Mary Rose replica, just can't imagine your abality to turn out such bows. This one has the most character, is the most knotty, most inspiring, most attention to detail, nicest handle wrap and is the coolest bow I have ever seen or hope to see. Cant believe you were brave enouigh to go for such a heavy draw weight, and skillful enough to pull it off. I would be afraid to shoot it for fear I would die if it should fail. Can,t wait to vote. Kenneth
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Same here ;D, I have to go back and look at this bow every time I sing in, ...INCREDIBLE !!
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J.D. I have pondered using abalone for a tip overlay like you did. Did you do anything original when gluing it, and has it held up like you expected it would considering what the bow tips go through?
Rich-
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tproof, I knew what you meant. ;D ;D Thanks again.
Steve, Thanks. I like character bows but I don't want to build more than a couple a year. I like how Chet Stevenson would build tons of bows out of flawless staves and a couple character bows out of crazy character staves.
Little John, Thank you very much--you're too kind. I would by lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous coming to full draw while shooting this bow. It's not that I'm afraid of getting hurt. I just can't imagine how tragic it would be if all that work exploded into sawdust. :-X
Manny--the inspiration goes both ways.
Rich, I think Abalone would be vulnerable to mechanical breakage if it weren't well supported against a flat surface. When you get a good piece though, it's extremely hard and tough. It's totally up to the FF strings I put on my bows and the looks can't be beat.
J. D. Duff
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J.D. , what exactly is Abalone? Looks like the inside of a mussel shell....Brian
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JD ,Like everybody else,I keep going back to that gorgeous bow. But I have to ask, Are you going to hunt with it till she Blows ?, or hang it, because it is a work of art.
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A beautiful bow like that ain't made to hang. Whoever would should be! ;D She deserves to prove herself on the field of battle(hunting).
Josh, I was standing in a cold rain(taking the dogs for a walk) today and looking at a 3" crabapple along my driveway. A good straight section with good length but plenty of side branches. If the grain is as straight as it looks, I'll collect it soon. Pat
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Koan, It's the common source for 'mother of pearl.' Mussels have the same thing but it's not as thick.
Mullet and Pat, If you read all my posts on this thread you'll get a feeling for some of my thoughts on character bows. I think it is naive and even dishonest to claim (as many have) that character does not affect the longevity or shooting qualities of a bow. As you both know well, knots will almost always weaken a stave and snakes and dips require more massive limbs (the shortest distance between two points is a straight line) and place more strain on the limbs by forcing them to twist through the draw. What's more, character bows are harder to tiller right because of the visual distraction and the need to compensate for weak spots in the limbs.
I've said before that this bow represents the very best work that I am capable of. Crabapple is amazingly strong which made an unlikely stave a candidate for a special character bow. I built it to prove some things to myself and for any of my friends here who would take an interest. You will not hear me say that this bow would stand up to decades of hard hunting--I have bows that will so I don't feel the need to test it. This for me is a special bow for a number of reasons and I didn't build it with the intention of subjecting it to the day-in-day-out stresses of hunting. I may try to take a coyote with it or take it small game hunting now and then, but I have enjoyed it plenty just having it hanging beside my kitchen table.
To sum up--I do not think the goal of primitive archery is to build hunting bows out of the most compromised staves we can find. For me it stands to reason that the best shooting, longest lasting hunting bows will usually be made from clean staves. Implicitly stated in the 'you've got to be kidding' and nearly all the praise this bow has received is the understanding that this bow exists against strong odds. I feel like hunting it hard would be pushing my luck.
Pat--you say you would hunt it. Mullet, if it were yours--what would you do?
J. D. Duff
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I may not take it as an only bow on a long hunt, but if I were hunting a short morning hunt I would use it. That would complete the journey, right now it is only half traveled. Justin
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J.D
Don't feel bad about leaving it on your wall....there are lots of arrowheads I have made that will never see flight, they are special to me because of their hard to find material, or just the fact of how difficult some were to make..(against the odds) ;D Show your bow at meets and enjoy it, as staves of that character don't come every day!!!! Thats my opinion.... ;D
Brian
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JD,Personally if were mine I'd hunt with it. I have a different philosophy when it comes to sticks and stones. I've blasted some beautiful points into trees shooting at game and always take extra bows on hunting trips expecting one might give up the ghost. If a pretty one broke, I'd probally glue it back together and it would be a wall hanger. If it broke in a thousand pieces ,it probally wasn't meant to be a bow anyway. I'd just make another one. There is always camera's for memories. But, that's just the way I look at them.
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I kind of see it like Justin, be nice to give it a go but maybe not on a $4,000 elk hunt LOL. Steve
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for sure downloaded these pics!
frank
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Just got around to viewing your bow the first time this morning when trying to decide which bow to vote for...I've decided!
That has to be one of the most beautiful character bows I've seen! If I had made your bow and had a trophy room displaying my accomplishments, I would remove all from the walls and only display that bow. You'll be hard challenged to ever top this bow...but we'd all like to see you try. ;)
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JD thats the best one I have seen in a long time a real work of art that has a reason for being. Would still like to get together some time. Again very nice bow Tom
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JD, I just got back from LA, so I am still catching up here.
I was pleased to see you posting, and thought you were gone forever.
What a beautiful job! But you know what....knowing what you are capable, I kind of think "yup, another JD Duff bow." :)
Have a wonderful new year. Sounds like you will.
Dane
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Justin, I tillered it to a higher weight and my draw length so I could hunt with it. I don't consider it a novelty toy, I just want to be honest about the fact that I think lots of character will cost you something. I'll hunt something with it.
Thanks Brian!
Mullet, you make a good point. If all it's going to do is hang on a wall, it could do that glued back together after it has blown up.
Badger, I think you guys are right. Although--you have a lot more bows that I do! ;D ;D Like, 5,000 more. ;D ;D
Medicinewheel, Thanks!
GregB, Good to hear from you Greg. Congratulations on your deer! Taking it with that beautiful bow must have made that very special.
Napper, thanks for your kind words. Where are you at--Vancouver?
Dane, You've always been an encouragement. I got some time off work so I'm doing a lot of catching up. There are a lot of amazing bows here. No place like PA on the web.
J. D.
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JD I live in southwest washington (Longview) about one or one and one half hours from you hope you and your family got through the flooding with no problens have a happy new year Tom.
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Hey Tom, now I remember. Did you change your screen name? We got through just fine. Some of my neighbors lost trees and roofing but we ended up doing ok. I have never seen so many trees down.
J. D.
This was taken right outside of Seaside:
[attachment deleted by admin]
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Glad to hear that you got through ok. It wasn't near as bad here I didn't even lose my lights this time I live up on a hill so water is not what I worry about but the wind didn't blow hard here at all. If you want to shoot black powder just let me know and I will bring mine down their if you have a safe place to shoot I have a caplock and a flintlock both in 50 cal. I hunted with them this year and got my deer but no elk have a good day Tom
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Thats just showing off!!, just kidding, piece of work man, piece of work.
VB
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what happened to those trees in the pic
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Tom, I may be coming up that way in the next couple months. I'll email if I am. Take care.
Venison--Thanks a lot. I appreciate it.
PK, we had a huge storm that took out a ton of trees around here. That's one of the worst timber losses I've ever seen here.
J. D.
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Josh, That pic out side of Seaside is reminiscent of hurricane Hugo that hit Charleston in '89. I'm surprised some of those little coastal Oregon towns didn't wash away. Glad ya'll got through OK. Pat
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JD I have been away and just seen this ,that is one fine looking character bow,and you know how I like character bow.fine job. :)
Pappy
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You guys are great.
Pat, we made it though ok. My neighbor had a tree fall on his house and one of the old loggers from the street was trying to get it cut away but his saw bound up. They came over and asked if I would help and I gladly helped until two of my chainsaws were stuck. Lucky I had a third. :D Just when I start getting self-critical about collecting junky old chainsaws, I start needing them. Ha, ha. It was a fun week of waiting for the power to come back on.
Pappy, thanks a lot. I appreciate any compliment I can get from a character bow master like yourself. Take care.
J. D.
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Be carefull when you get those things stuck. I ruined a brand new bar trying to wrestle it out of a pinch. It bent just enough to cut circles. ;D Glad you guys made it through all right Josh. Any of that wood still good for bows or is it to splintered? Justin
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Josh,
Looks like got your pikes all set up, just set your longbow men on top of that hill there and your ready for an enemy charge! ;D jk Glad you guys are alright, think you can make use of them logs out there?
I dont think I have commented on your bow yet, but yeah, Its a really treat for the eye! Very nice tiller and love the character!
-Alex
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Justin, I've never bent a bar--you must have really buggered that one. This was a totally comical scene. Wind was just ripping and this tree was twisted and bound and really hard to read. I wasn't surprised I got my saws stuck but the professional logger was advising my cuts. He just kept shaking his head. Wood can be full of surprises.
Far East Archer--Check this out: ;D
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,4747.0.html
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JD, I was using a 26" bar and felling a tree that was about 3 1/2' in diameter. I was also in the middle of nowhere so I had to get the saw back out. It wasn't pretty. Justin
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I'm still going back to look at this bow ;)
...Hey J.D., would you sell it ?
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No, but what a compliment!
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A good way to keep the saw from getting stuck is to carry a couple plastic wedges,, once you get started down into the log set a wedge in the split and it will keep the log from pinching up on you,, plus the wedges can help get you out if you do get stuck.
wvflintknapper
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Man, that thing's just freaky looking :). Aught to turn some heads wherever you take it....
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A good way to keep the saw from getting stuck is to carry a couple plastic wedges,, once you get started down into the log set a wedge in the split and it will keep the log from pinching up on you,, plus the wedges can help get you out if you do get stuck.
wvflintknapper
I got some from a local logger. Justin
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I was looking at some of those the other day. I need to pick some up. I've done that trick with steel wedges and I should show you one of my chains! Man, the wedge won. :-X
J. D.
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Yeah , thats the good thing about the plastic wedges, they don't eat your chain ;)
wvflintknapper
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Yes and the plastic ones are a lot lighter to carry around in the hills. The saw is heavy enough without carrying steel wedges. Justin
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I carry big steel wedges when I'm cutting Yew because it's VERY hard to split. You have to be careful as the wood is so springy it shoots wedges out like a watermelon seed squeezed between the fingers. :o I've had some 2 lb. steel wedges fly by my ear like they were shot out of a cannon.
Sometimes, if I get really stuck, I cut a couple disposable wedges out of Yew branches. One of the native names for Yew is literally translated, 'wedge plant' because it makes such great cedar-splitting wedges. Obviously the qualities that make it a good wedge-producing plant make it hard to split. :P
J. D.
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How am I just now finding all of these great posts, it must be winter?? This is a super nice bow. great job.
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Me too, only just seen this bow.
Very special, I take my hat off to you, great work.
It's easy enough to make what looks like a 'character bow' but to make one which draws to such a nice tiller and has such good detail is a completely different thing.
It manages to to look characterfull and 'right' at the same time.
Bravo
Del
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Wow! I thought JD had come back with another year end bow. ;D
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Great bow and a great job on your part.Definately a BOM candidate.
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Great bow and a great job on your part.Definately a BOM candidate.
Yes it was...... Last December. ;D
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one word WOW!!
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Eddie, I was thinking the same thing. I miss seeing Josh's fantastic bows. 8)
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that is a very cool looking bow,nice job
Dennis
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one of the coolest bows ive seen!!...a true work of art..priceless....thankyou so much for sharing i learned some by looking closely at your work!...thanks again......got my vote for bow of the year if not decade....snake/jeff
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just seeing this bow for the first time today it is absolutely amazing!!!!!! I,ll never look at a gnarly knotted up tree the same. think i may cut one and give it a try i figure it would take me a lot of tries but man i love that bow. you've got my BOM vote for sure.
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Hey, Pat. These new guys kinda make me feel old,, how about you? :-\ :-\ ;D ;)
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excellent piece of work for an excellent piece of wood. I'm impressed. Francis
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Agree. On of the most beautiful bows ever, for me.
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That's a beauty! I've seen a bunch of crabapples in my neck of the woods. i might have to give it a go
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Too bad that JD doesn't visit here anymore. He used to build some fantastic bows. He got into war bows for a while but i haven't heard from Josh in a few years now.
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shame that he don't frequent this site anymore....that bow is just Epic
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My grandmothers crabapple tree isnt safe! ;D
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shame that he don't frequent this site anymore....that bow is just Epic
I second that.
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Amazing!!!
and it shoots!!!
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If any of you are still in contact with Joss, tell him thanks from me for posting such sick bow porn! Bring him back to the fold!
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Thought I was seeing double will I read the dates...
An Awesome Bow.
:)
-gus
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I always like seeing this one resurface....I always look at crabapples but always end up turning my head at them because there's too much knots n limbs sticking out of them. I think that just changed seeing what's possible.
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I emailed Josh when the tsunami from Japan was heading to Seaside, Oregon. He lives near there.
I sure miss Josh and his beautiful bows. I think he got more into war bows later.
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I can not tell you how many crabapple trees I have burned. Posts like this really make me realize how much can be learned by others on here!
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Still beautiful. :)
Pappy
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He definitely has talent, that is a beautiful bow!
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I remember voting for this bow for bow of the month. JD certainly is a great bowyer and it was nice to see this post resurected for some of the newbs to enjoy. Danny
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I really like this bow I saw it when I first joined on a search and have always liked it allot. I kinda wonder if it is still shooting today with all those knots on the back :-\
Josh