Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: PK on February 26, 2008, 02:00:31 am
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For fixing his computer, my neighbor gave me this Bamboo bow will with Monkey catcher arrows, actually I don't know where its from but it is old, maybe one of you very knowledgable fellers can update me
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Nice score! Be careful of those points in case of curare or other poisons . Is the string a sliver of bamboo? Pat
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Her is some better Photos for Identification
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WOW, awesome.
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Wow, way nice gift, As Pat said be carefull with the points, most likely poison dipped. but much to valuable to get rid of. Don't break up that set at all. It's value is better left complete. Keenan
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That's really a great gift!
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That's awesome, and those are some wicked looking points.
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Nice. You sure the bow is Bamboo?
I was given one a few years ago. The bow was not Bamboo but looked like it was from Palm and less than 3' long, actually the arrows are about the same length as the bow. It also came with a woven quiver that looks like it was woven around the arrows it holds them so well. The arrows are tipped with exacto knife blades
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Lucky dog :) Leave the set is that is a wall hanger not for use.
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I think Marc might be right, black palm is the usual choice for bow wood among aborigine people in tropical areas. I would definitely leave the arrows as is and consider the whole thing as a display. Whether or not its worth a lot of money, I have no idea. You might write a letter to the editor of PA magazine asking if anyone can identify this kind of bow. They would likely be able to have Dr. Charles Grayson take a look and tell more about your treasure. I'd also see what your friend knows about it, where he picked it up and such. Might get clues on how old it is at least. It sort of looks better than something made simply for a tourist, but tough to tell. You might look on ebay and see what is for sale there. If you don't want to display it or store it, you might put it for sale there and be sure to alert us all.
In any case, thanks for some interesting photos and congrats on your acquisition.
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Dr, grayson has an archery mueseum, it might be worth evealuationg for possible mueseum disply once you get your enjoyment out of it. Steve
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Congratulation PK. Thats better payment than money.Can't buy a set like that anywhere. Makes it priceless in my book. Danny
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Awesome... :o
Weigh and spine the arrows to see how closely matched they are...... ;D
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Steve the majority of Grayson's collection is at the University of Missouri now. Sad to say I haven't been down to see it, definitely quite extensive though. Some is on public display but much of it is not and you need to arrange in advance to get to see the whole thing. I think it is in the care of the Anthropology department. They usually have a tour group go over to see it as part of the MOJAM festivities. If you come, you might see about arranging for a tour. I always hate sacrificing the better part of a day to go over, maybe we could go on a Wednesday or something. Columbia is a good hour away from Marshall as I recall.
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That is so cool!
A boo sting! I know boo can be made into fiber, but that looks like is is straight off the cane. Any nodes in it? If so, can you show a close up pick of it?
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Wow PK, thats awesome! i was looking over the pics and thought, wow, a bamboo bowstring then i thought, no way..is that string made of bamboo? i didnt know that was possible,.
Bishop
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I've seen a pic of a Choctaw bow in Hamm and Allely's book that has a cane string like that.
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Nice. You sure the bow is Bamboo?
I was given one a few years ago. The bow was not Bamboo but looked like it was from Palm and less than 3' long, actually the arrows are about the same length as the bow. It also came with a woven quiver that looks like it was woven around the arrows it holds them so well. The arrows are tipped with exacto knife blades
The bow is about 68 to70" The bow has nodes every foot or so, the arras are 2/3 of the bow length The spines are varied 30 to 60 # The points are inserted in the boo and wrapped with boo thread . I'm gonna make a display case for the set.PK 8) I wrote the Editor Hope to get some info, My neighbor told me the bow was from papau New Guinea.pk
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The spines vary between 30-60# ???
The forshaft bases are wrapped with boo?
This set looks more like something used for shooting fish at close range (not spearing monkeys). Several reasons: The outfit looks fairly water resistant (boo wrapping instead of sinew or twine), large variations in spine indicate close-range shooting, boo bowstrings NEED to be damp, there's no fletching, and the designs on the arrows look burned in (not affected by water).
Wha-chah think? ;D
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Black palm bow, String and arrows looks like Malaysian/New Guinea origin... S. American natives used Black Palm as well, but didn't have bamboo for the string.
Impressive set, and even though any poison may have worn off the points, I'd still make sure they stay clear of young ones, and those who may not grasp the obvious...
Rich
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That set is far to dangerous for you to keep around. Send it to me and all will be well. ;) Great looking set. The bow is obviously boo, but are you sure that the string is boo and not some other grass? Justin
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great looking set! i have one that looks just like it. mine came from new guinea. and i have the info on it. the bow is made from mullberry, the arrows are boo and the string is boo too.
the arrow heads pull out of the shaft, the barbed ones where for war fare so you could retrive your arrow and leave the head inside them, the smooth ones where for small game, (they pull out too) and then i have a boo point made for pigs, it had blood stains on it. also the monkey points have beautiful carvings in them of monkeys and tribal designs. and ofcourse poison was used regularly
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ok the pictures arnt working, i'll try one more time if they dont work somepleaser tell me why
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Thats a cool looking set Is your friend a missionary or knows some missionarys if so they could tell you what country or region its from
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looks like something the pygmies would use in the rainforest sharpened points with poison or a jungle tribe
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Twistedlimbs, how long are those arrows? I was watching a show the other night about the Mek tribe in Papua NG, A guy was shooting a pig with an arrow that looked like it was 4 1/2' long.
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the arrows i have are roughly 5' long :o
PK- do your points slide out of the arrows too?
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Pk great payment. I've seen some like that before. I believe they were from New Guinea or the Phillipines.
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I'm pretty sure they are from Papau New Guinea. I remeasured and the shafts are 33", the points are 8" exept the arrow with the Bird Beak? it is 39/1/2 and point is 8/1/4
The string is boo it has nodes Her is some more pics to dazzle your eyes, they are blurring mine. I think I'll mount them to a piece of wood then on the wall. I think the fat end of the bow is the lower. This set looks to be made for the tourist trade, Thats my opinion. I can test the points for blood and toxins.I also think some of the lines are from the wrap that has come off, exept the bone tip which is painted
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The spines vary between 30-60# ???
The forshaft bases are wrapped with boo?
This set looks more like something used for shooting fish at close range (not spearing monkeys). Several reasons: The outfit looks fairly water resistant (boo wrapping instead of sinew or twine), large variations in spine indicate close-range shooting, boo bowstrings NEED to be damp, there's no fletching, and the designs on the arrows look burned in (not affected by water).
Wha-chah think? ;D
No fletch, I would think close.
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OK How long do ya think it will take me to mount them on the wall?
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PK, as long as it takes you to mount them ;D. The ones I saw were made for tourist also, but were old.
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PK, it looked like black palm from the original photos and then you put in the back shots after I had posted...Dark bamboos and black palm can look similar on a blurry shot ;D
Have you tried drawing it any?
Rich
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I'm with Dana its a wall hanger for sure.
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PK, it looked like black palm from the original photos and then you put in the back shots after I had posted...Dark bamboos and black palm can look similar on a blurry shot ;D
Have you tried drawing it any?
Rich
It shoots but not a long draw.
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I had to use my canvas for something! ;D Its Mounted with leather lace is case I make a glass case, I can remove it.
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You are so lucky. Now I gotta try makeing a boo sting nodes and all.
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Had some friends that were missionary's to the Philippines they brought back a bow and some arrows they looked completely different then the one you have also in the jungle your really are not shooting long distance's
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the arrows i have are roughly 5' long :o
PK- do your points slide out of the arrows too?
No.PK :)
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It looks like the inside of the boo is the belly. IIRC, Tim Baker said it should be the other way around. Yet I read a recent post about how the soft inside can make some scary, but probably harmless noises, as a non-working back. I wonder if it really makes a difference, or one that is negligible. I dont recall, but Tim's reason might have been that wood (perhaps even boo) is generally weaker in compressive strength. But if the inside is essentially useless, what difference would it make, the outside of the boo does both the compressive and tensile work. Of couse the cure and node could make a difference. It might also be possible that the inside is useless for tension, demonstrated by the scary noises, but add a marginal compressive benefit.
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Pk, I'll go by Dr. Greysons collection Monday and see what I can find out....Brian
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I got an E-mail from DR Grayson informing me about the bow and arrows Here it is:
DearPhilip . The photos are excellent . They show that the nock ends are just flat with no wrapping as is present in some of the South Pacific arrows. Most of thwe bows and arrows of New Guinea were brought back by the GIs and came from the costal area near the Sepic River. The points are well carved but not painted. The bone point is really a bird's beak
Now there is a bird of interest in the upper reaches of the Sepic River that is a hornbill with solid large upper beak .It is the only one of some 60 species of Hornbills mostly in So. Pac. and Africa . The Chinese used to go there for the "ivory" . I have a very rare Chinese archers ring and a two piece belt buckle made of it.They are probably 150 to 200 years old .The bird is now protected so far as I know..
So, your bow and arrows are probably from New Guinea coastal area brought back by a US GI . I have a set almost identical with bamboo string even with same kind of knot on the bow made while the bamboo was still green and pliable.
Charles E. Grayson.