Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: eastcreekarchery on November 15, 2020, 08:25:12 pm

Title: Cow rawhide?
Post by: eastcreekarchery on November 15, 2020, 08:25:12 pm
Does this work as well as deer?
Title: Re: Cow rawhide?
Post by: Pat B on November 15, 2020, 09:21:26 pm
Cow rawhide is too thick. It will make a good backing if you thin it.
Title: Re: Cow rawhide?
Post by: Weylin on November 16, 2020, 02:53:18 pm
Deer, goat, kangaroo and pronghorn work best. It's worth getting good rawhide instead of messing around with cowhide. It's just too thick for the job.
Title: Re: Cow rawhide?
Post by: bradsmith2010 on November 16, 2020, 03:34:11 pm
ok guys I pretty much agree, but the calf skin, from the belly cuts can be thin enough to work with,,
if you order a thin cow skin from a drum shop,, it can work quite well, and have been happy with results,,I have used the scrap peaces from drum repair with good results,, now its not like the Kangaroo for sure, but in a pinch, ok
the smaller african drums use the thin cow, and the big drums use the heavy cow hide, ,and there is a big difference in thickness
Title: Re: Cow rawhide?
Post by: Hamish on November 16, 2020, 04:40:45 pm
Adult cow skin is too thick, but calfskin was used for backing in early-mid 20thC.  Probably easier to get one of the other types of rawhide, as mentioned by the other guys.
Title: Re: Cow rawhide?
Post by: eastcreekarchery on November 17, 2020, 12:07:09 am
Imma go w goat