Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: sleek on September 28, 2025, 01:36:45 am
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Up for grabs at the winners choice will be:
A bow built by myself for the winner
A bow built and donated by Eric Krewson
A bow with much PA history behind it from PatB
An osage stave from Sleek
A bow built custom by Arvin Weaver
A bow donated by Mullet, AKA Eddie Parker, made by Gordon Ferlitsch for the 2013 Bow Trade
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I have a bow I will offer that has a lot of PA history. I made a copy of Jay Massey's Medicine Bow, a 60" sinew backed hickory bow with rawhide covering. Jay has always been one of my archery heroes. This bow is 60" t/t, 58#@26" and I built it in 2005. The interesting and historic thing about this bow is every part of it came from someone else, most PA members, all I did was put it all together. The hickory came from Steve Parker(Hillbilly), deer sinew from Glenn Doane(my inspiration for making this Jay Massey copy), emu sinew from David Knight, deer rawhide from James Nguyen c/o Eddie Parker(mullet), brain tanned handle wraps from Jamie Leffler, cow horn strike plate from Alan Brown, String silencers from Art Butner(artcher1),paint from Marcia Brennan(my wife), and hide glue from Vinson Minor.
I offered this bow to any of the contributes to use in a hunt. Jamie Leffler killed a doe in Connecticut Oct/06 with a horseweed arrow and stone head and Eddie Parker(mullet) an Osceola turkey in Oct/07. I believe I made the B-50 string. I have all of this info documented on the bow.
I'll take some pics later today and add them here.
(https://i.imgur.com/MCk9uCi.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/iJZnEwZ.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/hbs2qgf.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Rhg5BQ3.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/RtZzY0R.jpg)
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Great, I will be glad to offer up a bow or maybe a knife if I can ever get back home. Sounds like some great giveaways. I will be in touch Sleek. Pappy
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Wow, Pat! I have heard of this legendary bow! It's simply dripping with mojo. Wow!
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Yeah, John, it was a fun project and the community effort was amazing. It's time to pass it on. :OK
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Beautiful bow Pat, that was just before my time but remember seeing it. Jays book was one of my first books. Pappy
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Pappy, I have 2 of Jay's books he signed to me; the Bowyers Craft(1987) and the Book of Primitive Archery(1990). Prized in my collection of archery books.
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Ya mine was bowyer craft signed , lent it to someone to read and never got it back and can’t remember who it was, that ended my days of lending books. 🤔😒 Pappy
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I have a bow I will offer that has a lot of PA history. I made a copy of Jay Massey's Medicine Bow, a 60" sinew backed hickory bow with rawhide covering. Jay has always been one of my archery heroes. This bow is 60" t/t, 58#@26" and I built it in 2005. The interesting and historic thing about this bow is every part of it came from someone else, most PA members, all I did was put it all together. The hickory came from Steve Parker(Hillbilly), deer sinew from Glenn Doane(my inspiration for making this Jay Massey copy), emu sinew from David Knight, deer rawhide from James Nguyen c/o Eddie Parker(mullet), brain tanned handle wraps from Jamie Leffler, cow horn strike plate from Alan Brown, String silencers from Art Butner(artcher1),paint from Marcia Brennan(my wife), and hide glue from Vinson Minor.
I offered this bow to any of the contributes to use in a hunt. Jamie Leffler killed a doe in Connecticut Oct/06 with a horseweed arrow and stone head and Eddie Parker(mullet) an Osceola turkey in Oct/07. I believe I made the B-50 string. I have all of this info documented on the bow.
I'll take some pics later today and add them here.
(https://i.imgur.com/MCk9uCi.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/iJZnEwZ.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/hbs2qgf.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Rhg5BQ3.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/RtZzY0R.jpg)
I had heard of and read about this storied bow. I could never part with that bow, and you offering it up is something very special. Thank you so much! Whoever chooses this bow out the pot will certainly be getting a very valuable piece of this community.
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Kevin, I have a few other bows, maybe not as storied as this one but it makes my wife happy to see some of them disappear. ;D
My next offer will be from a stave I got from the guy that started BOM, Don Berg. Good story there too.
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Here are more pictures of the bow I plan to donate; like I mentioned, this is a 62" bow, R\H, 62#@25", it is tillered for a split finger release, I am lousy three under shooter so I can't say how it will perform with a three under release. The recommended max drawlength for this bow is 25" to 26". It doesn't stack at all at these draw lengths but might if drawn any further.
The bow comes with a D-97 string, I have never had a problem shooting a low stretch string on one of my selfbows.
I should mention, I will only ship this bow in the US, I got burned on a St Jude donation that I shipped to Canada one time and learned my lesson. The item auctioned for $20, it cost me $40 to ship it.
Here is the strung profile.
(https://i.imgur.com/M3rl4iS.jpg)
Darin is much stronger than I am, here is the bow pulled to 25".
(https://i.imgur.com/5Ul6xU3.jpg)
Of course, I will spruce it up a bit with new rest material, I "may" give it a light sanding and a total refinish job, I hate to lose the dark patina though.
I don't stitch my handle leather, I have a technique to make the ends butt up almost seamlessly that looks neat.
(https://i.imgur.com/9yIchEH.jpg)
The handle is bulbus and fits the hand nicely, the handle may be small for someone who has giant hands.
(https://i.imgur.com/7eFWbRm.jpg)
The limbs are 1 1/4" wide tapering to 7/16" tips, the belly profile is rounded somewhat, the tips are mostly round. I put my overlays on with an extra stringing groove; the bow can be easily and safely strung with a simple parachute cord stringer that won't slip off. I will ship the bow with the right stringer.
(https://i.imgur.com/hBKYDKv.jpg)
The rounded belly profile;
(https://i.imgur.com/OIE8gBM.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/LOpQBZI.jpg)
The lettering;
(https://i.imgur.com/s5ts2bM.jpg)
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Awesome bows guys .
Bjrogg
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Thanks Eric! Thats an awesome looking bow with a real sweet bend. That patina gives it a look thats hard to replicate.
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I have been holding on to this tillering gizmo, just waiting for a chance to donate it for a special cause, looks like I have one with this fund raiser. Out of the 400 or so tillering gizmos that I have made, this one is the most unusual.
I cut my wood for most of the gizmos that I make from standing dead cedar trees on my neighbor's land, he gave me the OK to cut whatever I wanted.
As I was slicing up the last log that that I cut into gizmo blanks, I found two 00 buckshot imbedded side by side deeply in the trunk. The tree had been dead for at least 50 years, possibly more. The tree had grown over the buckshot when it was alive; there was no entry wound on the tree. Someone many years ago had taken the shot, could it have been a deer hunter following his hounds or someone in the woods plinking with their shotgun, I will never know.
Free US shipping only.
Here it is;
(https://i.imgur.com/tyVUpM2.jpg)
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Wow Eric! Thats a really cool one. I greatly appreciate you offering that up! And its really pretty on top of all that. Whoever wins and picks that will have a tool that can tell a story for sure!
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Ok I will donate a custom bow. I want the winner to get a bow for them and not take a chance on one That is not really to there liking as far as bow weight , draw length,etc. I’m still not sure how the drawing works so I might be way off here. If you get a chance on these other offers you won’t be disappointed. They are all great bowyers. They have taught me a lot! Question . Are guest allowed to join the forum if they donate $20?
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Who’s smart enough to move my donation to the campfire page???🤠🤠
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Ok I will donate a custom bow. I want the winner to get a bow for them and not take a chance on one That is not really to there liking as far as bow weight , draw length,etc. I’m still not sure how the drawing works so I might be way off here. If you get a chance on these other offers you won’t be disappointed. They are all great bowyers. They have taught me a lot! Question . Are guest allowed to join the forum if they donate $20?
Thank you so much Arvin! That is an amazing offer you have added for an additional option for the winner to choose from!
The drawing will work so that a winner will have their name drawn at random come January, after the December B.O.M. winner is decided. The winner will then have this entire pot of prizes to decide what single item he wants from it. I am considering adding a few bow tools to match up with Eric's tiller gizmo, to make a beginners tool kit for bow making, and pairing it all up with a stave.
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That is very generous Arvin, that will make someone very very happy. Pappy
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I also have a bow I'm donating. It is a Vine Maple bow made by Gordon Ferlitsch for the 2013 Bow Trade for Kip Shipley. It was traded to me by Kip because the draw length was too long for him and now the poundage is not comfortable for me anymore.
The bow is 55#@30", 68" long with rattlesnake skin accents and water buffalo nocks.
I'm also throwing in one of the last remaining Primitive Archer bumper stickers, too. Pictures will be added soon.
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Here are the stickers he was talking about as well:
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Hey Eddie, thank you so much for putting that forward! I didnt expect to have so many offerings show up for the prize selection!
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I also have 4 Primitive Archer magazine cover posters that Marie gave me for the effort. They are probably 2'x3' on foam core board. I'll post pics tomorrow.
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Here are the PA cover posters that Marie gave me. They are 34" x 26" mounter on foam core poster board.
(https://i.imgur.com/HTLJapm.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/6sN3eoK.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Tdf5hjQ.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/JBt6buh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/IHyIxOe.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/K5CL6Am.jpg)
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Nice posters . Pat.
hey kevin,
The idea: The intent is to raise money and participation, as well as highlight contributing members and make the front main page interactive.
tell us more about what you mean when you say "main page interactive."
I guess the annual giveaway will help with ongoing (annual) expenses, but I see you are working towards repairing and updating the server and forum software. Wont that create an immediate need for some one time funding sometime soon?
What is the best way to help with that? Would you say a bit about what those financial needs amount to? I want to give more than $20, but dont need more than one chance at the drawing.
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Hey Willie, thanks for the questions and taking an interest in helping!
My plans to make the site more interactive means its no longer just a page with links. The main features it will have will be the bow of the month winner featured on the cover, the entire library of every magazine published, and a bow design program I am working in building. I have it functional on a slread sheet but I want it to have a better esthetic than that, so I need to learn how to make it a program. The site will also highlite upcoming events and feature accomplishments in primitive arts, to draw more folks to it. Those are the ways the page will be more interactive, as in, interacts with the community.
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the entire library of every magazine published
so if I am a registered forum member I will be able to read all the back issues online? That would be nice.
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If you are a paying registered member, I haven't decided how much yet. Something along 20 to 40 bucks per year. I want it a low amount to not discourage anyone from it. The bow program and the magazine library are going to treated as a product and accessed via a yearly membership. The forum and everything else will be free as it has always been.
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If you are a paying registered member, I haven't decided how much yet. Something along 20 to 40 bucks per year. I want it a low amount to not discourage anyone from it. The bow program and the magazine library are going to treated as a product and accessed via a yearly membership. The forum and everything else will be free as it has always been.
so does the $20 to enter the give-a way count towards the yearly membership?
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Thanks Willie. I thought folks might like access to one. I asked Marie if she had any left over after they shut down the magazine. I picked these up at Marie's home after leaving the Tennessee Classic last spring with the purpose of using them to raise funds for Kevin's efforts here.
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Thank you again Pat! I appreciate everything you are adding to this event!
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If you are a paying registered member, I haven't decided how much yet. Something along 20 to 40 bucks per year. I want it a low amount to not discourage anyone from it. The bow program and the magazine library are going to treated as a product and accessed via a yearly membership. The forum and everything else will be free as it has always been.
so does the $20 to enter the give-a way count towards the yearly membership?
Pardon the delayed response, I had to consider this for a while.
Considering the logistics of it, I would say no. The yearly memberships are based on a rolling year from the day you sign up. The annual give away is a calendar year, and tracking those two over the potential of 5k members we have, would be a bit more stressful than I would like. The issue of someone's membership expiring in for example October, but they want to be in the running for the December deadline to enter would create a confusion I am not capable of handling. So for simplicity and accuracy sake, I will keep them separate.
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Getting a nice bunch of stuff for sure, Pat I have a picture of the replica you made, thought I would post it here, not sure where I got it but it's pretty cool. It is of Jay Massey with his version. ;) :)
Pappy
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That's the bow, Pappy. Glenn Doane sent me the article and the dimensions of the bow to get me started on it. Thanks for posting this pic. :OK
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You bet, love that picture and the replica of it you built. Finely got home an although I have a lot of catching up to do I wanted to through some in on the give away, This is one of my file knives with a stand, as most know I don't do leather work but it is a very usable working knife, made from an old USA made nut cutter file, handle is deer antler from a shed off the farm and also the antler on the stand.All the parts to the stand have been glued and pinned so they won't fall apart. Hope someone will use and enjoy it. I also plan on a bow just need a little time to pick one out that I think would fit most peoples need, hope to get to that this week. Few pic. of the knife and stand. :)
Pappy
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Welcome home Pappy! Thats a real pretty knife and stand, and I greatly appreciate you including this into the pot!
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Here is another donation; I am out of the archery game and will never use these.
This is a dozen Sherwood shafts, 35-40, 5/16, full length with the nock tapers cut. They have a cap stain of mahogany leather dye, crested and finished with Tru-oil, ready to fletch and cut to length.
Free US shipping only.
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Oooh, those are some fancy nice shafts!
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I though I would throw in a couple more things just to make it interesting , first a raw hide backed Hickory blank, the hickory was cut off the farm 6/7 years ago and the raw hide was some I made from a young doe [very thin], I was going to make a bow and decided to raw hide back it for no reason other than I hadn't done one in a while, when I got it to brace I seen it wasn't going to hit the weight I wanted for my hunting bows so put it away, it is a clean piece of pig nut Hickory wood in the RD style 64 n-n and ready to tiller. It would be great for someone wanting to make a lighter weight bow, should easily make 40lb. 2nd is a Yew bow I made in 2023 it is 48@26 and 58 n-n RD style. Very smooth and good shooter, I killed a couple of deer with it the year I built it so I know it is hunt worthy. It would be great with some with a draw length of 26 or less, I know a lot think they draw 28 but truthfully most don't. It has been shot a lot and pulled to 27 several times just for safety reasons. The Yew came from Keenan at the Classic 10 or maybe more years ago, really nice piece with just a little yew character , cow horn overlays with hemp wrap grip. :)
Pappy
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Few more pictures of the Yew bow.
Pappy
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Last 2, no full draw, ant figure out how to do that by myself ;) :) also I shoot it split finger, not sure it matters but just fyi.
Pappy
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Oooh, I'd love to have that gorgeous piece of yew work, Pappy! Awfully nice piece of Pacific Northwest meets Tennessee holler.
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I though I would throw in a couple more things just to make it interesting , first a raw hide backed Hickory blank, the hickory was cut off the farm 6/7 years ago and the raw hide was some I made from a young doe [very thin], I was going to make a bow and decided to raw hide back it for no reason other than I hadn't done one in a while, when I got it to brace I seen it wasn't going to hit the weight I wanted for my hunting bows so put it away, it is a clean piece of pig nut Hickory wood in the RD style 64 n-n and ready to tiller. It would be great for someone wanting to make a lighter weight bow, should easily make 40lb. 2nd is a Yew bow I made in 2023 it is 48@26 and 58 n-n RD style. Very smooth and good shooter, I killed a couple of deer with it the year I built it so I know it is hunt worthy. It would be great with some with a draw length of 26 or less, I know a lot think they draw 28 but truthfully most don't. It has been shot a lot and pulled to 27 several times just for safety reasons. The Yew came from Keenan at the Classic 10 or maybe more years ago, really nice piece with just a little yew character , cow horn overlays with hemp wrap grip. :)
Pappy
Oh man, im sorry I missed this when you first posted. Pappy thats a wonderful Seton gear you are offering up and I am truly grateful to you for your willingness to help out. Without you, and all the support from everyone else stepping up, id wonder if it was all worth it. Thank you.
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Because my donated bow has such a high poundage I suspect it won't be something most people would want as a selection. I wonder if an outright auction for the bow would be better than a random drawing. That way someone who likes higher poundage bows would get just what they like.
I shot 60-65 pound bows until old age made me drop back, I shoot 45# bows now.