Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: loefflerchuck on October 18, 2014, 11:21:37 pm

Title: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: loefflerchuck on October 18, 2014, 11:21:37 pm

This is a all heartwood and  sinew bow pulled out of the core of a Rocky mountain juniper tree. The back is 2 layers of elk leg sinew and one backstrap layer on top. I resisted the urge to put snake or fish skin on. I like the looks of a good sinew back. The tips and handle are wrapped with deer rawhide and the nocks are bighorn sheep. The bow is a little under 58" tip to tip and has a 54# draw @ 26".  This has become my favorite style bow. Modified Ishi design.

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: Peacebow_Coos on October 18, 2014, 11:52:02 pm

That's a beauty!  I like the sinew look too, with that heartwood contrast.  Tiller looks great.

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: loefflerchuck on October 19, 2014, 12:07:56 am

Thanks Peacebow. Bow holds 2 3/4" reflex unstrung.

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: Weylin on October 19, 2014, 12:59:00 am

Awesome, Chuck! I like the look of that one.  8)

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: IdahoMatt on October 19, 2014, 01:04:12 am

Man that thing looks sweeeeeet.  Great job.  How's it shoot

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: Blacktail on October 19, 2014, 01:07:59 am

now that is a very primitive bow...good job chuck.....i do have to say that juniper is a very awesome bow wood if done right...thanks for sharing..john

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: wizardgoat on October 19, 2014, 01:28:24 am

another beauty Chuck. Is this a bow from the same tree as the staves you sent me?

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: loefflerchuck on October 19, 2014, 01:43:38 am

Yes it is Ryan.

Shoots like a fast dream Matt

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: mikekeswick on October 19, 2014, 04:30:14 am

Perfect  :) She's a beauty

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on October 19, 2014, 08:34:26 am

Simple and effective, that's all you can ask for. Great bow Chuck.

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: Pat B on October 19, 2014, 09:49:43 am

Cool bow, Chuck.  8)

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: burn em up chuck on October 19, 2014, 09:56:52 am

very very cool

          chuck

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: burchett.donald on October 19, 2014, 12:40:46 pm

Beautiful job Chuck, I like the color of the heartwood. You are the Sinew Man and that's for sure... 8)
                                                                                                                                       Don

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: bradsmith2010 on October 19, 2014, 12:51:08 pm

very nice

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: JW_Halverson on October 19, 2014, 01:35:21 pm

I will admit I do not look at every bow that gets posted.  But every bow posted by Chuck gets a good looking over from me!  While I appreciate, and often make, contemporary primitive equipment, my heart belongs to the reproductions of historical bows and arrows. 

Mr. Leoffler, could you post a close-up of your sinew backing? I think folks would like to see what a really good sinew backing looks like!

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: Klondike on October 19, 2014, 01:43:40 pm

Love it…….. that bow screams primitive!!!!

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: ssgtchad on October 19, 2014, 06:00:51 pm

Wow :o

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: JoJoDapyro on October 19, 2014, 06:58:41 pm

A beauty as always. When I met Chuck I was expecting to walk into this ornate shop. It made me feel good that all of his awesome works come out of a small shop, not unlike my own. Your work makes me realize that one day with enough practice I too can maybe make some super nice bows, and quivers, and arrows... 

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: duke3192 on October 19, 2014, 09:48:23 pm

Awesome, I'vve got some small cedar limbs that just begging to end up like that, I wish.

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: jeffp51 on October 20, 2014, 02:53:35 am

Gorgeous!  I bow down to your skill.  I was given a piece of Juniper by Tyke, and I would love to learn how to make something of it someday.

Jeff

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: Badly Bent on October 20, 2014, 08:32:58 am

Very cool, love the style and the full draw profile.

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: Aaron H on October 20, 2014, 09:36:01 am

Beautiful bow.  Juniper heartwood is always gorgeous to look at. Please post a close up of the sinew backing

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: Pappy on October 20, 2014, 09:43:14 am

Got to love that,beauty of a bow. :)
  Pappy

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: loefflerchuck on October 20, 2014, 12:54:33 pm

Thanks everybody. Here is the sinew backing.

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: simson on October 20, 2014, 02:08:52 pm

Just beautiful, I love tht style bow also.
The sinew work is fantastic, I see why you don't want to hide it.
Is mountain juniper a seperate species or a kinda ERC?
Any idea how much sinew you have applied, I mean the shredded dry stuff?

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: Aaron H on October 20, 2014, 02:46:22 pm

Very nice, thanks

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: JW_Halverson on October 20, 2014, 03:34:36 pm

Most sinew backing ends up looking like bad scar tissue from a terrible 3rd degree burn in a 3rd world country. Yours is the only sinew job that I think can compete with mine for a nice smooth finish.  Bad enough it is a messy job, but to try make it look nice is even worse.  Maybe that is why I rarely do it anymore, LOL!

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: rossfactor on October 20, 2014, 03:48:14 pm

That's an awesome bow Chuck.. but I didn't know you were into making these long bows  ;) 

Sinew and juniper Ishi style is on my list, and seeing this pushes me along...great work.

Gabe

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: loefflerchuck on October 20, 2014, 10:55:49 pm

Simson- ERC is the heaviest juniper I believe and has the most heart to sap ratio of junipers. Mountain juniper is the California juniper and the juniper used by Ishi. This is Rocky mountain juniper, grows here in Utah along with Utah juniper. It's no wonder why Junipers was so popular in the Great basin, Plains, eastern California, and the Columbian plateau. It's no yew or osage, but still somehow my favorite.
 Gabe-- Still mostly make short bows, but sometimes it's nice to be able to get more than 2 out of 5 arrows in the center of a target from more than 20 yards. Longer bows have a lot of advantages when your off your horse and I think almost everyone on this site understands that.

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: Aaron H on October 21, 2014, 11:59:29 am

This may be a personal opinion, but which juniper is better for building a sinew backed short bow (54"-58")?

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: Sasquatch on October 21, 2014, 12:58:31 pm

Great job, we needed to see more juniper bows done right.

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: loefflerchuck on October 21, 2014, 01:17:35 pm

Simson I think this has between 1.5 and 2 oz of dry sinew. JW. You make sinew backed bows the way they are supposed to be made. Short with a lot of bend. I want to see more of yours. Falcon- yes personal opinion. More depends on where and how slow they grow. The closer the rings the better.

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: Aaron H on October 21, 2014, 01:26:27 pm

I just recently downed a juniper in mid Missouri last month.  It does have tight rings, I believe it is juniperus virginiana.   Would this be a good candidate for a sinew backed erc?

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: loefflerchuck on October 22, 2014, 12:45:32 am

Falcon- ERC and sinew makes a good bow. I have also seen self bows of ERC. It is a little heavier than the juniper around here. I have never tried it.

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: Aaron H on October 22, 2014, 06:57:16 am

Thanks Chuck

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: Tyke on October 22, 2014, 09:08:35 am

Man i really got to get a chunk of that beautiful log

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: Tyke on October 22, 2014, 09:12:56 am

Want to make another trade?

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: loefflerchuck on October 22, 2014, 01:14:50 pm

Sorry Tyke that log is all used up. I got 9 done or in the making and traded the rest away. Next time

Title: Re: All heartwood RMJ and sinew bow
Post by: JoJoDapyro on October 22, 2014, 04:00:05 pm

Next time call us up and you wont have to pack it out a mile by yourself!  >:D