Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: ravenbeak on June 23, 2018, 11:46:52 pm
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So three is a bit of a story to this one.
Recently I taught a bow making workshop and I had a nice fella named Ron attend. I always have a collection of staves picked out ahead of time for the participants to choose from. After we had looked through the collection Ron asks if I have anything with a bit more bumps and character to it. So I took him out to my collection of crazy wood that I wasn't so sure what I was going to do with. He went through the whole pile and found this beauty. At first I was a bit nervous but definitely open to the challenge if he was.
He was aiming for a english longbow style about 45 pounds at a 28 inch draw. The bow ended up exactly on those numbers. We left it a little longer than I normally would on account of the bumps, I think the stave was about 74 inches long before the horns went on.
It took a lot of rasping to bring it down to size as this piece did not want to be touched with a draw knife or spoke shave.
The tips are yak horn and match the color of the boys skins really well. The arrow pass is burned in as the Greek symbol for serpent and the bow was named Basilisk.
There is still a few finishing touches to be done such as the leather handle wrap and a final sanding on the nocks. But i was very excited to show this one. It really is a one of a kind and i am very pleased with the way it all came together.
Pics to follow shortly
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Few photos of the stave early on..
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Roughing out and early stringing...
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Snakeskins on and signing...
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Nice wiggle shots, plus the yak horn caps
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Braced and full draw...
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That turned out really nice Jamie. I always love wiggly yew. Cheers- Brendan
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A real work of art. It looks alive.
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One of the most amazing bows I have ever seen. Just don't look it in the eyes if you know what I mean! :D Am I wrong to assume that this design wouldn't work with other woods? I tried wiggly bows once with other woods and it was impossible, too many weak spots.
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Way cool - love it :OK ! Bob
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Wow very very nice Ravenbeak. I'd say Ron gets a A++.
Bjrogg
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Unique bow. Great work.
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I love those wiggly ones. Very cool Jamie. Must have been a bear to get the skins smooth.
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Wow, that is pretty wild. I love it though. I'm a sucker for an elb. Hope someday to make one. It's a goal for sure.
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Very nice patient work on that paticular bow.Excellent work getting the skin on good too.It really does look like a snake!!!!
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If I saw that thing laying in the grass I'd jump for sure. :o.
That's an incredible piece of work. The tiller looks awesome. 8)
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I've got a couple of nasty pieces of yew I was going to burn, they've just been saved! Amazing work, love it!
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stuckinthemud
A rather dangerous way to get rid of them ???
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I know, I know, but my 'workspace' is also my timber store and I keep promising myself I will rationalise the timber store into "genuinely useful" timber and "might be useful one day" and then burn the "might be useful one day" pile, but each time I look at the burn-it pile I can't bring myself to do it. The burn-it pile is now empty. >:D Currently, I have less than 3-feet of space between my workbench and the stave-stack, I add 1/2 dozen staves to the pile each year but am building 2 or 3 bows per-year...
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Beautiful stick, nice work on a challenging stave. :)
Pappy
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That had to be ridiculously tough to tiller so well. Outstanding job!!
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That's awesome Jamie. What a sweet looking bow!
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Very nice job on that one! Simply amazing!
SS
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Chapeau to this bow! ;D
That’s a definite A-level in ‘following the grain’! :D
It really looks alive with all those wiggles - a beauty!
The only small detail I would criticize are the tips. They look a little rough and chunky, as if yet unfinished. But that’s just a matter of taste, I guess...
Torsten
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ron sure get's his advanced bowyer certificate for this one - georgeous bow - thanx for showing up that!
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Chapeau to this bow! ;D
That’s a definite A-level in ‘following the grain’! :D
It really looks alive with all those wiggles - a beauty!
The only small detail I would criticize are the tips. They look a little rough and chunky, as if yet unfinished. But that’s just a matter of taste, I guess...
Torsten
He mentions that at the end of the first post. It isn't finished yet.
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Oops - you’re right, of course... ...he mentioned a final sanding of the tips. Mea culpa! :D
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That's alive! Amazing job on an equally amazing stave.
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Gorgeous bow and awesome craftsmanship on that knarley piece of wood. A++
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One of the coolest bows I've seen. Very nice work!
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That name fits the bow for sure! Really pretty! (except for the bulky nocks, sorry :o)
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Incredible work!!!!!!!! I will never look at snakey wood the same again.
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OH MY GOODNESS!!! U GOT SKILZ BOTHER! John
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Very cool looking bow
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Beautiful bow, what a stave!
Congratulations on BOM.
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Congrats! What an incredible looking bow and the tiller looks great too!