Haida Gwaii style bow with belly ridge (HHB high quality stave)

[Hans H]

really nice craftmanship, congrats
Hans

[loefflerchuck]

Nice repro bow. I'd have never thought of a tool to add the shape in one step. Well done.

[Philipp A]

Thanks Chuck,

I first struggled to figure out how the Haida managed to make such straight belly ridges and perfect symmetrical concave sides. Then it dawned on me that they must have made themselves a stone scraper with the correct shape to achieve that kind of symmetry (at least that's what I think). That led me to sacrifice one of my paint scrapers I normally use to finish the tillering of my bows and file in the shape what I wanted. It was a bit hard to keep the tool sharp but it worked otherwise really great.

By the way I really like your HHB bow as well you have just posted. I have asked you some questions on heat treating and recurving the bow. Would love to keep in touch on the topic since I would like to try this myself.

Cheers,

Phil

[willie]

If anyone has seen this style of bow before other than the Museum bows I am showing in my pictures and has other ideas as to its function I would be very interested to hear.

Phil,
 the bow on the left is a Makah, 3'-10" long, and made from yew.

BTW, did any of your inquiries yield additional info about this design?

[Philipp A]

thanks willie, much appreciated! That is a very short bow for the Makah! They must have been very skilled bowyers to make these short self bows (I understand the Makah is not backed).

The museum did get back to me but the pictures were very low resolution and of not much use to me. They said I need to make an appointment to see the bows up close and to measure them. I will take them up on the invitation and hopefully will get to see them in January or February so I can take some close up shots of the bows. I will keep you posted.

[willie]

thanks,
I forgot the link to a copy of the original printing of
North American bows, arrows, and quivers. By Otis Tufton Mason

https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100343631

and you are correct, in that it had no sinew. Interestingly, it was reported that "This bow is exactly of the form of the sinew-lined bows further south and inland.