Author Topic: Osage Pyramid Bow - 63# at 27"  (Read 2642 times)

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Offline organic_archer

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Osage Pyramid Bow - 63# at 27"
« on: January 14, 2022, 08:07:26 pm »
Happy Friday everyone! Finished this one up recently. It seems like I've sold my favorite bow dozens of times at this point, but I suppose that's the nature of the game. I've been saving this stave for some time. It was really clean with thick rings, red streaks throughout, and a little snake in the lower limb. It started at 72" long but just couldn't bring myself to leave the extra length. It was fine, but even 70" is plenty overbuilt for a 27" draw. I rarely go over 66-68" for my personal bows and have always wanted something in the 70" range.

I told myself before starting the build that no matter how tempting it was to let it go, I'd keep it. I typically hunt with hackberry longbows. There have been a few osage bows that stuck around for a while, but they always ended up with someone else. After shooting this one for the first time, I knew it would be my "forever bow". It just has that special feel and extra special cast. Creeping up on a decade of building this year, and excited to finally having an osage to call my own.

The other two osage bows (brown handle wraps) have rawhide backings. They were custom orders pulling 47# and 62# and have since arrived at their new homes. The quivers are hand-stitched bison hide. The arrows are Surewood Premiums with wild turkey tail feathers.

Stats for the selfbow:

Osage Orange
Pyramid Profile
63# at 27" draw
70" overall length
2" fades straight tapered to 3/4" diamond nocks
Aqua colored buckskin handle
50/50 tallow and beeswax finish








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Hand-Crafted Longbows & Wooden Arrows

Offline Badger

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Re: Osage Pyramid Bow - 63# at 27"
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2022, 08:52:55 pm »
Beautiful job and great story!

Offline bentstick54

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Re: Osage Pyramid Bow - 63# at 27"
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2022, 10:43:11 pm »
Great looking bow. I would want to keep that one too.

Offline TimmyDeNorCal

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Re: Osage Pyramid Bow - 63# at 27"
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2022, 01:31:29 am »
Sharp-looking bow there.

Did you start with any reflex in those limbs? It looks like the final side profiles have dead straight limbs...which is nice...just wondering how that Osage treated you during tillering...

Offline organic_archer

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Re: Osage Pyramid Bow - 63# at 27"
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2022, 11:33:28 am »
There was a small amount of reflex in one limb. Maybe 0.5” or so. Only thing I did was heated the bow blank and clamped it to a straight form to correct a little bit of D/R in the other limb. There’s still a touch of the D/R in the unbraced profile.

It tillered out fine. No issues. It had a little thump in the hand at 72”. Trimmed it, brought the tapers back to 3/4”, touched up the tiller and it shoots great. The pyramid profile can make a real ripper.
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Hand-Crafted Longbows & Wooden Arrows

Offline TimmyDeNorCal

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Re: Osage Pyramid Bow - 63# at 27"
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2022, 07:01:07 pm »
Gotcha.

All of those bows posted you posted are just plain gorgeous.

After building a handful of static recurves, I am going back to straighter bows. My latest was going to be an Osage reflexed flatbow...but for the 1st time I noticed that the particular piece of Osage I was working was of a poorer quality than my previous. I first noticed it when my hand tools were sliding through the limb wood while tapering...and the blade was taking long, deep slivers - longer and deeper than they should have...or longer & deeper than they ever had in the past with Osage.

Needless to say, that bow lost all of its heat-induced reflex at near-full tiller...and one limb gained 3/4” of string follow (the other sits dead straight). The bow’s cast is also not what it should be...at least based on previous bows of mine of similar materials & design.

As for pyramid bows, I have only heard good things...it’s just that I cannot bring myself to build one just yet! Maybe once I get reflex-deflexes & static recurves outta my system I will go to a pyramid...maybe.

Anyway...great work. I have admired your bows & arrows from afar before. Your website & photo gallery are beautiful.

Offline Selfbowman

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Re: Osage Pyramid Bow - 63# at 27"
« Reply #6 on: January 15, 2022, 07:35:39 pm »
You got to love a pyramid.
Well I'll say!!  Osage is king!!

Offline BowEd

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Re: Osage Pyramid Bow - 63# at 27"
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2022, 07:27:07 am »
I can see details are important to you.Excellent even bend on your bow.Good profile with the poundage.Fine looking self nock arrows too.
« Last Edit: January 16, 2022, 09:01:46 am by BowEd »
BowEd
You got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything.
Ed

Offline Stixnstones

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Re: Osage Pyramid Bow - 63# at 27"
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2022, 10:58:19 am »
Beautiful bow, tiller is spot on.... great work
DevilsBeachSelfbows

Offline organic_archer

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Re: Osage Pyramid Bow - 63# at 27"
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2022, 09:15:13 pm »
Thanks for the kind words everyone. I really appreciate it!

Timmy - that happens from time to time! Osage is hit or miss and can vary a lot between trees. The less-than-stellar stuff can still make a good bow, but definitely not as good as the primo. I hope you get around to trying a pyramid someday! Simple, and effective  (SH)
« Last Edit: January 16, 2022, 09:18:36 pm by organic_archer »
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Black Moshannon

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Re: Osage Pyramid Bow - 63# at 27"
« Reply #10 on: January 16, 2022, 11:50:47 pm »
Nice work what do you use to wrap your fletches with? It looks like sinew or artificial sinew, can’t tell.  Love those wraps on your bow handles, what kind of leather do you use? I’d like to try something similar since I don’t care to glue my handles

Offline Pappy

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Re: Osage Pyramid Bow - 63# at 27"
« Reply #11 on: January 17, 2022, 08:31:13 am »
Beautiful bows, all of them. :)
 Pappy
Clarksville,Tennessee
TwinOaks Bowhunters
Life is Good

Offline superdav95

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Re: Osage Pyramid Bow - 63# at 27"
« Reply #12 on: January 17, 2022, 04:56:07 pm »
very nice bow indeed!  love the beauty in simplicity.  well done
Sticks and stones and other poky stabby things.

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Offline PaSteve

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Re: Osage Pyramid Bow - 63# at 27"
« Reply #13 on: January 17, 2022, 08:55:54 pm »
Very nice bows. That bend is beautiful. Excellent work.
"It seems so much more obvious with bows than with other matters, that we are the guardians of the prize we seek." Dean Torges

Offline aznboi3644

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Re: Osage Pyramid Bow - 63# at 27"
« Reply #14 on: January 18, 2022, 04:30:21 am »
It’s always a pleasure to see your work.  Beautiful bows  and perfect tiller