"To rest or not to rest, that is the question." When I have a bow nearly completed, but not yet finish, but to the shooting/testing phase, I shoot off my hand, because I haven't put an arrow rest on the bow yet. I don't really think about it one way or the other. I just do it. I enjoy shooting the bow this way. So I guess I like shooting off my hand. I do find myself "thinking" about hand placement on the handle more. So, an arrow rest of some sort would eliminated that issue. But, as some have responded there are othe ways to make sure your hand is in the same position each time you shoot.
The real reason and advantage I see to an arrow rest because I make all my bows with the intent to hunt with them is to keep the arrow steady when you're NOT shooting. In a deer stand, in a tree or on the ground, I often find a need to set the bow down or lean it against a tree. Without a rest the arrow slides down the bow, maybe releasing from the string and falling. Either way the arrow is going to make noise doing this. With an arrow rest I can just lean the bow against a tree while reaching in a pockets for a snack, getting a drink, grabbing my grunt call to coax a deer closer... An arrow rest give more freedom of movement without creating more noise and more movement. So, I find them to be very practical.
Most of the time I do as Kegan suggested, glue a little triangular piece(s) of leater to handle which is covered by the leather handle wrap: effective and not obtrusive to the eye.
Here' the handle of a bow I'm almost completed for a friend. I think the handle is too pretty to put leather around it. But, my friend is a newby and a hunte so it needed an arrow rest. But, I thought a triangle of leather glued to the side of the bow would look ugly. Here's what I came up with as a combination strike plate, arrow rest. It took me two attempts to match it up to the curve in the handle and about 6 hours, but I think it looks pretty good.
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