What books to start out with?

[longhunter1]

What are the best books, or ones anybody recommends,someone can get for making traditional and primative archery, bows, arrows, and general info one needs to know for starting out making my own gear. Shooting techniques and tips also.

Thanks, Longhunter.........

[Postman]

I started by getting "Hunting the Osage Bow" from 3 rivers archery. I get all my stuff there and it's fast, reasonable, with  great customer service.

BUT>>>>make some board bows (Jawge's site) before doing stave bows. Just my 2 cents, think you'll be glad you did, and you get out of the gate faster, so to speak. Bowwood takes a while to dry, and there is some dry redoak  at the local Home improvement store for you to start with.  where are you located at? that will help guys on here give advice on other woods and other materials for you.

As for arrows and shooting? This site has it all.  Just look it up, or ask and the great people here will hook ya up.

good luck, and welcome to "the sickness... "

[Kegan]

I like The Bent Stick for starting off. Simple and easy to read/digest. Hunting the Osage Bow is great but doesn't allow alot of variation. I personally don't like short bows (I'm not nearly good enough to shoot them) and have very limited access to Osage. Both are things Torges points out as the main way to go in his book.

Of course, the Bowyer's Bibles cover everything from strings and points to how to make a selfbow shoot faster than glass

[longhunter1]

Thanks  for the advice.  Home is central PA.  The Boyers Bibles sound interesting and the four set I can order along with the other books you recommended.    I would like to start a small collection of a couple of books. I'm interested in long bows and have been looking at 3 Rivers and Rudder Bows, and as time permits search the discussions for more info.

Longhunter

[Pat B]

I agree about "The Bent Stick". Paul Comstock is one of our modern archery pioneers and especially dealing with white woods. The TBB series is an excellent resource. If you can get only one get TBBI If two get TBBIV also. "Billets to Bows" by Glen St Charles is a very good book for ALB and ELB style bows. He worked primarily with yew but a bit of osage too.

[Grunt]

I started with the Bent Stick and it's a keeper. Might as well get every book you can and start a library and you'll be one of us.