Kewl find while searching the AK State museum Database

[Sempertiger]

I found a bow that really interests me, while stumbling through the AK State Museum website.

http://www.eed.state.ak.us/collections/Detlobjps.cfm?ObjectID=1393137&rec_num=229&From=obj_key.cfm

The pictures are copywrite protected, so I can't link to them. and show on this site, but there is a bit of info on the bow at the link, and I have an email into the state asking for more information.

I am guessing, but based on the description and my knowledge of the area that the Eskimo people inhabit/ed, I would bet that the wood is Alaska Paper Birch. the siniew probably came from carabou, seal or whale, but my guess is carabou. the bone reinforcements could have come from any of those animals as well, but again, probably caribou. I'm curious though, I wonder if the backing is a cable backing, or if it's glued on. from the pictures, it almost looks like the backing is bundled with a piece of hide. the handle looks like it might be made of seal skin, based on the color, but it could be a variety of different things, I'm not sure.

Description: Sinew-backed bow. Very heavy, strongly reinforced. Reinforcement under the reverse curve bindings are of bone rather than wood.


JS

[bubby]

you outta check out swamp monkey's cable backed bow build, it's also in the BOM, Bub

[Ifrit617]

very very cool I have never seen a bow with tips like that and think it looks pretty sick.... Maybe the museum braced it the wrong way cause they almost look like siyahs..

[PatM]

They are Siyahs but the bow is strung properly. Plenty of pics out there of this exact style at full draw.

[Sempertiger]

Pat,
I'm just not familiar with the Design. Would this bow have a similar braced profile?

JS

http://www.eed.state.ak.us/collections/Detlobjps.cfm?ObjectID=1243711&rec_num=112&From=obj_key.cfm#42

[soy]

That is a neet looking bow

[Sempertiger]

here's a really good picture of one... this is going on the short list of things to try in the near future...

[Bryce]

here's a really good picture of one... this is going on the short list of things to try in the near future...

This style of bow is my absolute favorite! Iam currently in the process of building yet another one! What's really cool is they have static curves reinforced with horn, bone or baleen. and on this particular bow the upper part of the limb bends in stages. So you get a type of springy lever action power shot. I've spent years researching and examining Inuit bows. Time well spent.

Some have really sharp curves and the back is cut or grooved then reinforced like so

 

[Prarie Bowyer]

What is unraveling from the arrows?

[Sempertiger]

the arrows would have been used for seals i'm thinking... they appear to be some kind of rope used to attach the arrow to their kayaks... Like a harpoon.

[PatM]

All those bows with the retro tips will look similar at brace. Interestingly Tim Baker made some tiny model bows of this profile during the pursuit of 200 fps and the shape shows the potential to actually have let-off at full draw according to his tests.
 I think the idea being that the tips can flex slightly but they act more statically until the bow approaches full draw before beginning to bend a touch themselves.

[Bryce]

I'm sure the arrows had multiple uses but as for seals in a kayak I'm not sure. From the ice, yes. But in all the documentaries I've watched things done from a kayak was whale hunting. Seals are skiddish kinda like deer. And if you where close enough to stick one I'm not

sure I would strap it to my wobbly kayak over freezing waters. 

[Sempertiger]

Pat, don't all bows have a bit of let off? right before they break...
Seriously though, that is extremely interesting. this design of re-curve is very intriguing.


While falling asleep last night I was thinking about the idea of tying a harpooned seal or whale off to a kayak, and thought it sounded like a great way to see if one could breath under water...

Then I remembered something I saw the last time I was at the Anchorage Museum...

Didn't they use sealskin floats (buoy's) for hunting. I imagine that the arrows and harpoons would have been tied off to one of those.

JS

[Sempertiger]

I'm trying to invision the physics behind how that would work Pat. The way I'm invisioning it is that as soon as the main working section starts to stack, the tips reach the right angle in relation to the string and start to bend a bit. I can't see a true letoff, because something has to hold the weight of the main limbs, but I could see a plateu where the pull weight doesn't increase much for the last few inches.

Did Tim write anything on this? If he did, can you point me in the info's direction?

JS

[Bryce]

Then I remembered something I saw the last time I was at the Anchorage Museum...

Didn't they use sealskin floats (buoy's) for hunting. I imagine that the arrows and harpoons would have been tied off to one of those.

JS

BINGO!!!  there where also floats inside the body of the kayak.