Handles

[Marc St Louis]

This is a gonna be a thread about types of handles and how you make them. Here is how I make most of my center shot handles. First I rough out the shape by hand or with my bandsaw, depends how I feel.  Then after smoothing out the shape and sanding I glue on a shelf, mostly leather but sometimes I will use a different colored piece of wood as a shelf. Then I wrap with soft leather, I always consider a handle unfinished without a nice leather wrap.

Feel free to post yours

[indiaman]

Canīt get to the pics   

[adb]

Marc,
Pics aren't coming through.

[mitchman]

same here.

[nugget]

I saw them just fine. Thanks

[Justin Snyder]

The work now.  I like that handle design Marc. Justin

[Jbell]

Very cool lookin handles Marc. I have one ? though, the top pic shows more of a cut out than a shelf, do you build up a shelf with some other material or do you shoot off your knuckle? Justi curious.

[Jbell]

Sorry Marc I just reread your post and it said you build up a shelf. DOH! While I am here I might as well show you how I build my handles. I so far prefer a bulbous grip for three reasons. First, I really like how well the shape naturally fits a persons hand. Second, where the handle dips into the width of the bow limbs creates a nice narrow place for the arrow to pass while still retaining a great amount of stability in that area. Third, I really like the way it looks, every thing flows very nicely into the fades and width of the bow limb. I measure 11/8" at the center then at top and bottom of the handle I measure about 7/8" then usually 11/2" fades.
 I sometimes use a built up shelf made of leather and CA. But am quite interested in trying a cut out shelf like Marcs on my next one, they look pretty interesting.

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[cowboy]

That looks cool - gives me an idea. I'm still workin on handles, so far mine are pretty dull .

[Marc St Louis]

The narrowed area for the shelf on the  bows above were all reduced by hand with a rasp so you don't need to do any cutting.

[billy]

uh.....looks like you burned the belly on those bows cause you heated them way too much.  I think they're probably weak, worthless, and liable to break.  All your bows that look like that should be sent to me...immediately.  That way they will break when I shoot them and I'll be injured, not you.  That's why I'm here...to protect you from yourself!

[OldBow]

I don't quite see how the leather strip (very atttractive,  BTW) starts and finishes. I imagine the begining is tucked in but how does it end?

[Gordon]

I don't quite see how the leather strip (very atttractive,  BTW) starts and finishes. I imagine the begining is tucked in but how does it end?

I've wondered about the same thing.

Marc, thank you for the pics. That looks like a very elegant solution.

You make some nice bows Jbell.

[Marc St Louis]

I really appreciate your caring and thoughtful suggestion Billy but I would really hate myself if I did as you suggested and you got hurt instead

The leather is tucked in at both ends. At the bottom the leather is trimmed so that it feathers out to a point then that is tucked under with a sharp instrument.

[bowmo]

I always make a bulbous handle of some sort. My handles seem so be getting smaller and smaller as I really like them tiny now. I don't go quit as extreme as Marc but I also file in a little deeper in the handle where the arrow passes. And I aways make my rest deep and out thick leather and I always do a handle wrap with some sort of leather.

dan

 

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