Do u like character bows

[Josh B]

I reckon I'm a wus!  Pin knots scare me!  Josh

[dwardo]

"Character" is nice to have but if you are having to beat every inch of the thing into shape I think its just too much stress on the wood for the bow to have a long life.

[Buckeye Guy]

Can't say that I can remember ever getting board from working a stave !
Always something different about each one , or a new little something to try !
Try taking a strait as a pipe stave ( if there is such a thing ) and bend it into a snake-y of a design as you want  , then try to make a perfectly strait bow from a snake-y piece and  when you have done both come back and tell us what your thoughts are !
OK I am bored with this topic so on to the next piece  !

[turtle]

So.... You like your staves to look like this?

[PEARL DRUMS]

That kind of stave is the only thing that keeps me from falling asleep in my shop Steve.

[rossfactor]

I work with staves that 'feel' like they have a good bow inside them. I think that's way more important than whether a stave is straight and knot free or twisty and crazy. If it feels right, I go for it. But, I may be a hippy. 

Gabe

[Will H]

I've been known to make a snakey bow or two...   

[The Gopher]

in my opinion character can either come from nature, which is the character that you are referring to, but it can also come from the bowyer. One of my favorite bows to look at is Pearlies "two of two" bow.http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,37380.0.html

I love this bow, it has a ton of character: curves, tips, skins, etc. all of which were imparted by the bowyer. it looks like this bow came from a pretty "boring" stave, but is now a far cry from boring.

I do like the look of a natural character bow, i like making them, i actually think they are easier to make since there is usually little to no correction needed if you are leaving them as is, and i am not yet familiar with the techniques that are required to impart my own character such as extreme curves and fancy tips.

Oh and even though i have a lot of nice osage, HHB, and hickory staves i still build some board bows now and then, that still doesn't make me a wus...only fiberglass does that!

[BOWMAN53]

i like the kind of wood that makes a bow......... everything else is for wussys

[osage outlaw]

I like both a lot....just depends on what mood I'm in and what kind of bow I wanna make at the time 

Same goes for me. 

[PrimitiveTim]

Cut a tree down and make as many bows from it as you can.  I don't think we ought to be picky about what we get out of a tree.  For someone new at it like me I appreciate a clean stave but I'll attempt some pretty ugly ones too.  They don't always turn out real well but it's part of learning. 

[Pat B]

Turtle, I have a stave that looks remarkably like that one.    It will be a real challenge but one I will gladly attack. Whether I get a bow out of it is another subject all together, but I will get educated just tryng.

[Parnell]

If I'm making one for other people, I like clean staves.  I don't like sending a bow that is questionable for durability.  For me, I enjoy the character when I can take my time making the bow.

[wood_bandit99]

So.... You like your staves to look like this?

Exactly like that! I send people straight bows but that's because it's easier for me and not as questionable for them.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Ok bandit, you got my interest. Post some pics of these nastys your talking about. I gotta see some!