Author Topic: The "You've Got to be Kidding" Birdseye Crabapple Bow  (Read 59575 times)

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Offline deerhunter97370

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Re: The "You've Got to be Kidding" Birdseye Crabapple Bow
« Reply #15 on: December 27, 2007, 01:49:14 am »
J. D. Great bow! I maybe biased being an Oregonian but you and Gordon have made my favorite bows since I started on here. Keep up the good work. Joel
Always be ready to: Preach, Pray, or Die. John Wesley

Offline M-P

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Re: The "You've Got to be Kidding" Birdseye Crabapple Bow
« Reply #16 on: December 27, 2007, 01:54:21 am »
Cool stave and awesome tiller.  Good work.  Ron
"A man should make his own arrows."   Omaha proverb   

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Rich Saffold

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Re: The "You've Got to be Kidding" Birdseye Crabapple Bow
« Reply #17 on: December 27, 2007, 02:57:21 am »
 J. D. Wonderful work on a wild piece!

Rich

duffontap

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Re: The "You've Got to be Kidding" Birdseye Crabapple Bow
« Reply #18 on: December 27, 2007, 03:51:53 am »
Pat B., Thanks.  This was the bow I told you I was trying to get around to posting.  I have been staring at it on my bow rack for three months wishing I had more time. 

Mechslasher, it's hardly what you would call a clean stave.   ;)  The cool thing about crabapple is that the tree seems to route extra strength around the knots.  It's strong in spite of the mess of knots. 

Glenn R.  Thanks.  In my opinion, this is about the best forum on the internet. 

Sidewinder, Thanks Danny.  I don't know if I'll ever really raise the bar with bows.  When I look at Chester Stevenson's character bows I feel like sawing my bows up for firewood.  Ha, ha.  I have to admit, I am smitten with this bow. 

deerhunter97370, Philomath huh?  Good to see a fellow Oregonian on the boards.  We have an incredible archery heritage here.  If you like Gordon and my bows, you should take a class with John Strunk.  Gordon and I both studied under him and I owe the better half of my thanks to John for insisting that I keep my standards high.  The man is an inspiration and ten times the bowyer that I am. 

M-P, I think the stave gets most of the credit.  It was a pleasure to work with.  Thanks for the kind words.

Hey Rich!  I was hoping you would check in.  Thanks for the compliments.  It was a fun project.  I hope I don't get pegged as a 'character bow guy' because I really believe in the value of practical, dependable bows--but I can see the beauty in a crooked stick as well as the next guy.  I do think self bows are where I want to develop my skills though.  How you guys make those perfect glue-ups is beyond me.  Thanks again. 

          J. D.

Offline waterlogged

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Re: The "You've Got to be Kidding" Birdseye Crabapple Bow
« Reply #19 on: December 27, 2007, 04:13:12 am »
JD - I don't post many comments about other people's bows... it's something that just doesn't seem to be in my nature. But this one I just couldn't resist. I have to say that that is the most beautiful bow I have seen in 6 years of lurking on these forums. To have the courage to even attempt something like that is amazing, and to have the skill to pull it off equally so. Everything from stave choice, down to tiller and even such vain things as cosmetics. It looks exactly like the perfect traditional bow to me. Someday I hope to pull off something that nice.
Some mornings it just doesn't seem worth it to gnaw through the leather straps. ~Emo Philips
I do not know with what weapons World War 3 will be fought, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones. ~Albert Einstein
Location: Northern California and Northern Nevada

Far East Archer

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Re: The "You've Got to be Kidding" Birdseye Crabapple Bow
« Reply #20 on: December 27, 2007, 04:37:57 am »
Superb bow mate! ;D Looks real nice and the leather work looks good too!

-Alex

jamie

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Re: The "You've Got to be Kidding" Birdseye Crabapple Bow
« Reply #21 on: December 27, 2007, 05:33:18 am »
jd thats got the front page of next years calendar already sewed up. dont know what else to say. ive been on here a long time and thats quite possibly the best ive seen. peace

Offline DanaM

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Re: The "You've Got to be Kidding" Birdseye Crabapple Bow
« Reply #22 on: December 27, 2007, 06:28:11 am »
J.D. let me start by congratulating you on your new baby no doubt your finest creation eh ;D
Sure am glad to see you back on the board and what an entrance you make this bow is going to be a Hall of Famer!!!
« Last Edit: December 27, 2007, 08:11:35 am by DanaM »
"Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things."

Manistique, MI

330bull

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Re: The "You've Got to be Kidding" Birdseye Crabapple Bow
« Reply #23 on: December 27, 2007, 07:10:55 am »
WOW...is an understatement.

If I didn't know any better, I'd accuse you of breaking into John Strunk's bow vault and stealing his most prized character bow.  After seeing John's bows first hand in his living room, I can honestly say that bow is just as finely crafted (and tillered!) as any of John's bows.

Thanks for destroying any chances of anyone getting a single vote for BOM in December!   :'(

Fantastic work JD!

Joe

Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: The "You've Got to be Kidding" Birdseye Crabapple Bow
« Reply #24 on: December 27, 2007, 08:50:34 am »
Very nice bow Josh. You certainly got as much as you could out of that piece of wood.
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

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Offline Woodland Roamer

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Re: The "You've Got to be Kidding" Birdseye Crabapple Bow
« Reply #25 on: December 27, 2007, 09:13:46 am »
Wow JD that is a character bow for sure!! Great work.

Alan
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Bring back the Stone Age!

Offline Wulamoc

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Re: The "You've Got to be Kidding" Birdseye Crabapple Bow
« Reply #26 on: December 27, 2007, 10:07:11 am »
Very unique!! I like it.  I hope it shoots as good as it looks!
Wells
And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. GEN-21:20

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Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: The "You've Got to be Kidding" Birdseye Crabapple Bow
« Reply #27 on: December 27, 2007, 11:08:54 am »
That is an awesome bow. Truly masterful craftsmanship. I just love seeing character bows on this site. Jawge
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duffontap

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Re: The "You've Got to be Kidding" Birdseye Crabapple Bow
« Reply #28 on: December 27, 2007, 11:24:02 am »
Waterlogged, Thanks for that amazing compliment.  In all honestly, this bow is not what I would consider the ultimate traditional bow.  It holds together because Crabapple is so strong and it was very carefully tillered but I hunt with bows that have clean backs. ;)  Thanks a lot. 

Far East Archer, I appreciate the comment about the leather.  I've been working really hard at developing a grip style I like.  That leather was tough to work so I'm going to try a different kind but I like the way it looks. 

Jamie, thanks a lot.  It's a very special bow to me.  I'm glad others are enjoying it too.

DanaM, being a father is the best.  My wife and baby come out and visit me in the shop and it's so fun.  I have a little Yew stave picked out for her first bow. 

330bull, I think John is one of the best self-bowyers in the world.  Every self-bow he builds is amazing to me.  When I go to his house I promise myself I'll raise my standards.  Getting compared to him is always a high compliment but, as I've said before, he's ten times the bowyer I am. 

Marc, Thanks a lot for the kind words.  Most of my focus lately has been on staves with as little character as possible so this was a fun challenge.  Not what I'd call practical though.

Woodland, I appreciate the compliments Alan.  Thanks.

Wulamoc, I was surprise at how well it shoots.  I never had intentions of making this a regular shooter.  With all those knots I don't think it could last forever like a good, clean selfbow would.  God-willing, I'm going to try to build a couple Yew bows from clean billets and staves that follow the same basic dimensions and tiller. 

Jawge, Thanks a lot.  I worked really hard on it so I'm really glad it has been so appreciated.  This site does produce some amazing character bows.  I like all the selfbows. 

           J. D. Duff

Offline Keenan

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Re: The "You've Got to be Kidding" Birdseye Crabapple Bow
« Reply #29 on: December 27, 2007, 12:11:32 pm »
   JD. That is an absolute masterpiece. Anyone that has ever worked on an extream character bow, can definately appreciate the time dedication and skill that such a bow requires. A bow like that pushes the envelope of problem solving and paitient carefull planning.Your skills as a bowyer are an inspiration to us all. Great bow !!!
 PS. Be carefull, those character bows can be extreamly addictive. You might just get hooked.        Keenan