Who was your inspiration?

[Zuma]

Jeb,
Your post is like a tornado, that took me on a ride.
Like a launched arrow shaft through time.
Not only extremely touching but magnificently inspirational.
My thanks Jeb  This is just an abbreviation of the emotion you stirred in me.
Perhaps you should take up the pen.
Zuma

[H Rhodes]

As a boy, it was my Dad for buying me that first Bear fiberglass recurve and for always taking me to the library.  From an early age, reading inspired me to get out in the woods. At about age ten or so, I read a book called "Everglades Adventure" about two boys surviving for a time in the glades and living off the land.  Whoever wrote that book really messed me up as a kid!   Fred Bear and the Herter's catalogs....  I remember pouring over those pictures of bows and wishing I had the money to spend for one of those curvy looking beautiful things.  My Dad was a huge influence.  I sure miss him.  He loved to crappie fish and camp, but wasn't much of a real outdoorsman.  He got me outdoors enough for it to have affected me.    He loved woodworking and he took the  time to teach me to love it too.  My most vivid memory of him is the smell of fresh sawn lumber, sweat and the sight of saw dust gathered up on his hairy forearms.  He would have really got into making bows if he had ever tried one.  Boats were his thing.  I don't really remember anyone influencing me to shoot a bow - it's just something I have always loved.  I have hunted with a bow of some sort since I was a kid.   I built my first selfbows about three or four years ago.  Jawge was a big help and was one of my first mentors on line.  His site was a big help for me.  Later I found this site and have received so much inspiration to build better bows from so many of you that I don't know who all to mention.  Pappy, Pat B, halfeye, Blackhawk, PearlDrums, bubby, and the list goes on and on - I guess Primitive Archer has been my big inspiration.  At least it has stopped me from BUYING things to shoot and hunt with.  Thanks guys.       

[chamookman]

I've always been a Traditional Archer. Jay Massey piqued My interest in Self Bows and then I heard about a Guy In Flint (MI) that had bow classes in His Garage, by the name of Gary Davis. Went one time and I was hooked -this was cool stuff ! Then I met a fellow by the name of Wirwicki (We worked for the same Company) that said He'd like to go with Me - didn't think He'd make a Bow just wanted to watch. That was close to 25 Years ago - long story short, Matt & I ended up helping and working with Gary teaching classes at His Garage and different shoots and becoming very close Friends. The highlite for Me was to meet and talk with Jay Massey one HOT & BUGGY morning at a Michigan Longbow event - truly a class act ! I'd like to Thank Matt too, for being a true Friend and all the GREAT adventures We've had over the years ! Bob

[Zuma]

Thank you Mr Rhodes
Thank you Bob,
Some say, " A picture is worth a thousand words."
Few photos so far but the words are worth a Million.
Zuma

[Del the cat]

Stories of Robin Hood when I was a kid
When I was older I worked with a guy who was a county level target archer who was a bit of a mentor. Stocky bearded bear of a man who gave the impression of being grumpy, sadly passed on now.
I was making my first decent bow and I took it into work to measure the draw weight/length on a big scale in one of the labs. Walking into work I met him. He snatched the bow out of my hand  flexed it as if stringing it, paused for a second, said "Sixty pounds" thrust it back into my hand and stomped off.
That lunchtime i had it all set up and was slowly pulling it back and noting the draw weight and length... finally got it back to 28"
.... sixty pounds
Anther time working at work he threw a big pretend punch at me, I leant back as if I'd been hit and put my elbow through a glass door! Those were the good old days when you could have a laugh at work.

People often ask how I got into making bows. I reply, It's not so much that I started... I just never stopped.
We all make stick bows as kids... I'm just getting good at it now
I remember trying to impress the prettiest girl in the village when I was about 10. My arrows had nail points, so I shot a few yards in front of her as she walked along, sticking the the arrow into a telegraph pole. She wasn't impressed... she wan't my Maid Marrion.
That honour goes to Mrs Cat even if she doesn't shoot she's an honorary bowyer as I value her opinion.
Del
(My big Sis still knows the family and says that the "girl" still thinks she's the prettiest girl on earth )

[Pappy]

Man I read all of these and just wished I could come up with one, I guess in my life their has been lots of folks and events that has molded me into who I am and the love I have for the outdoors and bows/arrows and primitive skills in general, loved it for as long as I can remember, just can't put a name one person.
or even several, Wished I could, Love the stories yall tell some are very touching. Very cool.
  Pappy

[JEB]

zuma,  The toughest was giving mom CPR.  Dad called and said something was wrong with her.  We lived a short block away so my wife (a nurse) and I ran to the house and found mom on the floor.  My wife and I worked on her what seemed like forever until the ambulance arrived to take her to the hospital.. My wife rode with the ambulance and continued with CPR until they got the  ER.

Mom was 61 years old.

[Zuma]

Del, is that how Robin Hood got the maid? By shooting shafts near her feet?
Will Tell was about as risky with his son.

Pappy from what I have read and heard about the Classic you and your wife are the inspirational ones.
Zuma

[Badger]

      I got a bow and arrow for christmas one year and was hooked. Davey Crockett was my idle but he didn't shoot a bow and arrow.

[longbow man]

  I can't really say where it all began but what I remember clearest is an article written decades ago by a man who hunted with compressed wood shafts for buffalo.. Later I read that the shafts were called sweetwood. I enjoy making my own equipment and for a person to think of compressing wood was just too cool.

[Zuma]

Badger,
I think it is cool that folks INSPIRE us with gifts we like.
I'm easy, I even like fruit cakes. lol

longbowman,
sweetwood shafts. Interesting. I see you are new here?
Can you put time and place with some elaboration?
Thanks guys.
Zuma

[bow101]

One day I typed in wood bows or something like that.  Of course I stumbled on this site and the rest is history. That was a few years back.  Learned a lot, still have much to learn and did not realize there was so much to archery in general.  Its totally over whelming and a great hobby, something that I still wish I had taken up years ago....

[BOWMAN53]

i saw arnold schwarzenegger make a bow in the movie Predator when i was a kid, so went outside to make my own.

[Zuma]

Better late than never bow101,
I am sure you will pass it on with perspective.

Bowman, that movie made me shiver a bit and I was grown.
Do you still have the bow?
I will be Bauck! Oh yeah, Red Sonia (inspirational).
Zuma

[BOWMAN53]

hahaha no, it was a twig and a boot shoe lace lol