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Author Topic: Cherokee-style black locust bows???  (Read 17701 times)

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Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Cherokee-style black locust bows???
« Reply #15 on: February 21, 2015, 12:51:01 pm »
Looks like you are having fun! I'd go 62-64" at that draw length of 27". Enjoy. Jawge
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Offline CrazyHorse1969

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Re: Cherokee-style black locust bows???
« Reply #16 on: February 21, 2015, 10:09:26 pm »
Yes indeed. Thanks!
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Offline Dances with squirrels

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Re: Cherokee-style black locust bows???
« Reply #17 on: February 22, 2015, 06:22:52 am »
Just for the sake of clarity... 'White wood' is used to reference the white sapwood as used in bows like hickory, elm, and ash... you removed the sapwood from your locust stave, so it's not considered a whitewood bow.
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Straight wood may make a better bow, but crooked wood makes a better bowyer

Offline CrazyHorse1969

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Re: Cherokee-style black locust bows???
« Reply #18 on: February 22, 2015, 09:58:18 am »
Interesting. Never knew. The grain--certainly not the color--of the back of the Black Locust stave I have sort of looks like the grain of an Osage bow I built.
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"For if he like a madman lived, at least he like a wise one died." ~ Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Cherokee-style black locust bows???
« Reply #19 on: February 22, 2015, 03:06:19 pm »
This style bow often gets very little respect because of it's extremely simple and pragmatic design.  No complicated grips, fades, recurves, decurves, gadgets, geegaws, or foo-furraw. Just a plain wooden spring designed to throw an arrow.  For that matter, once you have made one, you may never need to even take out a tape measure or ruler to make another.
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Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: Cherokee-style black locust bows???
« Reply #20 on: February 22, 2015, 03:23:49 pm »
yes the design :) is under rated,, it is a very efficient design, and will shoot hard,, the wood is gold color in varying degrees,, I have one from 20 years ago,, and it is still dark gold,, they dont seem to get dark like the osage,,but a very beautiful wood,, and does look a little like osage,, :)
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Offline CrazyHorse1969

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Re: Cherokee-style black locust bows???
« Reply #21 on: February 22, 2015, 03:27:39 pm »
Good point. I just sketched out a design on the back of the stave, and I have a lot of wood to remove. Any suggestions as far as quick wood removal? I usually just whack it away with a hatchet.
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"For if he like a madman lived, at least he like a wise one died." ~ Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Offline CrazyHorse1969

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Re: Cherokee-style black locust bows???
« Reply #22 on: February 22, 2015, 03:30:01 pm »
Quote from: bradsmith2010 on February 22, 2015, 03:23:49 pm
yes the design :) is under rated,, it is a very efficient design, and will shoot hard,, the wood is gold color in varying degrees,, I have one from 20 years ago,, and it is still dark gold,, they dont seem to get dark like the osage,,but a very beautiful wood,, and does look a little like osage,, :)

Do you remember how you finished your bow?
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"For if he like a madman lived, at least he like a wise one died." ~ Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: Cherokee-style black locust bows???
« Reply #23 on: February 22, 2015, 04:45:53 pm »
yes I put several coats of tung oil,, and then sprayed poly over that,,
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Cherokee-style black locust bows???
« Reply #24 on: February 22, 2015, 05:02:53 pm »
Quote from: CrazyHorse1969 on February 22, 2015, 03:27:39 pm
Good point. I just sketched out a design on the back of the stave, and I have a lot of wood to remove. Any suggestions as far as quick wood removal? I usually just whack it away with a hatchet.

Good Lord, NO!  With a Cherokee design you would necessarily use a tomahawk!   >:D
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Offline rockrush69

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Re: Cherokee-style black locust bows???
« Reply #25 on: February 22, 2015, 05:04:27 pm »
DEFINATLY NO CHEROKEE BOWS IN ANY MUSEUMS OR THAT ANY OF MY FAMILY HAS EVER SPOKE OF (WHO ARE CHEROKEE ) ARE SINEW BACKED ..... also al herrin has a book called cherokee bows and arrows . Inside there are a few really good dimentions . Also the cherokee made 3 types of bows . The hunting D bow ... the war 70-90 lbs D bow ... and a handle bow (which was basicly the hunting D bow witha handle and arrow shelf.  ) the later has zero hand shock and is my favorite to shoot how ever most people think full compass d bow with diamond shaped knocks which were crud in design and carved very square with a knife to accommodate the Bears intestine used for a bow string back then
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JESSE "HALF CHEROKEE" RUSH
The rabbit lost his tail cause the fox tricked him and told him to stick it thru the ice to catch fish he became stuck and the bear snatched him out by his ears leaving his bushy tail behind and streching his long ears... Cherokee story "how the rabbit lost his tail" :)

Offline CrazyHorse1969

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Re: Cherokee-style black locust bows???
« Reply #26 on: February 22, 2015, 05:14:23 pm »
Quote from: JW_Halverson on February 22, 2015, 05:02:53 pm
Quote from: CrazyHorse1969 on February 22, 2015, 03:27:39 pm
Good point. I just sketched out a design on the back of the stave, and I have a lot of wood to remove. Any suggestions as far as quick wood removal? I usually just whack it away with a hatchet.

Good Lord, NO!  With a Cherokee design you would necessarily use a tomahawk!   >:D

I have one of those too. I guess I will get to sharpening it and start whacking away.
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Offline rockrush69

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Re: Cherokee-style black locust bows???
« Reply #27 on: February 22, 2015, 05:51:00 pm »
Quote from: loefflerchuck on February 20, 2015, 07:56:32 pm
I've made a few of these bows. Simple D bows were what the Cherokee used. Not much taper on the tips but still fast good shooters. This is a good design for a first bow. As long as you are using all heartwood there is no need to back it. Locust is one of the best bow woods hands down for a fast bow. Locust is also weakest in compression so backing it if futile.

Lots of cherokee d bows had equal sapwood to jeartwood ratio . But some were also all heartwood . Lots were also made from hickory and mulberry too but black locust was the fav... some osage was traded to the eastern cherokees and once we were moved to oklahoma (where my mother was born) osage became the favored wood. They say black locust is " yellow locusts cosin from the east " ( yellow locust is not honey locust ... its osage i believe )
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JESSE "HALF CHEROKEE" RUSH
The rabbit lost his tail cause the fox tricked him and told him to stick it thru the ice to catch fish he became stuck and the bear snatched him out by his ears leaving his bushy tail behind and streching his long ears... Cherokee story "how the rabbit lost his tail" :)

Offline CrazyHorse1969

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Re: Cherokee-style black locust bows???
« Reply #28 on: February 22, 2015, 06:02:41 pm »
Quote from: rockrush69 on February 22, 2015, 05:04:27 pm
DEFINATLY NO CHEROKEE BOWS IN ANY MUSEUMS OR THAT ANY OF MY FAMILY HAS EVER SPOKE OF (WHO ARE CHEROKEE ) ARE SINEW BACKED ..... also al herrin has a book called cherokee bows and arrows . Inside there are a few really good dimentions . Also the cherokee made 3 types of bows . The hunting D bow ... the war 70-90 lbs D bow ... and a handle bow (which was basicly the hunting D bow witha handle and arrow shelf.  ) the later has zero hand shock and is my favorite to shoot how ever most people think full compass d bow with diamond shaped knocks which were crud in design and carved very square with a knife to accommodate the Bears intestine used for a bow string back then

I just put in a request for the book from my library. Thanks.
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"For if he like a madman lived, at least he like a wise one died." ~ Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Offline loefflerchuck

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Re: Cherokee-style black locust bows???
« Reply #29 on: February 22, 2015, 09:13:46 pm »
Thanks Jesse, I'm sure you know more about these bows than me, but I have never seen a old bow made from anything but black locust. I have seen hickory and osage but post 1900. The Cherokee had been "civilized" for some time before the trail of tears and the removal to indian territory. Any solid info on bows pre 1800?
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