Going back a few years

[Pat B]

I made my first selfbow back in the mid to late 1980s. The first was a sassafras I think, I cut in my yard in Bluffton, SC.; lots of set and quite sluggish. About that time I ordered "The Bowyers Craft" directly from Jay Massey(signed to me) and shortly after I ordered "Primitive Archery" from Jay(also signed to me). That is what got my juices flowing. Paul Comstock's "the Bent Stick) was next and that book really helped with the wood I was using.
  I got married in 1987. My wife's family had a cabin outside of Brevard, NC.(where we live now) and that's when I started using locust. I could buy a fence post for $5. Made lots of locust bows back then but most fretted badly and took lots of set. I still have one of my early locust bows and will post pics later. I called this bow "Killer" because it was my best so far(at the time) and I planned on hunting with it but never did.
 I built bows for many years before I had one break. There were many badly bent bows in the line up though. Eventually the breaking began with a run of 4 or 5 in a row. Not long after that I took a class from Vinson Minor to build a boo backed bow. After watching Vinson working the wood I realized I was worrying too much about the wrong things. My bows got better and even better when I started using only a scraper after floor tiller. Since then my bows have been pretty good. That was about the time I signed up for PA. Having all the input from other bowyers and seeing their bows and hearing their methods really made a difference in my bow building.
 One day I was reading "Traditional Bowhunter" and saw an ad for a new magazine that would be out in a few months. The name was "Primitive Archer". I wrote a check and mailed it off that day for my subscription to PA Magazine and still have every issue since then.

[Aaron H]

Reading this and knowing that even the most seasoned veterans of our craft made all kinds of mistakes and broke countless bows during their early years really does encourage us newer guys.  Never give up, never give in, never quit.   Persistence pays.

And let me also take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for the help that you have provided us newbies. 

[Pat B]

...and don't throw away your broken or badly bent bows. They can teach you a lot about what happened so you can try to avoid it on the next one. 

[Josh B]

I was talking with Pappy about this subject a few months ago.  Until I found a copy of PA on the rack and then joined the forum, I hadn't made more than 20 successful bows.  I use the term "successful" rather loosely in this context.  They were huge, clunky, poorly designed and poorly tillered.  Most were lost through attrition over the years.  I would get one to hold together for awhile and use it until it blew up and then make a replacement.  Sometimes it would take a half dozen attempts to finally get one made.  I don't mind telling anyone that finding PA improved my game by a hundred fold.  Now there are only two of my earlier bows surviving.  One is a red elm sapling bow with at least 3" of set that I gave to my nephew and a monstrous red oak board bow that was at least 2 1/2" at the fades and well over 6' long.  I doubt I can even draw it now.  Too many years, too many miles, motorcycle crashes and horse wrecks have taken their toll on me since I made that bow.  It's been on the wall for a good ten years.  I truly wish I had known about you guys years ago.  I owe this sight and this community much more than I could ever repay.  If anybody is interested, I might get that old board bow down and post a pic or two.  It'll be good for a laugh it two I can assure you.  Josh

[Badger]

  Josh, that reminds me of an early bow I gave a guy. I stopped by his house a few years ago and saw the bow in his garage. What a monster. He has never even shot it but loves it as a decoration.

  I don't think I would have even gotten hooked except that my first laminated bow was actually a success by pure luck. I bought 6 laminations 1/8" thick, maple, cherry, and rosewood. I glued them all together in a big recurve just going by memory. I took the clamps off of it and went shooting. For the next few years everything broke!

[MWirwicki]

I should add that after the books, I too discovered Primitive Archer Magazine.  It seemed to have more about bow building then.  And helped me out My first issue was the third magazine they printed.  I missed a few inbetween and I since, bought the back issues that I didn't have.  I have the entire set.  Actually, I have two complete sets.  I keep one set at work in my office.  Thanks Michael, for donating the set at the Tennessee Classic this year. 

More bow building in PA Magazine is my wish.  Even us vets don't mind reading what others do.  I believe we can never stop learning.

[Drewster]

What a great thread.  It's very interesting to hear how you veterans learned to build bows.....from books and occasionally each other.  And thank you indeed to those on this site who have been building bows for 15, 20 & 25 years and are so willing to share your knowledge and experiences for us newbies.  You are a HUGE asset to those of us still climbing a steep curve.  Being involved with the traditional bow community during the past four or five years has been a treat and one of life's blessings.  Many thanks all!

[Badger]

      Something else I have wondered about is, are there any known bowyers today who are direct descendants of a steady line of bowyers from the 1940's until the present, maybe only one generation. I have known several guys who claim to have been but there work suggested otherwise.

     I bet there are a few but for some reason they had very little impact on the rebirth of this hobby. I do personally know one man Tom Mar, who was building bows in the late 40's. I have seen his work and it is very similar to what we do today. But he had no impact on teaching it to anyone else that I am aware of.

[Buckeye Guy]

Steve
I am still shooting a bow that I made in 97
If I am thinking correctly  Pa mag started in 92 and the Marshall Primitive Archery Rendezvous  started in 93 so you may want to back your date up a couple of years to se the clunky junk, but there has been a big change in the past few years for sure !

[Badger]

Steve
I am still shooting a bow that I made in 97
If I am thinking correctly  Pa mag started in 92 and the Marshall Primitive Archery Rendezvous  started in 93 so you may want to back your date up a couple of years to se the clunky junk, but there has been a big change in the past few years for sure !

  That could very well be, i found the sight about 1998, until then I was not even aware of any other primitive bowyers. Bows were looking pretty      good already by that time. 

[mullet]

I built my first bows back in the early 90's from Hickory saplings after reading Jim Hamm's book on Bow Building. I don't know how many I broke through trial and error till I had a shooter, then I made a beginners' mistake. I let a Buddy shoot it, and he promply pulled it way, back and broke it.

It hasn't happened since then. I then ordered a Hickory blank from Mike Yancey, made a great bow and hunted with it for 3 years and the sold it to a fellow in South Florida. He finally told me it broke around 2012, good bow.

Since then my best bow was an Osage I built in 2003 and still hunt with it. This is a fun ride, you guys enjoy it.

[joachimM]

      Something else I have wondered about is, are there any known bowyers today who are direct descendants of a steady line of bowyers from the 1940's until the present, maybe only one generation. I have known several guys who claim to have been but there work suggested otherwise.

Have a look at this interview with Ed Scott
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt0n9W8KHS0

His work does suggest he's been making bows all his life, however, even he only seriously started making bows again in 1999. But he says he learned the basic principles from his uncle when he was a kid, somewhere in the 1950ies.
He's also an author of "Mounted Archery in the Americas".

[chamookman]

Man - "Snail Mail" was My best Friend. I corresponded Jay Massey, John Strunk and was luckey enough they took the time to answer My many questions. Then along came TBB 1 - whoa - system overload  I'll always be grateful for all those ahead of Me for sharing their wisdom with Me, specially Gary - Thanks GSD ! Bob

[alwayslookin]

I don't think I think half of us would be able to make bows well as soon as some do if it wasn't for the general kind hearted and giving nature of most bowyers  I've talked to. In the world we live in now most people are somewhat unhelpful and sometimes generally rude. It seems as though most people in this hobby are very nice and considerate to others and very helpful. I just want to thank each and everyone of you that have taken the time to reach out to me and others and share your knowledge. Bowyers are different class of people in today's standards and your patience with us rookies is more appreciated than I can ever express with words. So I tip my hat to you and say thank you good sirs.

[Eric Krewson]

I saw one of my first bows a couple of years ago, I had given it to a friend. It was a hickory bow, looked like a boat paddle and was a real dog of a shooter, considering what I make now it was an embarrassment. I took it home, cut it down, backed it with bamboo, narrowed the tips, added exotic burl tip overlays and gave it back to my friend. It was so bad I didn't want anyone to see it before I reworked it.