types of horn that can be used

[stuckinthemud]

Evening All,

I was wondering whether domestic goat horn can be used - I fancy making a composite bow one day but budget would be a big factor so what is the cheapest way forward? Goat horn seems to be reasonably cost effective, so is it suitable?

[mikekeswick]

If you want to make a hornbow save some money and buy a few pairs of water buffalo horn. These bows take a lot of time and effort - start with only the best materials and be prepared to fail a few times first.

[Stick Bender]

I'm in the same boat as you collecting my materials for a Maple/horn /sinew I'm going to make more of a reflexed shorter long bow style bow so I picked up a Gemsbok horn  for around $45 if that fits your budget, there around for that or cheaper, don't know if you have a copy of Adams Korpowitz  book but if not it's a great book he speaks to the different horns that can be used in it , it's a great book very informative  it's a little more complex then your typical TBB chapters but simple enough that a neophyte like me can understand , if I where going make Turk style bow I would go water Buffolow horn like Mike said  but with a more strait bow it's under less stress so maybe a little more flexibility in horn like Beadmans posted bow.

[stuckinthemud]

Thanks both; the failure part is what bothers me - I totally accept the premise of always using the best materials but I prefer to make all my mistakes on a practice piece, where I do not have the added pressure of ruining really expensive materials, and then build the 'for-real' item next - so a straight-ish, low stress bow out of OK material would be my first composite, followed by a Turkish bow out of water-buffalo horn when I have learned enough not to totally mess things up. 
As for the Karpowicz book, its on my Christmas list!

[Stick Bender]

I know what you mean I feel what your saying I don't like to fail ether but it doesent bother me much when I do ,I don't exspect to ,but just accept it as part of the learning game , hell the guys here that I talk to didn't get it right the first couple times ether , I try not to think about the cost of materials I'm working on because it makes me scared instead of just concentrating on what I need to do , that's why I'm working on 2 more highly reflexed sinew bows before I attempte one of these horn bows ,but going to start processing this Gemsbok horn as soon as I get the sinew on these bows , Glad to see some interest over on this side of the threads doesent get a lot of traffic.

[stuckinthemud]

I hear you.   I have a sinew short bow - hawthorn with holly siyahs - I fiddle around with between other projects but once that's done I want to move on to horn and sinew or bamboo, maybe.  I got into making bows as a way of learning how to make horn and sinew crossbow prods but there's so much to learn about bows the crossbow has gone on hold for a while but  I like the freedom to make mistakes I get working with cheap (free!) materials - the more expensive the material the more careful I get and the slower the project goes.

[loefflerchuck]

Yes gemsbok horn is cheap. If you want to make a 100# bow these will not work, but for a starter lighter bow these are easy and cheap.

[loon]

ibex? hungarian grey cattle? medicine bows made this one out of some sort of sheep horn



and JWB made this one out of white ram

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go4otr2QG1Q

[stuckinthemud]

Thanks for the link Loon, really enjoyed that vid.  So the horn needs to be as long as possible and as good a quality as you can get but any species of sheep and ram are options, though buffalo is preferable?

[BowEd]

stuckinthemud....I will say this about gemsbok horn.A person can make a 100# bow with it with a wood core and sinew.The power from that gemsbok can be thick and wide enough to be at least 30 to 35 pounds of the bows' power.Depending on design of bow.To absorb all of the bows compression stress.Horn of 3/16" thick and 1 and 3/8" to wide will do this for a 100# bow easily.

[stuckinthemud]

Thanks Beadman, that's good information to have.  For the time being, I am looking for more like a 35 to 45# bow, although the length they come in, and the price, both look good - I will definitely add it to my materials list