Leather handles

[wizardgoat]

Use better leather and it won’t tear. Pauly showed me a sweet method of using painters tape sticky side out, and then another layer sticky side down. Carefully cut it off and it gives a perfect template to cut the leather. Leather stretches a little more one way than the other, I like to keep the stiffer side for my stitching edge. Wet the leather, pat dry and it’ll really take on any form if you have a curvy handle.

[BowEd]

The cool thing about using good thicker rawhide[that is perfect fit using the tape fitting method] is that when sewn on wet[using tite bond 3 glue] you can wrap it with a masonary type string to create texture on your grip when it's dry.You can also alcohol dye that rawhide any color you want later too besides leaving it natural which is nice too.It'll slightly shrink around your handle and be tight as a drum.

[George Tsoukalas]

You could go online and order some better leather or go to some craft stores.

Here's how I do handles.

http://traditionalarchery101.com/leatherhandle.html

Jawge

[Eric Krewson]

Here is an unstitched leather handle tutorial I made years ago. You could stitch it after you glue everything down. You get a very tight fit with your leather doing it this way. I now use a popsicle stick across the belly when I am cutting the overlapping ends. It bends to conform with the handle and is short enough to be easy to align with the centerline.

http://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=108891.msg0#new

[BowEd]

Cool fellas...Nice demos of putting leather handles on.Both those ways are very good from my experience.
Well there ya go Don!!!Your package should arrive sometime next week.
I like the type leather handles DVS does too.

[DC]

Thanks for all the input guys. This has been a very productive thread for me. Info and BowEd is sending me a few pieces of his brain tan to try out. Very good of you Ed. I really appreciate it. I'll have to make a special bow for it.

[bubby]

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,39604.msg527688.html#msg527688
Here's a build a long on handles I did some time ago. Double the edges about 1/2-3/4" and it will work fine

[jimmi the sammi]

Look for women's purses and wallets at thrift stores.  Real leather ones are some of the best quality leather you can buy.  My favorite brand is "fossil".  I use the leather for making bow handles and shooting gloves.  It's very supple and strong.  The shooting gloves last for years with plenty of weekly shooting.

Great build alongs!  I'll be using these suggestions in the future also!

[Pat B]

Jimmi, will you post pics of your shooting glove? ...and your process too if you have it.

[jimmi the sammi]

I wrote an article for PA several years back that was published with pictures.  I may still have it in my archives.  If so it's on a different computer and will have to look it up later.  And I'll have to figure out how to post pictures on this site since I am basically computer illiterate!

[DC]

Cool fellas...Nice demos of putting leather handles on.Both those ways are very good from my experience.
Well there ya go Don!!!Your package should arrive sometime next week.
I like the type leather handles DVS does too.

Got the package today Ed! It's really nice. I wasn't expecting brain tanned to be that soft. That's deer hide, right? Now I just have to sort out how to cut it to get the most use out of this. Beautiful stuff, a lot of work I think. Thank you very much.

[BowEd]

Cool fellas...Nice demos of putting leather handles on.Both those ways are very good from my experience.
Well there ya go Don!!!Your package should arrive sometime next week.
I like the type leather handles DVS does too.

Got the package today Ed! It's really nice. I wasn't expecting brain tanned to be that soft. That's deer hide, right? Now I just have to sort out how to cut it to get the most use out of this. Beautiful stuff, a lot of work I think. Thank you very much.

Your welcome...It sounded like you were out in the boonies there for access to leather.That took longer than I thought but at least it arrived.That brain tan is kinda thin I know but enough to cover those handle splices nicely on those nice bows you've made.It'll glue and lace or sew up very easily for ya.

[DC]

Not out in the boonies, just one of those small towns where you just can't find stuff. It's quite normal for things to get hung up at the border for a few days. Thanks again

[upstatenybowyer]

You'll love that leather Don. Ed was kind enough to send me some a while back. It feels great in the hand, and I love it for arrow passes. Nice a quiet. 

[BowEd]

DC...Where I'm at here it's normal for the merchants to tell me that's all we got....Ha Ha.I just go on line and get it sent and save gas going to the big city a 1.5 hour drive 1 way....Ha Ha.