This is a HHB bendy with static recurves. I cut this tree about four years ago from my farm. It's from the same tree I made the bow I shot my first selfbow buck from. It was standing less than thirty feet from where I was standing when I let that arrow loose. This stave had a nasty kink in it. HHB isn't as easy to manipulate with heat as Osage but it's not impossible. I did some serious heating and straightening. Then I steamed in the recurves. This was one of my therapy bows I worked on to help keep my mind off the wet fields I couldn't plant. I'm usually not working on bows in late March, April and May. I went through a lot off wood during that time frame this year.
I took it off the caul and it lost a bit of its recurves and reflex. I worked on another bow for a few days till I thought this one was reacclimatized and then I tiller it out to 52@24". It seemed pretty snappy, but I was disappointed that it lost so much recurve and reflex when I took it off the caul. I decided to steam in the recurves again and set them with dry heat this time. I gave the belly a really good black toasting. I was much happier when I removed it from the caul this time. It gave up a little but kept enough to satisfy me. I scraped off the charred belly but it still was pretty dark. It had gained weight and I got it back to 52@24" again. It really seemed snappy now.
I shot it in and then decided to do some finish work. I put whitetail Antler on the tips. It had a nice brown stain on its back already from when I first harvested the stave before I sealed its back. It needed a little more. I had a snake skin I got from Clint. It really looked a little boring without a lot of pattern. It was something he threw in extra with the deal. He's a great guy to deal with. I only had one skin and nothing to match it. I decided to cut it right down the center of its back. The skin was pretty wide and the bow was kinda narrow. It fit almost perfectly except for one kink I had to patch a little sliver in. As soon as I put it on the bow and whipped the scales off the pattern came to life. It's a really translucent skin and the stain on the bow really made its pattern pop. It's really my favorite snake skin backed bow I've done. I asked Clint and he thought it was water moccasin.
I had to come up with a name for my therapy bow and it suddenly popped in my head. I decided to call her "Burnt Offering". I took her to Marshall and shoot the coarse several times. Gave her a good work out shooting the poachers round and she really shot flat for the bear across the pond.
Hope you all like her . I sure do.
Bjrogg
