Sinew backed Buckthorn

[Marc St Louis]

Started this bow last Winter, this was in the very early stages of covid.  The stave was relatively short so I figured I would make a D bow and since I hadn't made a sinew backed bow in more than 15 years decided to go that route.  The stave came from a small diameter tree and I knew that if I left it the way it was that I would be left with mostly sapwood and I didn't want that.  I decided to remove most of the sapwood and slightly de-crown the stave at the same time.  It also had a bit of character, such as one tip having a slight recurve, so I evened things up a bit with dry-heat.  I shaped the limbs and floor tillered it then backed it with 3 courses of sinew, most of it mounded down the center of the working imbs.  I then put it aside to dry and season for a few months.  Then a couple months ago, with social distancing still in effect and not much to do, I started tillering.  I wasn't looking for a lot of draw weight and ended finishing it up to about 52# @ 28".  The bow is 57" N to N and the limbs are just under 1 1/2" wide.  The sinew is Moose backstrap and the final touch was a Rattlesnake skin I got in trade a few years ago.  It has fairly high string tension hence the FF string, for now, but I am planning a linen string for it. 

Here's some pics

[bassman]

Nice work. Well done as usual.

[DC]

Very nice Marc. I don't know how you guys can get 28" out of a less than 60" bow. I start to pucker getting 28" out of 64".

[Stickhead]

Great full draw curve on that one!

[RyanY]

Awesome little bow. What did you think of buckthorn?

[GlisGlis]

beautiful. my favorite kind of bow. superb tillering 
the linen string will be the icing on the cake

[bjrogg]

Very nice Marc. The profiles look fantastic. Always enjoy looking at your bows.
Bjrogg

[Marc St Louis]

Thanks guys

I like Buckthorn.  It's a bit weak in tension but a very elastic wood in compression

[Parnell]

Very nice, Marc.  I really like the unbraced profile.  Your linen strings...are they endless loop strings made with Irish lockstitch linen?  I've been wondering the technique used to serve the loops...where the serving starts and ends and feeding the serving through the loop itself.
 Been wondering about that.

[PatM]

Very nice, Marc.  I really like the unbraced profile.  Your linen strings...are they endless loop strings made with Irish lockstitch linen?  I've been wondering the technique used to serve the loops...where the serving starts and ends and feeding the serving through the loop itself.
 Been wondering about that.

 Nice one Marc.

 Parnell, endless strings are typically served in a straight line under tension and then rotated around pegs and served together to form the loop.  They are not served as a loop.

[BowEd]

Excellent bow Marc.Good use of all the working limb that's there without much set while keeping a good amount of kick back on the tips.
I don't remember seeing too many bows of yours with snake skins.

[Will B]

Beautiful bow and excellent bend, as on all of your bows. Thanks for posting!

[mikebarg]

So, if the back is slightly de-crowned, it still has some crown and is still all covered with sapwood, but the sapwood is thinner in the center. Correct ?

[bradsmith2010]

wow  that is so beautiful in every way, thanks for posting , I love that bow,,

[gutpile]

very nice