what are advantages of the Bendy bow?

[Tradslinger]

I am in process of tillering this bendy bow that I am building. it is about 30 # at 20" right now and I have a 26" draw. Hoping to end up with around 38 to 40 pounds. it is Osage, 60" tip to tip. it is bending in the handle now. I know that some of you have to be hunting with these type bows and there has to be some sort of advantages over a rigid bow. I am beginning to like this bow and hope to shoot it soon. it will be my shortest bow for me so far.   

[Deerhunter21]

Well, the one thing I know for sure is that you can get a longer draw from a bendy bow than from the same length stiff handle bow.

[bassman]

Did you want a bend through handle ?

[Fox]

Well since theres more bending limb it takes a lot of stress off of the bow. and in that case you can also make the bow shorter... I also find them easer to tiller, mine usually take way less set.

[Pat B]

The whole bow takes the strain instead of just the limbs.

[Morgan]

Simplicity. You can get a hard hitting bow from a sliver of a stave or small sapling. If it is light in the tips, and tillered well it doesn’t shock, and for me (which is setting the bar low) shoots as well as any of my other non center shot bows. Also, there is something there for me to be using a tool that very very closely resembles that which my ancestors used.

[M2A]

As mentioned above you dont need as much wood to do the same thing as a stiff handled bow. Less material=a better chance of more higher quality pieces to work with for me. That may only make sense if you enjoy shooting that style of bow of course. 

[Tradslinger]

the ancestor part is part of it too for me, just kind of cool period. I know that they did very well with theirs. I don't like the feathers going across my hand at all, too many slivers cut into hand in the past. so I plan to have a wrapped handle and use the wrapping as a shelf or an added piece of leather. I also plan to glue a stiffer piece of leather in the belly side of the handle to thicken the grip a little. at this point, my tips are probably a little thick but as noted already, that will show up in handshock. may be a little while before I get to finish the bow, have some more chaos to deal with, stepdaughter and alcohol don't mix very well with cops. 30 plus years old and still giving us grief, the wife thinks that she has to be there for every thing that she does, even 2 hours away. really hate chaos.

[bradsmith2010]

since the bow is slightly overbuilt, it will stableize and stay that way, and last forever, since it is not overstrained,,

[Fox]

Fletch cuts eh? Your just makin your arrows wrong ! JK

But i don’t have a problem with fletch cuts so long as I’m carful when wrapping the front with sinew.

[Tradslinger]

actually got to shoot it today. really like it, it is right at 39 pounds. Not finished yet with it, still have to do the wrap, final sanding and finish. hope to somehow get some pics loaded on here for you guys to see it. in many ways, a lot easier to build than a rigid bow. very simple and easy, my kind of bow.

[Morgan]

actually got to shoot it today. really like it, it is right at 39 pounds. Not finished yet with it, still have to do the wrap, final sanding and finish. hope to somehow get some pics loaded on here for you guys to see it. in many ways, a lot easier to build than a rigid bow. very simple and easy, my kind of bow.

Good deal, congratulations! I hope to see it on here. Lots of folks think they are easier to build than a rigid handles bow, but that don’t apply to me. I have a heck of a time with getting the center bend right. My first D bow bent way too much in the middle, and now  Almost always wind up with it a bit stiffer than I’d like in the middle for worry of going too far with it. That middle bend plays with my eyes on the tiller tree. I’ve gotten to where I clamp a straight edge on the tree  barely above and parallel to the bow so I can see the bend in the middle better.

[Hawkdancer]

Trad,
You can make a rest with a strip of leather folded over and bent at 90 degrees and wrapped down with the grip leather.  Solves the problem, or wear a glove on your bow hand.  Might check your nocking point on the string, too, possibly too low.  Waiting to see the pictures!
Hawkdancer

[Tradslinger]

have tried to post pics but it keeps saying something about the site being insecure. so no pics yet

[Tradslinger]

Morgan, I am not a perfectionist at this point so my tiller may not be as perfect as many would like but it is shooting great. I am still going to tweak it some after I get the grip taken care of.  considering that my last osage bow broke, this is awesome.