2 Osage Plains bows

[JackCrafty]

NICE! 

[TRACY]

Sweet! It looks like you utilized the osage to it's fullest. Love to try shooting off horseback with one of those!

Tracy

[The Burnt Hill Archer]

very impressive! ive never been too interested in the plains bows (im more of an eastern woodlands bow man myself), but thoes are pretty cool man. you did a great job on both!

Phil

[tom sawyer]

Very nice work.  I'm sure the bows aren't meant to be pulled past a string angle of 90 degrees.  Your first full-draw looks about 90, the second is going past.  Native Americans drew to the chest didn't they?  In addition to possibly being generally of smaller stature?

And I can see how it would be tough to shoot them accurately since the reflexed handle is putting your hand behind the arc of the limbs, amplifying any amount of torque in your grip.  You run into that some with modern bows that have a reflexed riser.

Fine job on the sinew.  Did the bows pull into much reflex when it dried?  I suppose you heat-bent the bows to shape, then sinewed?  And I may have missed it, but what example were you copying on that second one?

[david w.]

Very nice work! Superb bows!

[YewArcher]

Lennie,

I suspect that the Native Americans drew many differnt ways. Being hunters by nature they probably had adapted many differnt draws depending on how and why they were shooting. These bows being shot from horseback were probably draw flat armed slightly canted towards the chest area with a finger pinch. I would sugest that had the same fellow been stalking a buffalo on foot that they would have draw more to the face......Being a practical utilitarian people this makes sence to me.


The handel is exatly why its tough. Even being light weight they are unstable in the hand to hold and aim.......another point for the pinch draw snap shot. This would make more sence with the dynamic of the bow. I did the bends with heat prior to sinewing. The sinew pulled the bws a bit but not a whole lot. Unlike the west cast sinew baced bows that are basicly reverse tillered. Its more importatnt just to keep the sinew on while drying on that deep concave handel area. So the whole bow gets wrapped to keep from puling off while curing.

I did not copy an exact bow for these.....there are sooooooooooooo many and they are all very similar in style and detail. The second one is a compilation a many authentics.

SJM

[Keenan]

 Thanks Yewarcher, For some reason the unbraced did'nt show on the first time that I looked, but now that I see the profile I understand and think you nailed it. Great bows..

[shamus]

VERY nice job!

[PatM]

I would be curious to know how these would perform if they were braced much lower which was apparently pretty common for Plains bows. Wrist slap and increased offset of the arrow on the wider handle would become a bit of an issue.
 Still, you would increase the power stroke a  bit.
 These two are perfect in classic construction.

[YewArcher]

Pat, those are good thought. They were orginally braced real low. I will give it a go nect time I am out shooting and let you all know how they do. They do shoot awsome as is though. I am more then suprised at how they fling a short arrow!

SJM

[cowboy]

Them look great! I've been tinkering with some short bows - looking at these are helping to fuel that fire .

[YewArcher]

Get um going. Short bow are so much fun and such a challenge frm th bowyesr perspective as well as the archers.

SJM

[OldBow]

Great looking bows - both look like they were picked up off the Custer Battlefield. Any chance of sending me direct closer pictures of the full draws? July Bow of the Month is coming up.

[YewArcher]

Sure will send them to you.

SJM

[a finnish native]

Man oh man, I've been just some weeks away from the forum amd right away thease sweeties appear. great job man. how many layers of sinew?