Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: cool_98_555 on January 14, 2017, 11:57:37 am
-
Hi everyone,
Just curious as to what the reactions were from people you gave your selfbow(s) to as a gift. I recently made a nice character osage selfbow for my dad and he had no idea I was making one for him. He was so happy he couldn't put the bow down! Anyone else have similar situations?
-
Yes! A friend of mine who hunts with a compound arrow shooter, was talking about trying to hunting with a fiberglass, and he suggested maybe me making one for him and wanted to know what it would cost. I laughed and told him, "cost? If you get a permit to cut a yew tree (since we are only allowed one tree a year), and If it gets you to put away that compoundy thing, Ill just make you one." Im in the process of making it now, just got the recurves in. I here about it every-single-day, and how excited he is to go elk hunting with it this year. He ordered stuff to to have a go at making the arrows for it. Its funny how amazed people are at how it's possible to get a single piece of wood to bend like that. Sometimes the best part of this hobby is giving the bows away and seeing peoples excitement.
Eric
-
Just sent one to my nieces husband for christmas... he had no idea at all. He completely freaked out. Loves it. Had to go over a few to-do and not to do's with him. Now he's hooked.
-
I asked my brother if I made him a selfbow would he hunt with it and he said " I would be Honored " he fell in love with it the first time he shot it.
-
Best reaction I ever got was from my kids. :)
-
Most of the bows I have gifted I haven't been there in person when they got the bow. A few years back at the Classic Matt Wirwicki really liked one of my bows that I had with me. It was a short sinew backed bow with a snake belly scale backing. He asked if I would put it in my will that he got that bow. I handed it to him and we shared a manly hug. That was the best reaction I have ever got.
-
Nice to hear everyone's story😊
-
My most recent . . . . .
Have been making some bows lately and found that bow rack was gettin' over-filled.
Remembered that last summer the gal next door was complaining her compound was too heavy for her.
Sooooo, couple days before Christmas I wrapped up a light-pulling bow and handful of arrows. Hiked over to neighbor's place. Fortunately the man-of-house came to door. Asked him to conceal pkg until Christmas.
On Christmas Day there was knock on the door. Jaime was at door with bow in her hand and smile from ear-to-ear. Said "This is one of the best gifts I ever received!"
When she left, that grin had been transferred from her face to mine.
-
I made a pair of bows for my friends twin girls when they were about 8. They are 16 now and one of them pretty much hasn't put it down since! Although I made her another bigger bow she is getting strong and now needs a proper weight bow.
Giving a gift of a bow is a great thing to do as it opens the door of traditional archery to somebody new.
-
I've seen tears a few times, that really gets to me. A hardy smile comes in second.
-
This thread has been a joy to read!
-
My best reaction is when I gave a guy a bow and he put his other bows aside and shot only the bow I gave him the majority of the time, for years and years.
-
My best reaction was at a Rendezvous. I had a young fellow about 11 yrs old dogging me around camp, fingering every single bow and all the arrows. Questions would not stop and I made my mind up that one way or another he'd go home with a set. He was an enterprising young capitalist and quickly had a business set up with a small wagon, hauling water, scrounging firewood, whatever the order of the day availed. Toward the end of the week he had ventured into swapping and trading, getting the best of everyone until he had quite a bankroll and pile of swag.
He showed up to do the trade when I already had a bloviating pompous windbag offering me 1/3 of the price I had on a particular bow. Even after I explained cost of materials and that I only looked to make $5/hour on the prices marked, this pettifogging four-flusher continued to push for a lower price by starting to criticize the workmanship (despite zero knowlege of the subject). At that point, I turned to the kid and handed him the bow in question, told him to pick out any set of arrows he wanted for FREE. I said since he had been so handy around camp packing water and firewood, he deserved a bow equal to his stature as a hard working man. He laughed and said, "I guess it does pay to work hard!"
Best trade I ever made!
-
@JW. Great story and double whammy. I have loved to see the other guy's face.
I seem to recall giving one ginger ninja guy a bow over in Tennessee, when he shot it he proclaimed that it was the best he'd ever shot... Can't remember who it was for the life of me >:D
Del
-
A kiss full on the lips and a hug, the hug lingered uncomfortably as my wife was right there. I finally told him to get his hand off my rearend and i walked away with a purpose
-
Wow....Pearl you had tears on a few of your bows? When was that? I'd like to hear the details on that story right there. I get so caught up in the bow i'm currently working on if it is for me because I want to make it perfect for myself, but making it for somebody else is a completely different story! I love giving a bow that took a lot of work to somebody who really, really appreciates it. Made a bow for a guy a few years ago and recently found out he's still using it to this day....makes me smile. I wouldn't want to give a bow to somebody who wouldn't appreciate it and put it in a corner all its life, but when it's for somebody who really appreciates it.....wow it is amazing...
-
I've had some nice reactions but the one I just finished was the best. This fella had a wood bow a few years back. He loved it but had to give it up. He was so excited he shoot a couple of my bows then I gave him his. It fit him perfectly and the bend looked so good on him. He wanted it naked with no finish of any kind. He wanted to airbrush it. Today he brought over. He airbrushed some really nice artwork on belly with stain. I'm going to seal it with tru oil then he's going to air brush some more and I'll seal it again. He is so happy to be shooting again and he's really personalizing it. It is gonna be sweet and I'm really getting excited to see what it will look like when it's finished.
Bjrogg
-
A kiss full on the lips and a hug, the hug lingered uncomfortably as my wife was right there. I finally told him to get his hand off my rearend and i walked away with a purpose
ROFLMAO!!! You ain't right Bub! Josh
-
A kiss full on the lips and a hug, the hug lingered uncomfortably as my wife was right there. I finally told him to get his hand off my rearend and i walked away with a purpose
Good one! :)
-
Guess they got more than tree huggers out there Bubby.lol sounds like he really liked his Bow and Bowyer to.
Bjrogg
-
A kiss full on the lips and a hug, the hug lingered uncomfortably as my wife was right there. I finally told him to get his hand off my rearend and i walked away with a purpose
You California guys are a little different ;D
-
A nice gracious thank you is good enough for me when I give someone a bow.The look on their faces examining every detail.Nicest when they tell me of game they are shooting with it.I'd say that's the best reaction I could get.A getting to know someone to shoot with too.
A related subject is that strangers have come on the yard hearing through the grapevine wanting to buy and wanting to get to know them better I tell them to pick a stave and we'll make one together.I don't hear from them then.
I actually got to know a game warden here meeting him at a cafe.We both went outside after eating and I had a bow on the truck seat I showed him.He stared at it for quite some time asking questions.He said he'd love to give it a go hunting with it but is just way too busy during hunting season to give it time.Maybe during the off season I'll see him.
-
A kiss full on the lips and a hug, the hug lingered uncomfortably as my wife was right there. I finally told him to get his hand off my rearend and i walked away with a purpose
Hahaha, I can't stop laughing!
-
@JW. Great story and double whammy. I have loved to see the other guy's face.
I seem to recall giving one ginger ninja guy a bow over in Tennessee, when he shot it he proclaimed that it was the best he'd ever shot... Can't remember who it was for the life of me >:D
Del
I remember that spotted clown. He still has that bow and won't part with it! Every time people ask him about bows, he pulls that one out and tries to tell them that it is made from a baked potato. That pure white hazel wood coupled with the bark still on the outside makes it almost beg for some butter and sour cream!
-
It's hard to beat the reaction of a kid that gets handed his or her first bow. I've handed out a lot of kid bows, and it's a better feeling than getting paid for a bow that's for sure. My best story was, a set of young brothers. They were 10 and 8. The youngest one was big into snakes. His bow of course had a snake skin backing. The oldest one was big into riding horse, so he got a mini horse bow, with a PA magazine that happen to have an article about horse bow archery all over the world. The looks on the faces was pure shock. The best part though, was when I told the oldest one, now he needs to convince his dad to take the training wheels of his bow and shoot like a man. It took about 2.5 seconds for him to relay that message to his dad, and his dad's reaction to that was almost as good as when I handed over the bows. The dad still shares that story every time I see him. His kid still gives him crap about training wheels on his bow.
Tattoo Dave
-
Seeing how I have been stiffed on three of the last four bows I have sold, yeah, tattoo dave, the smile on a kid is a whole heck of a kick to see.
-
I have given away many bows and had some very good reactions[no kiss on the lips mind you] ::) but big smiles and man hugs but the best reaction I get is to see them a years or 2 down the road still shooting it. Some do and some don't, the ones that don't always make me sad. :(
Pappy
-
On the other side I have had bad reactions as well.
On the request of of one of the top wheelie bow shooters in the country I made a bow and arrows for his 10 year old son for free. This was back in my early days when it took me weeks to make a bow.
I presented the bow to the youngster at a tournament, he seemed thrilled.
Two weeks later I went to another tournament and the youngster was proudly showing off his new, fully decked out wheel bow. The bow I made him was never seen or heard from again, I suspect it was consigned to the trash.
That was 20 years ago, I have never made another a bow for a youngster in a predominantly wheelie archer household. I have never sold a kids bow and always given them away for free, dozens of them.
Come to think of it, I have never given a bow to an adult that shoots wheels since either.
-
I made one for my Brother in law a few years ago for christmas. He cried. Made me feel good. He said it was the best gift that anyone had ever given him.
-
Years ago I was at a local trad 3D shoot. While there I saw a gentleman with his young son of about 9 or 10 years old. The Dad had just bought the son a new glass bow but the boy was pouting and only wanted a real "Indian bow". I approached them to show them my osage bow and cane and sourwood arrows. To say the least, he was excited. I asked them to wait a minute while I went back to my truck. I came back with a little all sapwood osage flat bow I had made and handed it to him. I asked if that is what he was talking about and he said yes. Then I asked if he wanted it. His eyes got big and he looked at his Dad looking at his Dad for approval and Dad said he could have it. Then I asked him his name. Patrick he said. Then I asked his last name...Brennan he said. Well, I told him, that is my name. We were all surprised and we have been friends ever since. Unfortunately Patrick'd Dad, Tom passed away a few years ago from a brain tumor. Many members here remember Tom and know Patrick.
I saw Patrick last year at the Sheale Museum knapp-in in Gastonia, NC. I asked him about that bow and he went to his car and brought it out to show me...just as I remembered it.
I've given away most of the bows I've built. I have sold a few but prefer to trade or give them away. Probably the best reaction I've ever gotten from giving away a bow is how it makes me feel.
-
@Bubby - I about spit my coffee out!
Pat B - enjoyed reading that. Great story.
-
The only tears I've seen were from the mother of a slightly troubled, awkward 13 year old young man down the block, you know, no dad at home, etc. good kid, though, not many friends, I guess, who stopped by and watched me work on a bow once. He asked so many questions and seemed to take in the process more than most of the hundred other boys that stop by and want a bow or want to make one, but who don't seem really KEEN on archery and bows. So, I gave him the next decent little bow I finished; a cute little elm, 60", 30 lbs or so, kind of wide willowleaf limb front profile, and a few bamboo arrows. it was nice.
Also, I once had a falling out with a very good, very old friend. We stayed friends and in touch, but there was a lot of formality and tension after that. So, one day I showed up at his house with the bow I had been meaning to get around to making for him for years. It was one of my better skinny bows, 3/16" white oak back and perfect, almost pin-less ERC belly from the shaded side of an old tree that had been planted too close to a house. It helped.