Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Kegan on June 10, 2008, 07:49:26 pm
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I owe a bow to the younger borther's of a buddy of mine. I started refinishing an old oak bow, but it tunred out to be veyr badly tillered and too awful to give them. So I looked through my old bows, dry staves (the two I have :D) and bows I never finished and found a one that worked, a 58" elm D bow pulling about 75+#.
After retillering (it kept the 1 3/4" set it had from before when I had tried tillering it green, but didn't gain anymore), narrowing the handle, and polishing it all off, it came out as a beutiful little elm flatbow. It's about 1 5/8" wide, with a slightly working West Coast Native American style handle. It's 58" long, 45# at 25"- heavy, I know, but I couldn't bring myself to lower it anymore; it shoots so well. I burnished the wood with an old glass jar and finished it with some floor wax. It's a simple little beauty, and showed me how to make a D bow/flatbow hybrid that even I can tiller ;D.
As for the name, it just came to me as I was working. Being such a small bow, and such a swift shooter I guess. Is a sparrow hawk even a real bird ????
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SWEET!, Kegan. You sure lean towards the heavy side on the weight. Me too, ;)
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Thanks Mullet ;D! I'm glad I'm not the only one- means I'm not so crazy :D!
Here are the last pictures. I promised to give them some broadhead arrows fit for the bow and a good Dacron string when they get their hunting licenses.
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Love it Kegan, Nice simple hunting bow designed to make meat. Also a very nice gesture and great that your spreading the addiction ;D
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Hi, Yes there is a bird here in the UK called the Sparrow Hawk. It is a great little bird!!! Well done on the name and bow. :D
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Thanks guys ;D! Last year while participating in a raft race in Oil City I chopped out a cherry flatbow with just a hatchet and immediately sparked almost eveyrone's interest. No that they have their own, I'm hoping they'll pass it on to their friends :).
And thanks Cromm, I'm glad to know I'm not making up animals again, and that the actual bird is a good one to name a bow after :).
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Kegan, You bet there is a bird called a Sparrow Hawk !
At first i thought it was the sister to the "Sparrow" you traded me a couple of years back ;D
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SWEET Kegan! ;D
That thing is awesome! I really like that! :)
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Nice and simple ;)
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Great looking bow! Very nice. Jawge
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In the UK the Sparrow hawk is a small accipiter that is about the equivalent to our NA Sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawk combined.
In North America the "sparrow hawk" is the American Kestrel. Both birds are small, fast and deadly. Good name for that bow.
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As PatM said the "sparrow hawk" in America is the American Kestrel, Falco sparverius. 9" to 12" tall. Pretty much covers the continental US and lots of Canada. Its preys on insects, small birds and rodents. I hope the younger brother of your buddy has higher hopes with his "Sparrow Hawk"! ;)
Kool little bow Kegan. I have always loved the simplicity of your bows. Our brains run on the same track...except for draw weight!!! :o :o :o pat
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Good looking bow, Kegan, and way to go arming the neighborhood :)
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Great work.
Sparrowhawk is the name of the wizard hero in the La Guin Earthsea novels, who's secret true name is Ged.
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Nice looking bow Kegan and way to spread it around...nice gesture! ;)
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Nice profile and the handle area is interesting.
Dave
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Great looking bow Kegan. That was very nice of you. I thought maybe it was named sparrow hawk because all the sparrows in the neighborhood needed to fear it. ;)
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Very nice bow. And bookmarked, too.
Good call, Patb and M for clarifying the name sparrow hawk=American Kestrel
-OldBow aka biology teacher (retired)
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Don, We always called them "Killy Hawks" and after looking it up in the Audubon Field Guide it describes its call as killy killy killy! ::) Go figure! Pat
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Thanks for the kind words everyone :)! Ahhh, the kestrel. I know that one. Glad to know I've named it after such excellent little birds. They absolutely loved it. Made my day ;D
Snedeker- I liked the handle so much I started another bow (along with the five other's I'm working on) out of elm- a flatbow with the same handle, only larger.
PatB- Thanks! I always like your bows, simply elegant :). As for weight, I'm sure I'll setle down and start loweing weight sooner or later. It's only a matter of time before I "come to my senses", right?
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Nice bow. In the unbraced pictures, I saw that the string was very low on the limb, is that where it is when it is unstrung? If so, that would mean that the string is stretching too much, can't have that, can we? :)
Sean
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Nice bow. In the unbraced pictures, I saw that the string was very low on the limb, is that where it is when it is unstrung? If so, that would mean that the string is stretching too much, can't have that, can we? :)
Sean
Naw, it just slips down. I snaded it to a very fine grit (600?) and burnished it, then finished it with wax and burnished it again. It was as soft sa silk until the bike ride taking it down to them :P.
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Its a gr8 bow.....and the nok its realy interesting....gr8 job....
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Touching... It looks so nice, you have all the craftmanship that I imagined you had.
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yup, looking nice, nice name too. i prefer heavier bows as well.- Ryan