The ABC's of bow making

[BowEd]

Something I wanted to get opinions on in a civilized arena.I know from breeding/training/and presenting or campaigning coonhounds for decades of my life the ABC's always have been to me Ability,Brains,and Conformation within the standards of the breed.Selective yes but still overall set.
What would be the ABC's of bow making?I realize there is a degree or point of satisfaction at times everyone can meet for themselves,and that a bow makers talent can and will get better as more bows are made.I do also realize a discussion such as this can go many different directions.Since there is a very diverse choice of designs and styles out there on bows I wonder if there is an overriding element or elements all bow makers should strive for or if it's just too diverse to pin down.
I'm looking for broader minded opinions from those experienced bow makers as to what 3 most important elements in a bow are.

[DC]

Art,Brains and Craft. I put art first because there a quite a few people that can make a very good bow but only a few that can pull off a stunner. I put craft last for just the because i think craft is just practice. I put brains in the middle cause it starts with "B".

[BowEd]

That's good.I suppose then each word should encompass certain elements.I guess it really does'nt have to start with an A then B and then C really.
Since I don't really make bows fast here or rather I usually will have a favorite that I'll make and shoot at least 6 months or more without making another there are different things I'm trying to evaluate here.Durability being the goal.I think that paticular element will tell me if my handiwork was sound.
If I had to get off the fence and zero in on it I would say good Tiller/ease of Draw to it's user/and Durability keeping it's profile.So...that would be my 3 letters I guess.TDD.
A person could look at this a different way too.To make bows it takes Patience/a good eye/and knowledge of proposed bowwood.

[BowEd]

I guess everybody has their own standard of preferences they will make bows by.

[bubby]

I think in my case it is brace bend and cast

[BowEd]

I can see your point.A good brace and a good full draw bend for the design leads to good cast.

[JonW]

I guess I start with feasibility. I don't like spending a bunch of time on something that is questionable. Next would be tiller then cast.

[BowEd]

I know what you mean when I can get ahold of a very nice looking prospect I can literally rub my hands together in excitement to get at it knowing what the outcome could possibly be from experience.

[jeffp51]

Great question.  Lots of ways to answer it.  I would say:

A. Listen to the wood.  Let the wood tell you what kind of bow it wants to be.  Every time I ignore this, I get a broken stave in the corner.

B. Beauty is the objective.  Make what is beautiful to you and don't let anyone else tell you what that is--whether plain and functional or ornate and impractical, or anything else--but life is too short to settle for ugly when you have beauty inside waiting to come out

C. Enjoy the process.  Some bows will break, some will take set, some won't turn out how you hoped, and some will look and work great.  But slow down and enjoy the ride no matter what.

The best advice in bowmaking I ever heard was "it's just a stick"  -- don't remember who said it.

[BowEd]

Good sound opinions and experiences.
Reading the woods capabilities is something I do too.More perfect wood will handle more extreme designs while more characterish ones need a more simple forgiving type design.A bow to me is a tool of recreation and commaradery with my friends and also a tool for filling my freezer.Something to be shot a lot.If not by me then by who I make them for.Most of the gratification or beauty I get from bows I make is from these 2 activities besides the bow being made of wood and the beauty of a well tillered bow.There's a reason FG makers like to use wood laminations.I always enjoy making bows.Even with some throwing more curves at a person than others.To stick it out and overcome is my motto.In time and enough bows failures get fewer and farther between while still pushing the envelope.

[Eric Krewson]

My three would be knowledge, patience and training your eye to recognize subtle differences in tiller,  shaping and final finish.

[GlisGlis]

A, B, B, D

Another one
Before
Bride
Discover

No C sorry. My english is pretty limited 

[Pappy]

Functional, and Durability , Beauty and finish come last as long as it will not effect the first 2.
 Pappy

[BowEd]

That's about the best analogy of my way of thinking too Pappy.I need it to be a long life durable bow no.1.Even though I've got way more bows then I need.....lol.

[bjrogg]

I would have to agree with Pappy. I do like to make so special bows that I dress up for a special occasion, but I really just like the bow to find its way out of the stave.

A- always listens to the stave. I may look at a stave many times and put it back on the pile. I don't really get serious with it till I can see the bow hiding in there. Then I start to lay it out.

B- Be ready to make adaptations. Sometimes I can see two different bows in the same stave. If I'm trying to make one type and the bow wants to be the other I may just agree with the bow and switch to the other type.

C- Conservative. I guess this goes back to durability and functionality. I started out making very conservative bow designs. I've pushed my layouts a bit more to get better performance. I'm thinking I found my happy medium. I'm probably still more conservative than many but I believe my bows performance is more than adequate.

I guess those are my ABC's. Never was very good at school. I fact I've never seen or read any of the TBB's. I have learned an enormous amount from many members of this site and would like to thank you all. You included Ed.
Thanks
Bjrogg