Plains Bow Question

[AKAPK]

This is the Osage  plains style Bow Ive been working on for a couple months.
 It's 48 NTN 42#@24" it has CowSinew and a Raw hide backing.
 I put the raw hide over the Sinew Because the Sinew Is a bit weak.
It shoots well at the !/1/4.
The upper bends a little more since I am drawing 1/1\4 up.
almost finished just need to sand it smoother and see if there is a design I can paint on the back.
The question is this type of Bow supposed to be a center shot or up the 1/1/4?
I just looked at Yew Archers  Plains Bow which looks really good.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[medicinewheel]

That's impressive!!!
Will you decorate it???

[AKAPK]

Frank, I'm trying to see what decoration would look good with the osage, got any ideas?I have some  but I always like more ideas.Phillip

[nickf]

Nice! however that handle's been setbacked, I would try to get it bending a little more on your future plains bows, in order to reduce stacking by a little and prevent set. in addition, I've hear that plains bows were usually strung pretty low, more like 2"-3".  This aswell might improve the performance.

i've seen a beautyfull Choktaw (woodlands) bow, with black circles and dots... You can find it in TBB 2. Something similar would look great, though not historically correct (woodlands decoration on plains bow). As far as I remember Plains bows weren't painted that well, instead decorated with quillwork and sometimes snakeskin.

Nick

[uwe]

Some porqupine wrappings look good as well as alittle bundle of horsehair at the top of the upper limb. Some had a covering of of glittering pumice powder (sorry, are these the correct words?) over the back, which had been dusted over fresh (wet) hideglue.
Painted bows are more to be found on the Pacific coast, the Woodlands, and Californian bows.
Regards Uwe

[AKAPK]

Thanks, I think I'll just leave the backing with a brownish color and put some osage dyed Goat hair I have, don't think I can use porcupine in regulation land.
The lower brace height, you got it .

[JackCrafty]

Man, I wish I could get my bows bending that much.  Even with backing and 1-1/2" wide limbs, I'm getting excess set or breakage when I draw more than 22" on a 48" bow.  Great job!

Most of the plains bows I've seen don't have much paint, if any.  If painted, the backs are usually a solid color and the bellies painted with simple line designs.  Coup or kill marks (usually circles) might be painted on the back.  Sometimes the sinew wrapping or the handle was painted.  Rarely, you will see etched or burned designs.  Many bows were simply stained yellow, red, black, or brown.  Snakeskin backing was very rare...and was probably never used in the Southern Plains area.

Horse hair or human hair tassels were fairly common as decoration.  Sometimes you'll see a feather as well.  These were attached to the top of the bow.

Quill work and streamers of fur were sometimes put on bows belonging to important individuals.  These were attached mid-limb on both limbs.  Beadwork was seldom added to working bows...being reserved for ceremonial or tourist bows.

[AKAPK]

Thanks Patrick, I appreciate your Knowledge of Native Hunting Tools. I posted the Finished Bow.

[uwe]

Beadwork was seldom added to working bows...being reserved for ceremonial or tourist bows.
[/quote]

Look into theTBB, where the blackfeetbow is shown, you`ll find some beadwork on a working bow. But it seems to be really seldom as Jackcrafty says.