This bow is a Perry Reflex design, see The Traditional Bowyers Bible vol. III, page 91-95. Nock to nock length is 68" and draw weight is 45lb at 26 ". The belly is hickory and the back of the bow is bamboo with a diamond-back rattle snake skin overlay. The riser section is of a green and red phenolic material. Phenolic is very dense and as a result it adds more weight to the riser section and seems to me to reduce hand shock. Also this materials allows you to reduce the thickness of the sight window down to 9/16th if you want to, and still maintain the integrity of the bow. The stone point on the lower limb has a glued leather backing. It is then glued to the bow with an inscription of initials and date. I didn’t flint nap the stone point as that craft is an entirely different skill I have not learned. The artwork on the upper limb was painted by my wife, Marilyn, who is a wildlife artist.
Those "want to be bowyers" and those struggling sometimes get the wrong impression when they look at the bows of the month and think, wow is this a guy or gal's first bow? And also, are they experts in woodworking too? That would be rare if that were true. But I would like to encourage those of you with my story. I have been making bows for 25 years as a hobby and have made as many bows as in those many years that all turned out failures. I'm not like my brother Bruce who is a skillful woodworker who can build spiral stair cases, Windsor chairs, and houses. But I did read a dozen or so books, the Primitive Archer Magazine, watched 5 videos and spoke to bowyers. I want to acknowledge the following bowyers who patiently advised me and who many of you know from their contribution to this magazine. I would be remiss not to mention several of them that have passed on already, way too soon. Thank you Paul Comstock, Stim Wilcox, Tim Baker, Mike Yancy, Jim Boswell, Larry Hanify, Dean Torgas and Jim Hamm. Therefore when I made my first successful bow it took a village. Here is the whole point of my article. Every so called failed bow is not a total loss because you learn from those mistakes. With persistence by trial and error and by learning more from others you will eventually make a bow that is a shooter! In fewer words; gather knowledge and slow down, see Proverbs 19:2
Greg Hamachek
