Hedge, I like my bows to bend as close to the handle as I can. A rigid(wood) back overlay would probably pop off. I do like the look of a handle overlays.
Well I have her all dressed up(cept for a few more coats of Tru-Oil) and ready for pics.
Stats...66"t/t, pulling 54#@28"(tillered out to 29"), backed with carp skins I got from Timo and bison horn tip overlay from Justin Snyder. Ancient Archer sent me some tanned moose(?) hide for the handle but I couldn't make it fit the bulbous handle neatly so the handle wrap is hemp cord saturated with Massey finish(2ton epoxy thinned with acetone). I did use his leather for the floppy rests though. I made this bow with two floppy rests; one on either end of the handle so the bow can be flipped and shot either way. I got this idea from Chris Cade(Mechslasher). This is what he does with his short recurved bows as to not overstress either limb. Being that this bow has so much character; knots, twists and being that it was heated and clamped so many times trying to get a bow from the stave I chose, I opted to do the same with this bow...thus her name, "Flip Flop".
So here she is...
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