Achumawi Replica: Yew heartwood and sinew

[jignfrog]

WOW

That is a awesome bow. Nice art work. Yew wood is very beautiful. I like it.

Ron

[duffontap]

That's a beautiful bow.  Even with all the Yew I have, I'm still jealous when I see staves like you've got under your bench there.  You should keep that stuff out of sight.  The bowyers might not steal from you but the wood turners and carvers, I'm not so sure.

I really like the design you are replicating.  I've been looking into a West Coast replication for a while as an anecdote to my current case of the English disease.  I would, however, be glad to go on record saying that the Pottawatomie bow was an absolute triumph in terrible design.  I can hardly think of a way to build a worse bow.  Prove me wrong. 

You do some very fine and inspiring work. 

            J. D. Duff

[YewArcher]

Thanks JD.

Thats the challenge with replicating though as you know from your replications of warbows. Some of the ancient designs just do not make sence or we have lost the knowledge as to why certain things were done. allot of mystery and speculation which is part of the draw to ancient designs. The Potowotami may be a terraible design by our standards and what we know as modern bowyers but for some reason the Native Americans chose that design? They also made some straight edged ones as well so who knows what they were thinking. It truly is a wonderfull bow to shoot as is this achumawi.

Thanks for the compliments. I probably should start stashing my yew...lol.....good idea!

SJM

[mamba]

Man - - - that is cool , love them short bows!

[Jbell]

Wow! Now that is an ambush bow. Definately going to be a top contender for BOM.

[welch2]

I love it.  When you kerfed the back to bend the recurves, did you use a metal band on the belly side when you bent it?
And did you steam it or use dry heat?

If been wanting to make one of these shortbows with tabbed nocks, but I'm not sure of the best way to bend them successfully .

I really like the native American bows. They shouldn't be dismissed out of hand as inherently inferior .To do so shows a cultural bias.

Ralph

[YewArcher]

Ralph, The tabbed nocks and the recutves are done seperatly. I start with the recurve first and make that ueing dry heat and yes I do use a metal strap. I then make the bent tab nock with the kerf. again using dry heat. This has t be done very carefully.

SJM

[ber643]

SJ, I have (or am about to - LOL) posted a Full Draw pic of you and this Bow (as well as a "click to" difinitive pic of some of the special parts of the bow) to my TBD Pages Page 13. Great little bow and thanks.

http://residents.bowhunting.net/bsdunn/tbd13.htm

[YewArcher]

Great Bernie. Thanks for putting me and the bow on those pages! Thoe are so great! You are doing such a huge service to the comunity. All one sou;d od to see a specific styly bow at full draw is go to your page!

Thanks!

SJM

[ber643]

My true pleasure, SJ. I love for folks to view it - thanks for the kind words.

[rdb]

.......did you use a metal band on the belly side when you bent it?

I'm not familiar with the use of a metal band when bending. Can someone please explain this or point me to a link?

Thanks.

[Jesse]

Im no expert but Im prety sure the metal band is to prevent the belly from splitting out while it is forced to bend.   
   
  That is a great bow you can be proud. I know I would be.
                                                                  Jesse

[Pat B]

The metal band is attached to the tip end of the form and clamped to the limb further down towards the handle. As the wood is heated and starts to bend the metal strap puts pressure on the belly(outside of the bend) and this prevents splinters from lifting along the belly during the bend. A must for extreme recurve bends and a good idea for any drastic bends.     Pat

[bowkee]

Just in case, Nice Authenticity, that rocks 

[dragonman]

Very nice , looks like the real thing.