Show of Hands - Arrow Plate or Arrow Rest or Arrow Shelf?

[Pat B]

I usually use a bulbous style handle with a Floppy Rest. If I want a rigid rest I make one from leather and add it to side of the handle.
  If you cut in a shelf you have to think about how much wood you have supporting that shelf. All of the leverage from the limbs is concentrated at the handle.  Also the shapes near the cutout should be smooth and gradual.

[tallpine]

I don't care for a cut in shelf. I have been using a floppy rest on the last few bows I have made, clean, simple and accurate. Just looks right on a primitive bow> Dan

[4dog]

I prefer the knuckle, but if i gotta use something else , it would be floppy triangular piece of leather,, the, the, thats all.

[Zion]

Shoot off the knuckle and i have lately wrapped where the arrow passes. Never used a rest of any kind.

[mikekeswick]

Off the knuckle - no difference in accuracy as long as you make a handle shape that you can only hold one way without you having to check before a shot.

[Del the cat]

No shelf, rest or anything like that. I dod have an old thin leather glove with the fingers cut off that I wear on my bow hand. I left just enoght of the index finger to cover the knuckle.
If you cant the bow it helps too.
Del

[Bryce]

cut in shells have no place on any of my bows. I agreed to do it ONCE for a friend.
Of the hand is my favorite on a D bow

[RyanR]

On previous bows I had always cut a shelf because I thought that was the best way but this last one I glued on a leather shelf and really like it. The first shelf I cut in looked terrible so it takes a little patience to get it right. I think for now I will experiment with leather shelves. They really work good.

[Pappy]

What Will H said.   Some I cut in a bit,some glue on leather shelf depending on the bow,if it has a natural curve in the stave I try and get it in the handle/arrow pass area to help center shot it some. Have some that shoot off the hand and they shoot just fine that way,just need to be sure the feathers and clean at the nose of them. For the bows I hunt with, which is most I build for myself they have to have a shelf of some description to hold the arrow,if I try holding a bow in my hand for any length of time my hands goes to sleep so I usually hang them somewhere till the moment of truth.  Its all about shooting well and hunting to me and I personally shoot a bow better with a small index for my hand placement and off a shelf. Thats my story and I am sticking to it.
   Pappy

[lesken2011]

The majority of bows I have used the golf tee method I learned by viewing one of Gordon's build a longs. I tend to shoot more accurately with a consistent rest of some sort. My son prefers a more modern look to his bow and the one I am currently building for him will have a cut in shelf.

[Christian Soldier]

I've tried all of them, but my favorite is no rest at all. Just shooting off the knuckle. IME, it makes me feel closer and more 'one' with the bow. Makes it less like a foreign weapon and more like an extension of my body. And I haven't really noticed much accuracy difference either. On some bows (usually bendy handle bows) I'll put a burn mark where the arrow should go or where the top of my hand should be.

As I've heard it said, "Shelves are for books"    

[autologus]

My favorite style is Native American bows so I shoot off the knuckle with no strike plate.

Grady

[dbb]

I prefer a built up rest or cut in shelf,i shoot better with those.
So depending on style and Wood any of those.
I find it easier to spine arrows with a deep cut shelf.

[koan]

I prefer shootin off the knuckle and i mostly shoot bend inda handle bows. I usually glue on a leather strike plate just for noise dampening. When i make a bow for bowfishin i usually make a larger handle area and cut in or biuld up a shelf...more for safety as i use primitive & modern arrows for fishin( dont want a solid fg arrow running along my knuckle).... Brian

[Tom Leemans]

From the day I named Mickey Lotz's flexible leather arrow rest, now known as a Ferret's Floppy Arrarest (TM), that has been the only rest I use on my bows. It's the closest thing to shooting off your knuckle without the wear and tear on your skin!