Deep question

[Spotted Dog]

Ok. How many of US (me to) really make a PRIMITIVE BOW ?  I have done one kind of close.
The only tool I used was an antique corn knife. From start to finish. A mulberry long bow.
I want to some time in the future make a 100% primitive plains bow. Just what wood will
fit this process ?

Dog

[JoJoDapyro]

This is the question that will cause a argument or two. A primitive bow with "Primitive" tools? First we need to define primitive. The decide what is a primitive bow.

[PEARL DRUMS]

On back packing trip I bent a green stick and tied chalk line between it and killed a chipmunk? Got the pics to prove it

[Stick Bender]

I was just reading a book on primitive native bows when I saw your post  & thought about your question and thought any of the white woods ,osage,BL or any other wood they used would would be good for stone & bone  tools after all that's pretty much what they used  I have never used primitive tools to make a bow but if I had a lot of time on my hands I would give it a go

[Aaron H]

Everyone seems to have their own opinion as to what is considered primitive.  Time, region, tools, materials, techniques, etc.

[BowEd]

These guys here give me a hard time all the time about that......lol.To theoretically be able to call it primitive you have to cut it down to begin with,with a primitive tool they say.NO chain saws!!!!
Aaron and Jo Jo's points have to be considered.How about a question like what's the most primitive method made bow by people on here.That seems to be what your asking anyway.
I'll jump in...The first 18 I made were with a hatchet/draw knife/pocket knife/farriers file/and sand paper.Big game hunting weight bows.That's as primitive as I've gotten.That was within 1 year too.
Any type good bow wood I feel can be made into any type of bow with primitive tools.
You got me beat I'd say Dog.Your method was more primitive.

[Tree_Ninja]

Nah you gotta start from scratch. No modern clothes shoes or food.

Oh wait all the wood is tainted with man-made isotopes from nuclear tests. No bow can be truly primitive anymore....

[DC]

Well the song says it all

No phone, no lights, no motor car,
Not a single luxury.
Like Robinson Crusoe, It's primitive as can be.

Now Robinson had all the hand tools from the ships carpenter  so there it is.
A fact is a fact

[bubby]

This old debate again... Everyone has their own idea of primitive some say all stone tools yet otzi had a bronze axe in his quiver and iron tiped arrows so is a metal axe going to be primitive? Not for everyone i would imagine. Jaimie that used to post built one with all stone tools several years back. I like my bandsaw and so does my wrists and shoulders😋 I have built a few with minimal tools, hatchet, drawknife, a knife for a scraper and a roundfile but sure don't feel the need to do that again

[Dances with squirrels]

To me 'primitive' means stone age tools and methods. I started one from scratch. Two rocks. Used one to percussion flake a hand axe out of the other, went out and cut down a 3" hickory tree... should have worn gloves or some type of leather pad... or put the axe head in a handle.. I got bloody. But I got it. Chopped a short piece off the end for a hammer, let it sit until a drying checked opened a bit and then split it there with shed deer antlers for wedges... which worked very well. Knapped scrappers and stone 'chisels' for lack of a better term. Yeah it was work and wood removal was slower than I was used to, but it wasn't as bad as you might think. The key is to use a small tree. I could have went smaller. I got it floor tillered and then quit because I had to pack up and move. I still have it here somewhere. I'll finish it one of these days. I think I could be shooting it in a couple days.... well, got the string to make too. That will take a little doin.

[Academonicon]

My two (possibly annoyingly academic) cents:

The term "primitive" is a political problem as much as a practical one.  The idea that a particular way of doing things is "primitive" while another is "civilized/sophisticated/advanced" is totally subjective, and historically based on colonial ideas of cultural hierarchy.  At times, "primitiveness" was considered a sign of cultural or even biological inferiority, while at other times it was romanticized by Western philosophers, writers, artists, etc.  The sum total effect was to say that "primitive" people (typically indigenous non-European people) were somehow simpler, more childlike, less intelligent, or just "lesser."  The term tends to hang on today because we (mostly non-indigenous Westerners like myself) still find something quaint about it, which comes with all kinds of problematic baggage for indigenous peoples.

As far as the question of making a truly "primitive" bow, the primitive/not-primitive pairing is a false dichotomy.  There's no such thing as the "true primitive" bow.  Whether something is "primitive" or not isn't actually and either/or question, but a matter of degrees, or (if you want to reject the colonialist perspective altogether) a matter of style. 

[Spotted Dog]

  I didn't think old world to new world. The old world was further advanced than here. Lots of good thoughts here. I want to do a North American
primitive stone tooled bow. May not be able to do it , but want to. Got some stone and bone tools made. Need to make a maul. This has been on my mind a
long time.

Dog

[Spotted Dog]

  Ok. In the F&I group I was in for years till we broke up. We had a quest. To be as correct as possible so if
by some reason we got sucked back into 1757 we would not stick out.  I am anything but academic with words.
The idea of the term primitive is not inferior. If any of us had to live like that now most would die. Ancient people
had a skill set above ours even now. The thought of being able to make a bow, arrows, brain tan clothing with only
tools that those people is a thing to do my best at achieving. To try to understand the hardship and work it took.
To me I will be a better man just by trying.

[Academonicon]

That's a good way of approaching it.  I feel like another term like "traditional," "precolonial," or something more specific like a tribal designation or era-specific term (e.g., "Stone Age") that doesn't have the same historical-political baggage would communicate the idea better than "primitive," but terminology aside I like the way you characterize the underlying idea.

(p.s., I would totally be one of the dead ones.  Terrible eyesight, totally out of shape, can't shoot a bow for crap.)

[Pappy]

Yep break out the pop corn, this comes up from time to time, and I guess it boils down to what each person thinks it is. To me it's stone/wood or bone tools but their is something to be said for old metal tools/especially bronze/brass or copper. As for me I have made 1 with stone tools, a Hickory sapling and that will probably be the last unless conditions force me into it. I like my band saw/belt sander and metal tools. I don't call my bows Primitive bows, I call them home made wood bows. The same thing come up with the use of the word now days [Traditional] what exactly is that It is my son and my Tradition to hunt on Thanksgiving morning, that is only happened in the last 20 years or so, so I guess you could say we are hunting Traditional. By the way Pearl was that a Primitive Chalk line you used. Good endeavor Dog, it is fun and quite an accomplishment to do it. In our fast pace world in get it done as quick and easy as you can it is tough to slow down, I think in one sense it was easier for them because they were using the highest technology they had at the time. They thought Man these stone tools are the bomb. plus they had been taught the skills since birth.  I think as was said before Jammie that use to be on here a lot and Jawgs built a few with stone only, if fact I think Jawgs wrote a story for PA about it if I am not mistaken.  Just my 2 cents.
 Pappy