Mahi fish skin backed hickory recurve self bow

[Greenriverwoodcraft]

This is my first submission of a bow on PA.  I have learned so much from all of you and I figured it was time I joined in on the fun. 

This bow was built from a stave taken from a Hickory tree I harvested 2 years ago.  I have a dozen more staves from this wonderful tree.  It grew in dense forest so it has very tight rings and I got 8 straight staves with barely any knots from the lower 14 feet of the tree and some nice character staves from the upper parts.  This particular stave had a little sway to it near the one end that I didn't dare put a very much of a recurve without running into a swirly swell in the grain.  It measure 63 knock to knock with the last 4 inches of each limb recurved back a couple inches.  It pulls 53 pounds @28 inches and shoots like a dream.  In fact it shot so well I decided not to heat temper the belly like I usually do, i figured why mess with a good thing.  It is backed with Mahi fish skins I got from a local fish monger and were applied with hide glue.  The skins were not long enough to cover all the way so the dark back skins are used from the grip up to about a 10 inches from the tips then I applied the lighter colored belly skins the rest of the way and wrapped the seams with white tail deer sinew.  The tips are ebony and white tail deer antler.  The handle is from a buddy of mine who owns cold brook leather in Conway mass, he does all my handles at this point.  It is finished with Waterlox, 6 coats in total.  I love waterlox on bows its a easy to apply and penetrates into the wood to bring out the beauty of the wood much better than spray on or urethane finishes

[osage outlaw]

Very nice work.  I like the fish skin backing.

[MulchMaker]

Wow hadn't even considered fish skin, that looks cool. Can you use any fish skin? Lots of salmon and trout around here. Brown trout I think would look neat.

[Greenriverwoodcraft]

Thanks Osage Outlaw and Mulchmaker.  The fish skins are great because its usually a waste product so you get to use something otherwise destined for the landfill.  You just have to make sure you use lots of dish soap to clean them before putting them on that way you get all the "slime" off.  Hide glue works great applying them and I suspect any fish that is big enough would work as long as their skins and I agree a big old brown trout would be amazing.

[Badly Bent]

Welcome to the forum GRWC, always good to have new blood come on board posting their work. That hickory bow looks nice and I too like the fish skins you backed her with. I also like seeing the bow photographed out side with the snowy NE woods as a backdrop. I look forward to seeing more of your bows.

[Greenriverwoodcraft]

Thanks Badly Bent

[selfbow joe]

Very nice looking

[upstatenybowyer]

Looks great. Glad to have you aboard!

[helmet]

Nice job!

[Redhand]

Welcome to PA, that's a great looking bow you made. The fish skins look good too. Nice work!

[bubby]

Thats a great way to get started here, nice work

[simson]

Welcoe here, and what a nice bow - congrats.

[BowEd]

Welcome to PA.Nice hickory stick with skins.One of my favorite woods.Your totally right about harvesting hickory in denser canopied growth area.Makes em grow slower with tight rings and straight as a gun barrel.Great bow wood.That's what I do too.
Good skin cover too.Other local ones here I've used is flat head catfish[gotta deoil them though]carp[bugle mouthed and grass both].Spices and camoflauges those hickory limbs up nicely.

[Marc St Louis]

Well done. Very nice bow.

[alwayslookin]

Nice bow brother! Give me a run down of the fish skin process. Is it a dried skin or still fresh? Doing a snooks lateral line on a bow would be sweet in my eyes. Something i would like to do one day.