Getting down to the nitty gritty now. I started with 2 applications of Tru-Oil on the handle area. I usually do the handle area first so when I put Tru-Oil on the limbs I can balance the bow on the handle so the finish can dry. Once the handle has dried for a day it's time to add the handle wrap. I decided to go with brain tanned leather for this.
This is a technique I learned somewhere(?). I make 3 or 4 wraps of masking tape around the area where the handle will go then cut down the center of the back...
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This will be the pattern for the handle wrap. I lay the tape on the brain tanned leather and mark it out, leaving some extra at the top for a rolled arrow shelf...
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I added glue to the inside of the upper handle and rolled it 2 times. I also did a single roll at the bottom to finish that off neatly. I used an awl to put stitching holes on the wrap at the center of the back and stitched it with hemp cord...
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...and here is the finished handle wrap with her name, ELG BUE, written in the rune alphabet...
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