building wood bows for a living

[Gordon]

Eric, so far, I have been successful determining when a bow is worth salvaging without excessive effort (like gluing on a bamboo back!). What I look for is a tiller that isn't completely jacked (hinges, compression fractures, excessive set, etc.) and, of course, a clean back. If the bow was made from a board, I look for runoffs that might cause problems when I narrow the limbs. I actually prefer bows that are overbuilt (and many are) because that leaves me with more wood to work with. It doesn't matter if I end up with a 30 lbs. bow because most of the BP folks prefer lightweight bows. If the bow is junk, I tell the owner as much and that it is not worth the effort to fix. A downside of all this is when the owner receives a refurbished bow that they can now handle, they want arrows and I don't particularly enjoy making them. I really wish there was a good arrow smith in our group.

I've built three BP rifles and know enough that I would never attempt to fix an issue with someone else's rifle. As you pointed out, there are just too many things that can go wrong when you get into it. Fortunately, there are folks in my BP club that are more knowledgeable about making guns than I am, so when I'm asked, I refer them on.

[SLIMBOB]

I enjoy making bows. The arrow making, not so much. I put far more time in the arrows than the bow that shoots them.

[Eric Krewson]

I used to make beautiful wood arrows to go with a bow for a beginner, although I have made thousands of arrows over time, I find the process boring. The last few traditional bows I set up for folk, I bought carbon shafts or cheap Walmart carbon arrows in the proper spine, stripped off the vanes and re-flectched them with feathers to go with the bows. Less work, better matched and no wood arrow breakage for a beginner to deal with.

[WhistlingBadger]

I stopped selling bows years ago - there just isn't any money in it when you factor in labor and what most people are willing to pay. Now I just make bows for friends and raffles. I've made grown men and women cry when I surprised them with a bow that I custom made for them - you can't put a price on that.

Well-said.  I really hope to someday reach a level of proficiency where I can build bows for people as gifts, or to donate to good causes.  A labor of love, and any money made is a nice bonus, not a necessity.

There is a place for the mass-produced, carve-em-and-serve-em bows, though.  I might never have gotten into primitive archery if not for Rudderbows/Crowshead archery and a fairly cheap "custom" bow from a fairly well-known maker.  Some of these bows were junk, but Rudderbows' bamboo-hickory ELB was one of my favorite bows of all time...right up until it delaminated.     And I didn't realize how terrible that "custom" bow was until I made a better one myself.  But those bows were an affordable gateway into bigger and better things, and I've never looked back.

[JW_Halverson]

  One of my dreams was to open up kind of a coffee shop where people hung out and built bows. Customers could come by drink coffee and watch the bow makers. I would sell supplies for bows, knapping and arrow making and maybe a few other primitive type products. I had planned to fly different guys in about 1 time a month to hold seminars. I wanted a live web cam going all the time where anyone in the world could tune into the " Bowyers Bar"

I would happily drink coffee and make bows in a shop like this! Sounds like a great place to me.

[JW_Halverson]

And if you are curious about where you may have seen my work, check out the Yellowstone prequel, 1883. Most of the gear of the Sioux war party was mine. And yes, the fateful arrow that pivoted the story was mine.

Dang John, you were the one ultimately responsible for Elsa's demise? She was my favorite character!

Yeah, I literally came off the couch shouting obscenities at that scene.

[Gordon]

Yeah, I literally came off the couch shouting obscenities at that scene.

Yeah, that was really messed up. Thanks bud!

[Pappy]

Ya that was bad JW  I have sold a few bows over the years but really don't like the dead lines or having to do anything I ant in the mood for at the time, I mostly give them away to someone that needs a bow or someone I think will use and appreciate it, I do like Gordon and Eric, I repair some that are a mess or take weight off and adjust the tiller for people, usually  do 1 or 2 every year at the Classic each year and a few through out the year.I enjoy making something that is not usable into something that is. For me it's all about what I enjoy doing and most things I enjoy doing don't make me any money, Just ask Miss Joanie. 
 Pappy