On March 14th, "eflanders" had a post in reference to wood vs. glass. There were many opinions to this topic which were very interesting to me. The posts seemed to really be "deep" in thought and opinions. I posted a response basically saying that ANY bow is special because it is an expression of the bowyer making the bow. I mentioned that I was working on a radical bow and that I believed that it was either going to look cool or be a big flop! Well, I finished the bow and have had exactly both of those comments from certain friends and family. I found that no one said "that is nice". It was either loved or hated which again was interesting to me.
My passion is anything that has to do with archery and hunting. I guess I am interested in your opinions. Should traditional archery and traditional bows be that......traditional in use and design? Or, can you push the limits beyond what is typical without taking away from the true concept of tradional archery?
My 9 year old boy named it "venom". It is 60" long, 66# at 28" and is made of: leopardwood, walnut, hickory, osage, bubinga, bocote, and superaction wood. The limbs are covered with snake skins. Anyhow, he are some pictures for you to decide.
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee422/millejd/Venom/IMG_1170-1-1.jpg)
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee422/millejd/Venom/IMG_1202-1.jpg)
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee422/millejd/Venom/IMG_1201-1.jpg)
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee422/millejd/Venom/IMG_1200-1.jpg)
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee422/millejd/Venom/IMG_1194-1.jpg)
Not a big fan of snakes, but WOW! That is one great looking bow! :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
That is nice.
Just kidding.
I like it! Form and function can and should go together.
CJ
I like it. It looks Egyptian to me. Once I pull my head out of my rear end and start making bows this is something I want to do. I want to push the envelope with design. Traditional in the sense that they will be long/recurve but I want to make some wacky designs.
Bravo sir on a fine looking bow!
Rudi Weick (http://www.rudiweick.de/)
Great Bows.
I like it.
A good friend of mine is an artist in a number of different mediums and he's made some art bows that just make you sit back and say, "Wow." Yours is right up this same path.
Good job.
Guy
Beautiful piece of craftsmanship. I don't know how anyone could use the word hate, and associate it with that bow.
Huters have always dressed up their equipment to give them some extra mo-jo. Your bow has some serious MO-JO!
I'll be honest, personally, I don't care for it. I respect where you're going with it and what it took to get there, and while it's different and 'interesting' to a degree, it's too gawdy for my aestetic taste, and seems it would be too bulky and heavy for my shooting/carrying pleasure. IMO, too much is just, well, too much :^)
That said, if that was the direction I was inspired to go, I wouldn't concern myself with what's traditional and what's not, or what others think about such things.
It's a great work of art, but I don't care for it. It's your bow and you should be proud of it.
Very cool! How does venom shoot?
Something you might see in a movie, then everyone would want one! If it shoots as nice as it looks I think you've got a winner. Nice work. Jim G
Darned nice work, and a lot of it!! Great job!
Cool. There are too many rules in our world as it is. Subjecting yourself to some arbitrary definition of "traditional" is destructive.
Keep pushing the limits! I think there is a definite need for a more sculptural effort on risers. Maybe not more snake heads, but certainly some more shape! Great work.
Very cool design. The artistic thought that went into your design is great. To me, this is traditional, as it is unique and from the bowyers imagination.
I love it. That riser took a great deal of imagination and even more craftsmanship. The beautiful things people can make out of wood never cease to amaze me.
By my definition, a traditional bow is any bow without wheels/cams. So you meet that definition.
Now I have to admit your bow just isn't my style. I prefer nice clean lines and letting the grain of the wood used add the character. That being said, I can really appreciate your craftsmanship and the time you obviously invested in that bow. So from a craftsmansip standpoint, very well done :clapper: It's just not my cup of tea. I will say that I still like your bow a lot better than any bow out there with a metal riser.
that is one cool bow. If no one pushed the limits of bow building we wouldn't be where we are today. I think John said it very well. We have to many rules as it is and to limit ourselves is only counterproductive. The imagination and skill in that riser is a great display of your talent. Thanks for sharing and pm me and I'll give you my address so you can send it to me... Well done.
I think it is pretty cool too but like some others it's not my cup of tea. I love the craftsmanship but like it more to look at than to actually use it.
I think this is why there are so many different designs because everyone likes something a little different than the next guy. Very nice work!
I think what you have created is very attractive and expressive. Congratulations as it is something you should be proud of.
As some have said, traditional has many definitions but in my own opinion, "traditional" means utilizing proven bowyer methods of the past. For me this now means before glass, plastics and compsites. But this is my own choice and my own self-imposed restriction. Whats ironic is that I choose to use modern power tools to make my bows. Every artist works in their favorite medium with thier favorite tools. Some artists work with glass and composites, some work with multiple wood laminations and some work with just one primary wood.
After I posted my original "glass vs. wood" post and read all of the responses, I came to the above realization.
That sure is a head turning bow. That is great craftsmanship! Tell your son that name fits the bow perfect. Mike
If someone was making and selling that style of bow, I probably would not buy it as it is not my style of bow, however it is truly a work of art and I see nothing wrong in pushing the envelope and being creative. I would say it is traditional as well.
To me the design is a bit much, but the craft is undeniable, great work. It really showcases your talents.
It is pretty cool and a great work of art but its a little bulky and over the top for me. If you like it that is all that matters.
Thats rediculously cool... Great job!
Bet you wont find another one that looks like it on this planet! Is it heavy?
I really appreciate the variety of comments on this! My intention on this particular bow was to push it on every angle and well....this is the result. Actually I have never been much of a snake guy but when I saw the scaley wood grain in that block of wood, instantly ideas just flew.
Some were asking about the performance and weight. The chronograph showed an average speed of 215 fps but this was with a light arrow that weighed 450 grains. The bow shoots better than I expected. I plan on hunting with my others but as some said, "It is a conversation piece". I do not have an accurate scale so I hung it on my deer scale in the garage and it read between 2 1/2 to 3 pounds. I do not know how accurate this is though. Thanks again guys for the discussion. This is why I enjoy the Trad Gang site so much!!
+1 more on what John and DVS said.
Too many rules and limits put on us by our society as it is. If it feels good to you and you have an idea in you that needs to come out, then go for it full tilt. Don't let anybody
determine your idea of artistic expression, that's a personal thing and it only has to make sense to one person.....You!
I like it and I can see that you put a great amount of thought and creative effort into it. Love it or hate it, you have to appreciate talent and creativity regardless of your tastes in bows, and you have both.
Picasso or Van Gogh didn't worry about whether their paintings made sense to anyone but them, why should a bow be any different?
Personally I wouldn't want a bow like that to hunt with, but I bet it would sure turn some heads on the 3D course!
Nice job!
I like that it is interesting to look at and admire the work that went into it. Truly a work of art! Buuuuut...as far as hunting with it or shooting it I dunno if i'd be out there with it. More of a wall hanger in my opinion. But then again I like things pretty simple for the most part. I even prefer vanilla ice cream.
Of it shoots well why not hunt with it?
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Encore, Encore......that's great. That's about the best lookin' bow I've ever seen. Outstanding, in more ways than one. It truly is amazing. I'm quite impressed with your artistic skills. Don't hold back next time, :clapper: :clapper:
I can certainly appreciate the artistic ability and the craftmanship that went into your bow. You should be proud. I don't have nearly the patience you have.
I'm not quite sure how many of us rely on all our bows to be hunters. I like some of my bows for target shooting, some for stumping, some for showing off what some time and imagination can do, and some for making meat. But they all have a purpose. Some are just to test the art/craft, and it's direction. I see you made it out of a 3 piece. I'm pretty sure native Americans didn't have 3 piece take-downs, but I bet we're mighty glad someone thought of it though! Someone went out on a limb (probably literally) and used knapped flint heads for broadheads instead of just the tip of cane. This all had to start somewhere, so why not it start with you?
As far as your bow goes, I agree with everyone here. I like it. I hate it. I want to hunt something BIG with it, and I want to hang it over my mantle. I want to scare my wife with it, and teach my son what he can do with his hands, that a machine can't do with it's processor, and millions of bits of memory.
Simply put, if we don't try, we'll never succeed. Failure is a component of success, as long as it gives you a reason to get back on the (stave) horse.
Thank you for sharing with us!
At first glance, it looked a bit gawdy. As I looked closer at the details, that bow is a work of art. To make the limb angles work along with the sculpture of the snake takes alot of imagination as well as talent. I'm going to put my neck on the line and say that the guys that don't like it have never attempted to craft something as unusual and functional. I've done some unusual bows and I'm sure not everyone likes them but any time people talks about your bows, you are getting noticed! Great job, Mike
QuoteOriginally posted by Nim-rod:
I like that it is interesting to look at and admire the work that went into it. Truly a work of art! Buuuuut...as far as hunting with it or shooting it I dunno if i'd be out there with it. More of a wall hanger in my opinion. But then again I like things pretty simple for the most part. I even prefer vanilla ice cream.
first off , i know i quoted someone , but let me start by saying i like this bow. im not overly crazy about it. its nice , but i didnt see the snake at first , it kind of overloaded me. i admit though , i was looking for all the woods you used , and was looking from more of a technical standpoint. aesthetically i really do like it.
this is where the quote comes in. while i wouldnt call this a wall hanger , i wouldnt hunt with it. if i did shoots or meets or 3d or something , then of course i would be proud of it. the bow i took hunting last year cost 3$ , shoots 45# , and other than the fact that it bends and doesnt break , its a stick. its MY stick though that i made and im proud to carry it.
dont ever let others' opinions guide you. obviously you dont , and i applaud your effort and skill in crafting the bow you did. a+
i too , prefer a good vanilla ice cream.
-hov
I want to thank everyone again for their input. I truely enjoyed hearing everyones personal beliefs on this issue.Also, thank you for the compliments.
exceptional piece of art...well designed and executed. Not a bow that I would want for myself but I appreciate the skills that you have....
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Chief
It's too much if it no longer functions as a bow.
This one seems fine and is very cool.
Some interesting designs here:
http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/31771/Bow-Handles-Gallery
Phenomenal Craftsmanship and I appreciate the mad woodworking skills to create it...
However, I am more of a form follows function minimalist... But then, I have been called weird on a few occasions.
I like it as artwork, but not something I would pine to own... I am more of a let the wood do the talking type guy...
your thoughts show you couldn't make up mind on wood type. why not if it pleases you and you pulled off, to each there own i'm with you if worry what others think then make a bow to there liking and shot it when your at a place they may see you,then go back and please yourself beautiful work of modern traditional archery.
WOW, very nice craftsmanship ! Great job. Personally I prefer bows with clean lines and puristic design. But hey, this is your bow.
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Andy
Some folks like a certain painting, it speaks to them. Others dont hear what the artisit was saying at all. You have blended art with archery. I can appreciate the artistic side of it. Thats a very interesting painting. Beautiful even. On the archery side I am not sure it speaks to me but beautiful none the less.