Cherokee Flatbow(kinda)

okie64 · January 20, 2011, 03:20:00 PM

I been waitin on a hickory bow that I heat treated to rehydrate so heres one I built in the meantime. Ive been wantin to make a black locust cherokee flatbow but dont really think I'm ready for black locust yet. Everything I've read says that the Cherokees built their bows from black locust but I figured I would make one from osage and see how it turned out. I had a split osage stave that wasnt deep enough to make a thick handled bow out of so I used it for this one. Had a little bit of character to it too. I got the dimensions out of one of Jim Hamms encyclopedias of native american bows. Its 67" and 1-1/8" wide out to till the last 8". I did make the tips a little skinnier than the originals. 49# @ 28". Thanks for looking.

Goose Gossett · January 20, 2011, 03:39:00 PM

Great profile and curve. I would love to make a bow in my spare time waiting for another to rehydrate. You're not too far from Fort Smith. Small world.

Pat B · January 20, 2011, 03:44:00 PM

Very nice bow with a very nice bend. These simple bows can be surprisingly smooth and accurate. I'm working on a locust one now.
BTW, after the Cherokee were forced to move to Oklahoma they switched their bow wood preference from locust to osage.

1oldbowguy · January 20, 2011, 03:54:00 PM

okie64, sure looks good, how does it shoot? Still trying to make it up there to get with you, soon I hope.

hova · January 20, 2011, 04:26:00 PM

thats a really nice bow. you must have drawn me in the swap , cause i see my name on it...

-hov

Roy from Pa · January 20, 2011, 04:30:00 PM

Very nice..

okie64 · January 20, 2011, 05:55:00 PM

Goose, I might have said that wrong, I didnt mean to sound arrogant, its not like I can just carve a bow like this out in a few hours, but between the economy and the weather I have had a LOT of spare time on my hands lately.

okie64 · January 20, 2011, 10:51:00 PM

Hey Pat, How far along are you on your BL bow? Are you gonna leave your tips wide? I had mine about an inch wide at first but ended up narrowing them down to bout 1/2". I'm guessin they made their bows from locust out east because osage wasnt available there?

DVSHUNTER · January 20, 2011, 11:07:00 PM

Nice looking bow. I've been thinking about making one for awhile, but never made up my mind to do it yet.

Pat B · January 20, 2011, 11:09:00 PM

My bow is 66" t/t, 1 3/8" at the widest point that is 5" from the center of the handle. This is pretty narrow for locust but it is a belly split so it is what it is. The limb then tapers to 3/4" below the single side nocks. This bow has a narrowed handle sorta like the Sudbury bow. 4" long handle centered in the stave with 3" fades...it still bends in the handle.
Locust was one of my early bow woods; cheap fence posts and rails. I always had problems with locust fretting and taking lots of set(my fault I'm sure) so I stopped using it. This might be my first successful locust self bow ever...if I didn't just jinx myself! d;^)

KellyG · January 21, 2011, 03:47:00 AM

Okie64 she is a nice looking bow

Shaun · January 21, 2011, 09:52:00 AM

Jamey, that bow has a wonderful tiller! Classic arc of the circle like an English longbow. Very nice work.

twitchstick · January 21, 2011, 10:06:00 AM

Great looking bow!

SEMO_HUNTER · January 21, 2011, 10:27:00 AM

Nice job! I still have yet to build one of those, thanks for putting yet another idea in my already cluttered head.

I recognize that ATV the bow is sitting on for the pic, I got one exactly like it. We must think alike?

okie64 · January 22, 2011, 10:15:00 AM

Thanks for all the compliments guys. I put about 100 arrows through it yesterday. This thing draws really smooth and I could hardly feel it go off in my hand. I'm going to have a lot of fun with this one.