How many bows have you completed?

Roy Steele · February 15, 2011, 10:38:00 AM

I not realy sure either over 100 selfbows in the last 23 years I think. Every tpye of wood every design and leanth,poundage at one time or another.
But the last 10 or 12 years I only build a couple a year for myself,friends very seldom do I build one to sell. I get offers everyyear but I reather do some sort of a trade.

bigcountry · February 15, 2011, 11:18:00 AM

I am up to 6, and out of those, 2 are finished, 1 is supposed to be finished, but I plan on adding tip flip and sinew, and 1 broken yew ELB.

3 are osage
1 is Yew
1 is IPE/Boo

b.glass · February 15, 2011, 11:35:00 AM

Hey George, that's really cool!

red hill · February 15, 2011, 07:30:00 PM

Bona's right. That IS cool, Gawge!
I've managed to end up with three adult bows that shoot. Two are red oak board pyramid bows. One of those is paper-backed and both are underweight. The third is the HBH I made last summer and used to take my first bow kill. I also gave away a kid bow of red oak and I kept a red oak kid bow with recurved tips that is fun to shoot. I've broken 5 board bows in the process. Several years ago I attempted to make selfbows from ash, cedar, sassafrass, and dogwood. Each failed. (No TG back then!)
Oh, yeah! Last summer I attempted an osage billet bow that broke my heart prior to working on the hickory.
Right now I'm working on two osage staves. Learning how to "chase a ring."

Stan

Mike Most · February 16, 2011, 10:38:00 AM

One bow out of pine, blew
one out of hackberry (harvested tree) learned about hinges
got a chance to harvest osage this far south, super crooked, still laying around.
went to glass
3 60" recurve shooters
5 68" RD Longbows
2 68" TakeDown Longbows
back to wood lately,
54" redoak kids bow
48" redoak kids bow
68" redoak target bow 30# or so
I sure do admire those that can make self bows, Pat B comes to mind.

Walt Francis · February 16, 2011, 11:29:00 AM

I have built around 75-80 selfbows, 90% of which were from Osage (rarely use any other wood now), 9 or 10 BBO/BBI's, and 17 glass bows. The past several years I have slowed down to only making 8-10 bows a year and instruct/oversee the building of close to that amount. I have lost (the diplomatic term for exploded) 8 or 9 bows during both pre and post construction.

K30bowfisher · February 16, 2011, 12:38:00 PM

I am just finishing up bow #4, all glass laminated bows. 3 r/d longbows and the one I am just finishing is a recurve to replace my old Ben Pearson fishing bow. My next bow is going to be the swap bow, followed by a couple of kid bows for 2 of my girls, 8 and 10. I have a list of 4 or five more bows that I want to do after those. This is an addictive and fun hobby.

Ironfist_Canada · February 16, 2011, 03:45:00 PM

Over 200 now. My bows are usually Penobscot or Mik Maq warbows now. I have made lots of longbows and replicas.I got into Hickory backed bows for a while mainly red oak. Got away from it for a while health reasons but I am now off at it again and have started a Maple longbow and a White Ash Penobscot. Its good to be back.

Razorbak · February 16, 2011, 04:08:00 PM

out of 147 attempts I have yet made a shooter..I just suck in making bows..but one day I will when I hire someone to teach me

mater · February 16, 2011, 04:23:00 PM

About 85 glass laminated, 5 wood laminated and a couple selfbows. And a couple plain board bows. Myself I like building glass bows best. Mark

formerbutcher · February 16, 2011, 06:37:00 PM

probably 20-25 in the 3 years i've been building, all self bows.

Diamondback59 · February 16, 2011, 07:35:00 PM

bonna in the last 28 years i cant even count and add a heck of a bunch a kids bows to that id say well over 500 in the last 28 years iv got 37 settin there to finish now lol brock

Bob Sarrels · February 16, 2011, 08:33:00 PM

Just under 900 glass bows to date.

Bob Sarrels · February 16, 2011, 08:34:00 PM

Took me 14 years to do it. Just a few in the early years. Now abou 4 to 5 a week.

Ken75 · February 16, 2011, 10:17:00 PM

15 months in and 71 shooters, all wood

stretch2 · February 17, 2011, 07:05:00 PM

i only have about thirteen bows under my belt. three broke while learning how to make them before i knew how to pick good wood. and another two broke while giving the bow some back pressure after shooting them. and one kids bow broke that was just made from some scrap wood i had laying around. its cool as i look back and see the learning process that i have taken! nice love this stuff. oh and all of them were board bows except one.

gordonf · February 18, 2011, 01:16:00 AM

About 80.

b.glass · February 18, 2011, 02:48:00 PM

The respones to this thread has been really cool. Some of the perserverence (sp) mentioned here is outstanding.

burnt · February 19, 2011, 12:38:00 AM

15 sucessful bows,one that broke at full draw, 5 or so half bult bows and many more bows built in my head while daydreaming.

Sal · February 19, 2011, 02:17:00 AM

This thread is really cool. Someone asked me this recently, after some thoughts, I've concluded that I've probably made about 30 bows over the last 16 years, its a slow process for me. All selfbows or laminated. My last ten have been really good bows and have been completed in the last four years. I'm getting good at this after 15 years.

I probably have enough materials to make another 20 great bows, so I'll finish those sometime in the next 10 years.