"inside out osage bow"??

[sadiejane]

another wed nite discussion which no one had an answer for.
can you make an "inside out" bow outta osage?
in other words, use an inner ring for the back instead of an outer?

[Shaun]

My vote is go for it. Its a piece of wood. It bends in all directions. We use sideways osage (quarter sawed) for laminate bows. Why not?

[Parnell]

Hmmm, interesting question.  I'm gonna guess it doesn't matter about the back being an "inside" ring, so long as it's still a solid ring.  I'm wondering if it may produce a more efficient bow if you have a "trapped" back design - trapezoidal.  I've read they are more efficient.  Good topic.

[Pat B]

Pappy and Gary Davis each made a backwards bows last year. I believe they worked out quite well.

[sadiejane]

My vote is go for it. Its a piece of wood. It bends in all directions. We use sideways osage (quarter sawed) for laminate bows. Why not?

shaun-that was wayne and my conclusion but just never heard of anyone doing it. trees certainly bend every which way while standing....
in the shop right now there are a cupla staves that seemed they would work better if done this way, best use of the wood or best way to avoid or eliminate problem areas.

thanks guys-someone at bow class  tonite may just start in on one...

thanks pat-i did a search but didnt come up with anything. sometimes ya gotta get the words just right to find topics. will look some more.
hope to hear from pappy and gary davis to see how those bows are holding up.

[Will H]

Yes you can. Pappy wrote an article in PA about it. I think it was called "different yet the same" good article on the different ways he and Gary go about tillering a bow. You know PA online is great but the magazine is really somethin special as well!  y'all should check it out sometime. 

[Pappy]

Yes you can,I was trying to post a picture of the ones we done but for some reason it won't let me.All you have to do is chase the inner ring and go for it.It is a little strange because of the way the grain looks compaired to what you are use to but works just fine. Gary and I made a pair and raffled them off at the Tennessee Classic last year.Pretty cool,mine still had the bark on the inside of the handle. There is an article about building in a back issue of PA ,not sure which one.
   Pappy

[sadiejane]

thanks for joining in pappy.
wish those pix would load-you have my email addy, maybe you could send to me there?
if you wouldnt mind taking the time.
would love to see the bark on the handle.


while at that post yard last week, i was looking thru their small stuff.
really wanna make an osage limb bow.
there is a cool one in steve allely and jimm hamms book "native american bows arrows and quivers"
vol 2 page 176. it is osage, attributed to the kiowa. but it is not "backwards"
the entire back of bow is bark  and at fadeouts. with the belly tillered as usual.
of course with many of the bows in these books, there is no way to determine if it shot well, shot at all, or was ever even braced and drawn.
many of these bows are from an era they may very well have been tourist trade items.
done in the traditional way no doubt, and from their sources, historically accurate. but....
of course many of them also were tken from native folks who were using them up till the time they were taken.
reckon many of you have these books, but if you are into historical north american native bows, and you dont, well what ya waiting for?
problem is(at least for me) you may get the hankering to build bout every single one of em....
thus my current obsession with building an osage limb bow, bark and all.

[Pappy]

I brought it to the top.
   Pappy