Need ideas for a bat-themed bow...

[huisme]

So my friend, for whom I made one of my earliest black locust flat bows of sixty pounds, needs a new bow whether she knows it or not, and she's crazy about bats.

I've got ash, vine and sugar(board) maple, red oak(board), and black locust to work with.

I'm going to be doing the black with a few coats of natural charcoal as well as some white charcoal drawings, but beyond that I don't know what to do to make the bow bat-themed. A lot of you are more experienced than I, so maybe you've seen a way to pull this off?

[TacticalFate]

Maybe scalloped? Sorta like a bat's wing?

[Postman]

Maybe a scallop sided bow to mimic wing shape?
I've never tried one, but love the way they look

[Postman]

Maybe scalloped? Sorta like a bat's wing?

whoops - beat me to it by 45 seconds. Now THAT'S tactical!

[Weylin]

Hopefully Carson (CMB) will chime in. He's the resident bat expert.

[huisme]

Alright, I've never tried a scalloped bow before. Am I supposed to let the scallops bend as much as the rest of the wood, or keep them stiff? Would it be something to try on a board before using a stave?

[Bryce]

Hopefully Carson (CMB) will chime in. He's the resident bat expert.

I was thinking the same thing. But I don't think he's gonna give up his bat-bow ideas lol

[huisme]

Hopefully Carson (CMB) will chime in. He's the resident bat expert.

I was thinking the same thing. But I don't think he's gonna give up his bat-bow ideas lol

I guess I'll have to improvise 

[JW_Halverson]

Bats are cool.  Only mammal that has mastered true flight!  Many are tireless hunters and absolute masters of their environment, a perfect totem for a good bow. 

Post pics, whatever you choose to do. 

[dwardo]

What about a gull-wing shape with big hook like nocks on the ends?

[Carson (CMB)]

JW got that right, bats are cool. Bats make up a 1/4 of all mammals.  Not only did they master flight....they did it in the dark!  Also quite long-lived, with a record of 41 years, quite surprising for a small critter. 

The scalloped edges are a good idea.  Maybe you could flip the tip and use a horn overlay to resemble the pronounced thumb bats have.  Lots of people are intrigued by bats when they learn about echolocation, aka biosonar.  You could carve in a series of sound waves maybe radiating from the handle.  I used the sound wave concept in my company logo, do a search for Echo Archery
And maybe a strike plate shaped like a bat ear.  I have always wanted to back a bow with bat wings, but that might take it a little too far if she adores the little critters. 

So you have a friend, a female, who loves bats and can draw a 60# bow!  If I wasn't married....

[paoliguy]

Don't forget to hang it upside down when your finished shooting!

[Marks]

Once the bow is finished paint the batman symbol wingtip to wing tip down back the bow. 

But seriously, all I can come up with is various drawings and paint designs unless you carve the tips to look like bat wings or something.

[4dog]

What about a gull-wing shape with big hook like nocks on the ends?

I like this one, cept scallop it as well.

[TacticalFate]

Batman's gonna be interested in the Batbow, hehe 

Also, if the charcoal doesnt get the wood dark enough, you can try the ebonizing method of steel wool in vinegar, after painting the bow with a tannin solution (boiled bark). If you use oak, no solution is needed due to the natural tannins