Handles

[Gordon]

The leather is tucked in at both ends.

Is there a trick to getting the end tucked under itself?

[medicinewheel]

hey mark!  -  this might be a stuoid question: why not just cut in a shelf instead of forming it the way you do and than build the shelf up again?! the outcome seems pretty much the same.

i've only cut a shelf on one of my bows upon customer's request; that's the one pictured below.  than again this-one was a lot of work, maybe that's why you do it that way!?
frank

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[Sidewinder]

Wow MedicienWheel that handle section is beautiful. The way the fades feather out is truely stunning. Danny

[Jbell]

Frank, that handle is beautiful! Gordon, on my leather wraps I taper the last 5.5 " down to a point and use a little glue on the ends to secure it, no coming loose so far. This method is quite a bit easier than stiching on a grip, but finding a piece of leather 24-26" long is usually tough for me to find since most of my leather comes from old leather coats, scraps and occasionally seat cushions. My latest BBY handle is wraped with leather from a slightly damaged seat cover from a Chevrolet SSR. Nothing goes to waste in my shop!

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[mamba]

One of the reasons that got me into making bows was the grip.There's not to many bows I've bought that I haven't taken a file to.I have a good size hand but like a small grip also.

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[Adam Keiper]

I like slightly flattened bulbous grips, too, for the same reasons mentioned above.  I typically get them about 3/4" wide across the arrow pass.  To round out the back nicely so there are no abrupt corners, I glue a piece of split leather on the back with Barge cement and rough shape it in a curved contour to blend in with the sides of the grip.  Then I don a latex glove and rub runny superglue all over the leather.  That will harden the leather and allow it to rasp much like wood.  The next day, I do the final contouring with a #50 Nicholson rasp and 80 grit sandpaper.  I also use a leather shelf built up from 3 pieces of latigo.  A leather grip covers the work.

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[Marc St Louis]

Frank
I just don't like the looks of a cut in handle. If you look you'll see that my shelf only supports the arrow right at the back of the bow leaving the front of the handle free and clear. This allows me to use a lower brace height yet still have some clearance for the fletching. Also mine can be shaped using nothing more than a rasp.

[medicinewheel]

mark!  -  i see!
frank

[tpoof]

a few pics o mine 

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[Justin Snyder]

Marc, I do a similar thing when I cut my shelves.  I have been tapering so it is higher in the back.  I think I will have to change that so I can use the lower brace height. Justin

[Pat B]

Here is a look at how I do it. One is a finished handle on the bow I built to hunt with this year. The other is an almost finished bow. Note the leather "filler" on the back of the unfinished bow. This is how I make all of my handles now...even the bendy handled bows. With leather fillers the handle can still bend.    Pat

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[Coo-wah-chobee]

            Is that I dacron I see Pat an a metal nock locator ? ...............Very nice.............bob

[Pat B]

You got it Bob. Nothing but the best for my primitive bows!      Pat

[Censu]

Hi I usually post on PP.This is one of my handles it is Mediterranean laurel with the bark left on






Thanks for looking



Cheers

Censu

[Sidewinder]

Hey Noel, good to see your work. We would like to see more of Maltan Bowery. I'm looking forward to see how you boys in the Mediterranean do it.