What's Primitive and/or 'Traditional'?

[TRL242]

I agree fully with HR. I have always thought of the distinction as "Traditional" being whatever is massed produced in the way of longbows and recurves as opposed to primitives that are made on an individual basis. I hate the commercialization of archery and take great pride in beating them at their own game. I'm currently working on a primitive recurve, where I slightly bent the tips back. Certainly a recurve, but nothing that would scream "traditional". As for tools, my time is very limited and I use whatever saves me the most, though once you reach a certain point and a certain number of shootable bows, you will realize there is no longer a great rush to finish any of them. Personally I would love to make my own arrows as well, and while I have tried it a couple of times, I have only confirmed to myself that I don't have time to do it well, at least until I get to retirement.

I started with a compound bow, moved to "traditonal" until I began asking myself what the difference is between fiberglass and cams. Also hunting with a "traditional" bow is no easier than hunting with a primitive and I realized that the only thing I was doing was depriving myself of the thrill of hunting with a bow I made myself. I ended up donating about 2K worth of recurves and longbows to the Boy Scouts in order to make sure I would fully commit to making my own (I know my own failings, especially when time is a factor). It's simply too easy to tell myself that I don't have time today to work on a bow and grab an assembly line version from the closet in order to shoot a few arrows.

I'm a long way from being the purist that many of the people here are, but I would recommend that you start slowly rolling back the clock and not worry about the tools or methods you use until you get comfortable with each level of it all. The biggest achivement you can make, has already been done. You're on this site and you're beginning to ask questions about archery and what constitutes archery. Welcome on board and just don't give up. It will all come together for you, you just have to be really stubborn. That's a trait we probably all share here.

[toomanyknots]

If you don't use power tools, eventually, your arms become "power tools",  .

[Gordon]

Compared to the hi-tech equipment that dominates the range that I frequent, the bows that I show up with are certainly "primitive".  But it's not really primitive in the pure sense if you use modern tools (like I do). So when people ask what kind of bows I make I just say "wood bows"...

[rossfactor]

Not much to add here, but perhaps...

I think intention is also important.  A lot of us got to making wood bows because we intended to be more primitive. Might not have made it all the way (stone adzes and whatnot) but it starts folks on a path.  Not that primitive is only a state of mind, but for me at least making wood bows is a chance to put off my technology laden self, and put on my primitive self.

GAbe