Hi everyone,
I'm new to the site but have been looking at the forums for a good while now and just want to thank every member because you have probably helped me at some point with your input to the forums. I'm from Ohio and am fortunate enough to have private property in Southern Ohio that is plentiful with Osage. About 8 years ago my dads friend had asked to harvest an osage to make bows with, we had given him the okay and he took one tree down. That is when I became interested in all of this, bought a laminated recurve and started shooting and hunting with it. As years passed I could not stop thinking about making my own bow..So last year, not knowing a damn thing, I went out and cut a long 6" diameter limb from an Osage. Steamed it straight and tillered it best I could with no tillering tree, I took pics as I drew it back.. and backed it with Rawhide. . I'm sure you guys could point out a million flaws in it (as I can see close to that haha) but the point is I still finished it and more importantly I became obsessed with art of self bows.
So onto my second attempt at a selfbow....
Remember that tree that we let a family friend cut down? He stopped by my house two weeks after I finished my first bow (which he saw for the first time) and brought over his last stave from that tree he cut 8 years ago and gave it to me. A week or two after that he called and asked if I had started on it yet, which I at that point had just taken it to one growth ring. He said perfect, the guy who taught me everything I know said to bring that to his house and he wants to teach you beginning to end. I ,for a second, thought I had died and gone to heaven haha. Ken and I now meet once a week and I never go home without learning something new. He has forgotten more about bows than I will probably ever learn, and is one hell of a teacher. Anyways, now for the pictures of my 2nd osage self bow, still about 62# @ 27", will take it down to around 50# tonight. Thanks again guys for all the info I have soaked in from this site over the past few years.
