Bow Fade Question ?

[Stick Bender]

Hi fellas I have been looking at a ruffed out hickory bow that's been hanging on the wall for 5 months trying to decide on a fade lay out  it has a 5 in. Handle section so my question is ,is there any difference in performance between the bulburus style like shown and the type like Beadman uses ,hope you don't mind Ed using your Pic, I would like to use a slow sweeping taper in the fade sorta like the Sudbury bow but have never done it ,so I figured throw it out here for help ?

[Knotty]

Well if it works for Ed, it'll sure enough work for you aswell!

I've used both styles , however I do prefer the "bulburus" style..
Just go with what fits you (and your bow) better.

[Dances with squirrels]

I like the bulbous handle more than any other. I've been employing it in my bows for almost 20 years. It fits the natural inner contour of my gripping hand's palm like no other.... and helps facilitate some important aspects of bow design, performance, construction, shaping and tillering.

Difference in performance? Yep. It reduces any preponderance to torque. That's big. I've found a relaxed grip on the bulbous shape to be quite 'neutral' compared to the others and resistant of torque in all directions... which helps eliminate a substantial degree of human error.

[BowEd]

Stick Bender....Handles,tips,etc. are all kinda personal preference type things.Pulling the bow without gripping the handle can tell ya something.Then shooting with a very loose grip.If the string is over the handle within reason you should'nt experience any torque at all.I know I don't enjoy shooting a bow that I have to twist to keep the string closer to the strike plate while drawing.Would'nt do any good anyway.When the string is released it'll go where it wants.I adopted the bulbous handle way long ago from reading Dean Torges book. 

[BowEd]

I have a friend that makes handles with the slow sweeping type fade into the handle with the middle of the belly of the handle the thickest.They always look really nice at full draw and feel good in the hand too.My fades are a bit more abrupt so the handle thickness is at least 4" long.Paying very close attention so that the widest part of fade is the thickest part of the limb.Personal preference again.It's all in the tillering as they say.

[Stick Bender]

Thanks Ed that's what I was after I made the bulburus type with that one shown but have a slow sweeping width that I'm doing on the front view ALA 1930s  style bow  on this one  it's going to be sinew so I figured if the handle depth is kinda thin on this stave I could add more sinew in the handle area my handle depth is only about  1 1/4 in on this stave  could flatten it & add wood but trying not to so I wanted to match the slow sweeping taper on the fade also

[BowEd]

I like the looks of that handle you showed.Symmetrical tapering both ways.Has a nice look to it.Made by a person paying attention to detail.A 1.25" thick handle is enough to be stiff on it's own.