How was your introduction to bow making?

[Stick Bender]

Welcome Benton hope to see some of your R/D posted here.

[George Tsoukalas]

I stated circa 1990 soon after Dad died.

I don't know how many I've built for me and mine but it is in the hundreds and hundreds. I broke quite few along the way. I don't sell them. I'm an amateur.

I haven't broke any in awhile. I hope it is not this one I am building now which is a red oak board bow for my daughter who expressed an interest in shooting last year. She's in her 30s. My oldest daughter shoots too. Now we can all spend time together in the woods.

I still enjoy it. My wife says I'm in my happy place when I'm working on a bow.

I just don't build as many as I used to and it takes longer.

Jawge

[Grandpa Bill]

I have to blame one of my grandsons for getting me started on this path.  He came to me one day and asked if I could help him with a project he was working on in school.  He needed a visual aid and asked if I could help...of course I said yes before asking what he needed to make.  The were studying Robin Hood and he needed an English Longbow or a close copy of one.  I had no idea what an English Longbow looked like except for the one I saw Errol Flynn shoot in the movies.  We got on the internet, found Paleoplanet and Poor Folks Bows and started on our first board bow - red oak from Home Depot - D cross section - 72 inches - 25 lbs @ 28 inches (I still have it but now that I know how bad the tiller is I will not string it).  We got a lot of help from some of the bowyers at the Pasadena Bowyers Meet.

He got an A and extra credit for the bodkin points he brought into class, I got a hobby I have been enjoying for 5 years now.

Bill

[ntvbowyer1969]

I started off as i am sure many of us have when we were young. Cutting down saplings with a pocket knife and putting a string on the ends and blistering arrows at least 8ft  . My real break through in "real" bow making came when i took lessons from Jim Hamm. His knowledge and experience triggered a life long passion that has never lost its shine and even after all these years i am still learning and always trying to improve.

[Will B]

I originally started off making FG-backed recurves for friends and kids.  I made dozens of takedown recurves and gave them away.  I was at Denton Hill Eastern Traditional Archery Rendezvous when I saw a guy with an osage selfbow with a hole in the one limb.  I was blown away by the beauty and simplicity of the selfbow.  I was able to buy some staves and boards and started building my own.  I was fortunate to find this site and have since built close to a dozen selfbows and backed bows.  I recently made and gave away three youth bows and really enjoy seeing the kids light up with a new bow.  Most of what I learned has been from Traditional Bowyers Bible, Dean Torges book and DVD, and the experienced bowyers on this site.     

[PEARL DRUMS]

I'm a few years past your 5 year level Steve, but not much in the big picture. I started much farther back and quit, no internet and no help. I started back up serious in 2010. This site and the old timers on it made all the difference for me and no doubt made me who I am 8 years later. I was a sponge and much the like Mr. Malone. Building so many bows that I forgot about 50 of them already. I would not be who I am or build what I build now without guys like Pat, pappy, Art Butner, Marc, Steve, Gordon, Roybert, Matt and several others I probably missed. I owe it to you guys, its just that simple in my mind. Entering this hobby right now is as easy as it will ever be.

You just have to ask yourself before you get started; are you self bow curious? Or, are you self bow serious? The first choice is a  one and done situation and the latter is an addict. Like 90% of you who read this.