My osage bow is begining to look more and more like a bow. I have narrowed the limbs some and now in process of thinning them a little at a time. Having been sick has helped in slowing me down and forcing me to do just a little bit at a time. But even now, I do some and then just sit and evaluate what I have done and what needs to be done. It also makes me study the limbs even more so. But the wood, the wood is beginning to look like it is more than just a piece of wood. When I sand it now, it has a creamy look that screams live wood with action. I take pictures to study the tillering process as I go and then make my plans of attack. I haven't cut the handle out to shape yet but am ready to do soon. Osage is a heavy wood and the transformation from the stave into a lighter bow is just a mind blowing thing. As you see the bow begin to materialize, it begins to come to life. Suddenly you are planning ahead to when you get to draw it back and let loose an arrow. Now it is becoming part of you, you are wanting to make it into something that makes you proud to own. Slowly but surely, I am inching towards that prize, a prize that I hope to hunt with and proudly show others and tell them, "Yeah, I made it, pretty cool, huh." But, a lot can still happen between now and then so I am being careful. A selfbow is like a creation that is one of a kind, something that has it's own quirks so each one is special in it's own way. Almost there!
