51" how come / why for bow (60# @ 25" hard maple)

[half eye]

Thanks slimbob & bowmo.....The only reason for using the hard maple is that's what I could get to and required the least work. It's been between 20 and 15 below zero for most of the days with a high all the way to nine above and 20 and 30 mph winds......working outdoors in that stuff is not on this old man's agenda Hell my wife wont go out long enough to even take a picture, I'm still hearing about the one she took from inside the door that I posted.
rich

[Peacebow_Coos]

Great looking bow, I really appreciate your posts, they're always chalk full of new and exciting techniques from the old ones.  There is an art to re-creating the old ways, and you sir have got the touch

[Traxx]

Exactly PC.

[H Rhodes]

Thanks for posting this Rich.  I always enjoy seeing what you are up to in the cold North.  I think that I agree with you for the most part, and I think I have identified one factor that makes these bows so prevalent.  I cut all my own bow wood and use a lot of white woods and a lot of osage orange, and regardless of species, it is much easier to find a stave 5' long or a shorter, that is close to perfect (no knots, cracks, imperfections of any kind) than a six foot piece without some type of imperfection to deal with.  I have no doubt that the Native Americans found out, as I have, that a perfect stave,  52" long makes a helluva bow - likely much better than a longer stave which has areas that are not so perfect.  I am just saying that long perfect staves are much harder to come by in nature than a shorter one.  I like my longer bows too, but if you dumped me out in the woods with a hatchet and a knife to root hog or die, I would be looking for a shorter bendy handle bow.  Merry Christmas!