Recurves: Are they worth the work?

[BowEd]

Bracing a bow with a 35 to 50 degree static bend I can get done easily using the push-pull method or a primitive stringer to brace.It gets more difficult when the recurve is set at 75 to 90 degrees as in the bow I showed.
To reinerate it's the degree factor here.You want the string to lift off the belly of the recurve the last few inches of draw to appreciate the design.Lesser degree of a bend the string lifts off sooner nullifying the effect.
As far as power and speed goes many an elk have been downed by a straight tipped self long bow.
After shooting many a deer here I have no doubt in my mind I could do that in elk country.

[chasonhayes]

What thickness does the tip have to be to safely recurve it? Do you steam or just heat it?

[Selfbowman]

Some steam and some use dry heat. I’m a dry heat guy but it can be done both ways. As for thickness I bend at about 1/2-5/8 inch in thickness. But I’m usually just flipping the tips a couple inches. I leave the ends thick till getting the tiller to about 20” of draw and then start taking the mass off the ends. Some on here say they get the ends bending first. Lots of ways to get it done.

[sleek]

I do them .5 thick and 1.5 wide that way any cracking is easily ground out.