Recommended reading

[Pepe]

Hey All,
    My first post here. I come to primitive archery by the most long about way. I started out with state of the art firearms. When I mastered those (to my satisfaction) I found myself buying older & older firearms. About the time I got comfortable shooting black powder ... I got my first bow. Soon enough I was shooting a high powered compound bow ... complete with hydraulic shock absorbers, optical scopes, kevlar strings and mechanical releases ... heck ... took a suitcase full of geegaws and hoohaws just to shoot the thing. Then I had a recurve put in my hand and was told to "learn to shoot this". It took a while ... but learn I did. just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I started making my own wooden arrows ... and sure enough, it got better 
     It's been a while now (was busy living on a sailboat) but I have finally come back to archery. I started looking at some modern multi-laminated-glass-backed state of the art recurves ... and my aren't they pretty? However, given my regression from the newer to the older, I figured, "let's cut to the chase" .. I started looking at long bows. Well ... what could be better? If making my own arrows was such fun ... what would it be like to make my own self-bow? My wood working skills are more than adequete (used to make furniture) ... so? Why not?
      Before I spend penny one on a stave, I have much to learn ... so ... my question to ya'll is this; what books should I buy? There are hundreds of them out there, no doubt, some provide more "bang for the buck" than others ... what do you recommend ... and why?
Thanks!
Pepe

[Dano]

Dean Torges' book "Hunting the Osage Bow" http://www.bowyersedge.com/books.html, and The Traditional Bowyers Bibles, there are four volumes, I really like #1 and #4.

[Cromm]

Welcome to PA Pepe!!!
The Traditional Bowyers Bibles are a good set to get......
The book "The Bent Stick" is good too.

[Kegan]

The Bent Stick will put a good hunting flatbow in your hands without too much trouble.

The Bowyer's Bibles will tell you all the little nuances of the craft, including primtive arrows and other gear selection.

Hunting with the Bow and Arrow by Saxton Pope will teach you how to build a good ELB, and in conjunction with the Bibles, you will be able to make a very nice ELB out of woods other than yew, Osage, and South American woods.

[Hillbilly]

Welcome aboard, Pepe. I would also recommend the Traditional Bowyer's Bibles, starting with vol. 1. The Bent Stick and Hunting the Osage Bow are also good. Also, this board is one of the best resources out there-read old threads, ask questions, lot of information here.

[jamie]

where ya from. no need to buy a stave if there are woods around ya. peace

[Pepe]

Ah, Mr pagan,
      Living in Albuqueque now (and love it) I have no doubt there are many trees around that could provide decent wood ... but doesn't it have to dry for quite a bit? I was hoping to make my first bow this coming fall/winter.
Pepe

[Pat B]

Welcome to PA Pepe. All of the books mentioned above are good. Paul Comstock's "The Bent Stick" is a good starting point then Trad Bowyers Bible-I then Dean Torges' "Hunting the Osage Bow" and you will be a master like the rest of us.   TBBI has interesting info about design and performance and a good recipe for an osage and a yew hunting bow along with info about "Bows from Boards".  Jawge's site has lots of info for the beginner and the seasoned bowyer.    Pat

[Shaun]

Welcome! The very best way to learn is hands on with other bowyers present to ask questions. You can do this at bow making gatherings but most of these are late winter through mid summer. The next one I know anywhere near you is late winter in OK.

Fall is time to hunt.

After the seasons wind down there is a flurry of bow making. The second best way is to get a stave or board and make a bow posting lots of pictures and asking lots of questions on message boards like this one.

The books mentioned have good info and directions. For inspirational reading, Hunting the Hard Way - Howard Hill, Witchery of Archery - Murice Thompson,  and hunting threads on sites like this.

[jamie]

drying time can be reduced with the whitewoods like hickory ash maple and many others by roughing the bow out while it is green and tying it to some type of form like a two by four. keep it in the shade and coolest spot possible for a week or so then put it in a warmer area. i use this method all the time when building with stone tools. it saves a lot of time. ive had bows done that were just cut in a little over a weeks time. but a month is more like it. peace

[shamus]

Paul Comstock's "The Bent Stick". The best bang for your buck. Great starter book.

All Herrin's "Cherokee Bows and Arrows" is good.

All the Traditional Bowyer's Bibles, volumes 1-4. Review of Volume 4 on my site: http://analogperiphery.blogspot.com/2008/03/book-review-traditional-bowyers-bible.html

Good, supplemental stuff:
"The Flatbow" by Hunt and Metz
"Archery" by Elmer
"Traditional Archer's Handook" by Hillary Greenland

[shamus]

Pepe,

Drying and seasoning wood: http://analogperiphery.blogspot.com/2008/08/drying-and-seasoning-wood.html

[Pepe]

     I want to thank you, one and all. I wasn't even aware of "The Bent Stick" .... now I'm searching for it. It may be a while before I post again ... have plenty of reading to do! Be assured, you will hear from me again ... and I'll continue to read the posts here!
Pepe

[ricochet]

howdy Pepe,I am new to primitive archery as well. Shamus' reply Cherokee bow and arrows,TBB vol. 1-4, and Paul Comstocks' The Bent Stick are great reading and very helpful. I have read all but TBB vol. 2-4, only read vol. 1. Those reads really helped me to understand more about building and the science and art of building bows. Good luck and welcome to the addiction!