Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Kestrel on November 10, 2009, 09:21:18 pm

Title: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: Kestrel on November 10, 2009, 09:21:18 pm
Hello,

What is the best book on the topic "how to make traditional bow, both recurve and longbow"?

Regards Kes
Title: Re: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: The Gopher on November 10, 2009, 09:25:09 pm
Traditional Bowyers Bible, Volumes 1 through 4, get 'em all

The Bent Stick by Comstock

Hunting the Osage Bow by Dean Torges
Title: Re: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: sailordad on November 10, 2009, 09:26:31 pm
Dan you forgot the best of all

this website

i know its not a book,its better
Title: Re: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: adb on November 10, 2009, 09:44:25 pm
Ditto what The Gopher said.
Title: Re: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: radius on November 10, 2009, 10:23:29 pm
the bow bibles 1 and 2 basically cover it, no? 

add heat treating chapter from Vol 4 and the encouraging "character stave" chapter and you're golden

google what you wanna read...chances are amazon will let you read a chapter
Title: Re: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: zeNBowyer on November 10, 2009, 11:01:27 pm
Another  classic  is  Billet  to  Bows  by Glenn St. Charles,
a  very  good read though  I don't  consider it a  complete manual
Title: Re: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: RyanY on November 10, 2009, 11:32:33 pm
TBB 1 through 4. A lot of info is covered in 1 and 2 but my favorite by far is volume 4. It has a list of bow woods, explains heat treating and the mass principle and the design and performance section is awesome. I keep that one by my bed side.  ;)
Title: Re: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: The Gopher on November 11, 2009, 09:56:27 am
Thats funny Ryoon, my wife asks me why i always have the same four books on my nightstand, (TBB 1-4). i'm always flipping through them to remind me of something or check on something else, or just because i like to.

I agree on volume 4, it is one of my favorites.
Title: Re: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: Justin Snyder on November 11, 2009, 10:05:31 am
Lets certainly not forget the Primitive Archer magazine.  I learned a lot from the Traditional Bowyers Bibles, but I probably use more info from the magazine than I do from any books. Articles like Marc StLouis' making a high performance selfbow that taught me how to temper bellies. And information on about every type of bow you can imagine. The most current information dropped at your mailbox every month.
Title: Re: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: The Gopher on November 11, 2009, 10:25:47 am
good point, last year i treated myself to the complete set of all the back issues, i am still loving every page, i'm up to volume 7 now. some of the best reading there is, and full of useful info.
Title: Re: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: Aries on November 11, 2009, 03:15:25 pm
Dean Torges book "Hunting the Osage Bow" is one of my favorite books. It has more soul to it than any of the other books ive read and really gets you into bow making i believe.
Title: Re: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: Kestrel on November 12, 2009, 02:12:33 am
Thanks for book suggestions!
Title: Re: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: zeNBowyer on November 12, 2009, 04:54:39 am
PA  magazine  is definitely a  unique set  of  good  material,  well  worth the  price
Title: Re: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: shamus on November 12, 2009, 08:26:07 am
Quote
Traditional Bowyers Bible, Volumes 1 through 4, get 'em all

The Bent Stick by Comstock


Agreed.  Get those 5 books at the very least.
Title: Re: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: woodstick on November 12, 2009, 08:51:46 am
i started with a book called, bows and arrows the cherokee way by al herin, very good book also billets to bows Glenn StCharles.
Title: Re: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: zeNBowyer on November 12, 2009, 09:30:38 am
                             
                                                   American Indian Archery

By Reginald and  Gladys Laubin,  very  interesting book  on  American  Indian  Archery, covering designs, techniques, lots color  prints, here's  an  excerpt from  one  chapter on  Indian skirmishes:

     "De Soto took  an  Indian  prisoner and  had  him  demonstrate  the  power and  accuracy  of  his shooting. He  pierced  a  coat  of  chain  mail at  150  paces. A  second  coat  of  mail was  then  placed  on  top of  the  first,  and  an  arrow  pierced  both of them  but did  not  go  completely through as  it  had  the  first  time"


no  sissy  bows  here!

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Title: Re: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: mox1968 on November 12, 2009, 12:30:25 pm
the bowyers bibles definately ,hunting the osage bow ,the archers craft ,bent stick  all good reading !!
Title: Re: Book suggestions on the topic "how to make traditional bow"?
Post by: shamus on November 12, 2009, 08:26:50 pm
Quote
bows and arrows the cherokee way by al herin,

Absolutely! Al is a great guy and the Cherokee Bows and Arrows"  is a valuable resource.