Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: MO Hawkeye on December 06, 2009, 08:20:18 pm
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Does anyone wear a glove when shooting off your hand?
I've seen several photos of archers shooting off their hand wearing a glove of sorts. Where can I purchase such a glove? Or does anyone have a glove pattern which I can use to make such a glove?
Thanks,
Paul
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I do not wear a glove when I shoot off of my hand, but I do wrap the end of my fletching very well. Any thin leather glove would work. You could also just make a small glove that fit around the palm of your hand.
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i wear a glove, but nothing fancy.just any thin glove would work i think
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MO Hawkeye,
I dont wear a glove anymore, but used to regularly, I used a pair of unlined leather work gloves. I cut the fingers off (leave the index finger out to the first knuckle, even cut the thumb off to the first knuckle. Only reason for cutting the fingers and thumb off is so I could get a good "feel" for the bow in my hand....otherwise don't bother with the cutting.
half eye
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As long as you have a nice smooth transition from your shaft to the leading edge of the fletching you should be good to go. Your index finger will develop a nice callous in no time at all.
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rick....,
Amen to that brother...that's why I dont use one any more.
Half eye
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When you shoot off your hand, what do you do when you shoot it off? :) Jawge
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Switch hands, George! ;D
A floppy rest is good protection for your hand and it still feels like you are shooting off your hand. Even with wrapping the front ends of the feathers my hand still gets cut. I think it is mostly the thin skin of my 59 year old hand. ;D I started using the floppy rest a few years ago and no more cuts.
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When I'm shooting my warbows off the fist, I wear a specally made "glove". It just basically covers the top of the index finger on the bow holding hand. Send me a PM, and I'll send you to were I purchased mine.
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Thanks for all the responses. I've sent adb a PM ... I hope he received it. I would like to know where I can purchase a shootiing glove. I'm left handed thus I will need a glove for my right hand. My email is paulpinkston@ymail.com Thanks, Paul
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I'm not an old salt archer but been using my bare hand to hold bows for a few years. I've never had any problems. But then... my wife says my hands are like leather.............
Tom
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Several of the web sites which sell replica eurasian horsebows also sell shooting gloves for the bow hand. Check out Horsebows.com. That being said if the arrow has a smooth transition between shaft and fletching/feather than no glove is needed.
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I have an old thin leather glove, I cut the fingers & thumb down to about 1/2" long, I melted some beeswax and brown shoe polish together and soaked that into the arrow pass area.
It looks nice and medieval, is V comfortable and leaves your finges free to pick your nose :o
Del
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when i started out making my own arrows, i SUCKED at it. as a result, i fired one of my homemade shafts one day, the arrow flew straight and true, with 2 arrows only. the third was stuck in the back of my hand.
as a result, i bought some stout leather gloves.
also i learned how to fletch better. i never detach feathers or implant them into my hand any more, but then again, i never tempt the arrow by failing to wear my glove!
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I shoot longbow and always wear a glove purely for comfort. If you have a problem with the fletches hitting the hand the main reason is that the arrow nocking point is too low. There are several good bow hand gloves around, e.g. Bearpaw), however, I use a BMX cycling glove which works fine.
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I shoot longbow and always wear a glove purely for comfort. If you have a problem with the fletches hitting the hand the main reason is that the arrow nocking point is too low. There are several good bow hand gloves around, e.g. Bearpaw), however, I use a BMX cycling glove which works fine.
Hi Allan, I couldn't get to club at the weekend, Mrs Cat had me decorating all week :(.
Hows the bow shooting?
Del
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I have always shot off hand.....untill this Years Classic...I got butchered from feathers....now I wear a deerskin glove to protect my Feeble 50+ year old skin......... ;D
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I wear a glove that I cut all the fingers off except the index and thumb. I have to because of the irritation when the arrow passes over the scar tissue from an arrow breaking accident.
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All of my replies were already used, any nice thin glove or the eastern archery sites have repro gloves. Personally I just use a thin soft leather glove and I can hit what I am wanting to hit, well, almost.
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I shoot off my hand/index finger...only bother me with my light bow. It has some old school fletchings with a bit of wear at the transition...one arrow in particular cuts a chunk out of my finger every time.
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if your hand position is right and your knocking position is right, the arrow or feather will not touch your hand, that how it is for me anyway. Cant see the need for a glove. If the feathers cut you, then something is in the wrong place.
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I agree whole heartily with dragonman. If you're getting an irritation what so ever on your bow hand then you don't have all the components working properly. Something to think about. ART
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I skyve the leading edge of my fletching and routinely wrap the fletching with art. sinew or sinew with several extra wraps at the leading edges. I do, however, use a couple of leather wedges as a rest. Jawge
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Try a Tillman pig or deer skin TIG welding glove from your local welding supply house. Choose the long or short cuff as you see fit. They are thin, comfortable, surprisingly tough, and I still have a good amount of feeling through them. My last pair were in the $10-15 range. The only draw back is they are bright, bright white. If you hunt, or don't like them that color, just dye and seal them.
Swamp
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Art, the irritation I'm feeling is comeing from scar tissue after 4 hours of surgery to remove feathers, wood, and paint.
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Art, the irritation I'm feeling is comeing from scar tissue after 4 hours of surgery to remove feathers, wood, and paint.
Then you, my friend, have a good excuse ;). ART
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Well ...I guess that I have been doing something wrong for 20+ years then....Because I have always gotten nicks and cuts from Natural Turkey feathers....if they are not trimmed just right....Thats why I won't shoot anyone Else's Arrow any more.....
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Art, the irritation I'm feeling is comeing from scar tissue after 4 hours of surgery to remove feathers, wood, and paint.
Good grief that makes me cringe just thinking about it.
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I shoot longbow and always wear a glove purely for comfort. If you have a problem with the fletches hitting the hand the main reason is that the arrow nocking point is too low. There are several good bow hand gloves around, e.g. Bearpaw), however, I use a BMX cycling glove which works fine.
Hi Allan, I couldn't get to club at the weekend, Mrs Cat had me decorating all week :(.
Hows the bow shooting?
Del
hey Del
Is Allan that lefty guy? I probly asked you this before, but are you anywhere near York?
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What happened to your hand Mullet??? sounds serious! .
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Well ...I guess that I have been doing something wrong for 20+ years then....Because I have always gotten nicks and cuts from Natural Turkey feathers....if they are not trimmed just right....Thats why I won't shoot anyone Else's Arrow any more.....
Would you not consider rough fletching a flawed component? ??? ART
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hey Del
Is Allan that lefty guy? I probly asked you this before, but are you anywhere near York?
Hi Radius, Yep, I'm the lefty that Del made the yew bow for. Been having a lot of fun with it, shoots fast and true! Del and I live just north of London, a good couple of hundred miles from York. Do you have connections with York? cheers, Allan
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In my personal opinion a glove for the bow hand really isn't needed. I have never used one in more than 40 years archery. I only had a problem when I thought that the arrows should be 90 degrees to the string rather than slightly above this point.
If you bow hand is in the right place in relation to the arrow nock point then the fletch will never touch your hand.
If you hand it too high or your nocking point is too low or your shafts size varies a lot then maybe you will be cut by flatchings.
If the setup is wrong enough to need a glove it is quite likely that you won't be getting good arrow flight anyway. A glove could just allow this problem to get worse.
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I got a pair of mechanics gloves from Lowes, like the fellows wear who handle automotive repairs on HOT engines. Nice, thin leather, doubled palms, etc Fit is great, and they are comfy on the hot weather, too. Cost about $18 , and i'll guess these would be three times that in an archery catalog.
I wear both and then i don't need tabs either. piper
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Michael and dragonman;
It's probally a story everybody is tired of hearing but might give everybody something to think about. I was shooting some 3-d targets with some friends and we were all just using each others arrows. Whichever one we grabbed out of the basket. My buddy had a wire, hog wire fence behind the target. One of the arrows must have glanced off the wire and cracked right in front of the cock feather. When I shot it, the piece dug into my knuckle and pealed off about 6"of wood, feathers and cresting paint.
While they were pulling arrows I pulled a 1/2"piece of wood and fletching out of my knuckle. I asked them to check the arrow and see how much was gone. When they showed me I got that crappy feeling in my stomach and drank a beer. As I moved my hand I could start to feel all the pieces down to my little finger in the palm of my hand.
I ended up in the Hospital, surgery by a Plastic Reconstructive surgeon, antibiotics intravenously 24/7, for 4 nights. If I think I even have a chipped or cracked arrow, I save my point and throw the rest in the trash. Unless Art made it. Even broke they look too good to throw away. ;)
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hey Del
Is Allan that lefty guy? I probly asked you this before, but are you anywhere near York?
Hi Radius, Yep, I'm the lefty that Del made the yew bow for. Been having a lot of fun with it, shoots fast and true! Del and I live just north of London, a good couple of hundred miles from York. Do you have connections with York? cheers, Allan
Do I? Yeah, i'd say i have connections in York: going to be married there in January. I'm going to be in London next week. Maybe we can get a beer? I land tuesday and am free wednesday. You down?
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Wow, unlucky, I hope your hand has recovered Mullet, thats a valuable lesson in that story. I've shot dammaged arrows many times because I couldnt be bothered to make a new one and just made do, and inside I knew I shouldnt . From now on I'm gonna stop that , its just not worth the risk is it?
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Yikes!! :o Yeah no cracked arrows for me now either, never been in the hospital, been plenty of time for stitches and patch jobs but never had to stay.
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Do I? Yeah, i'd say i have connections in York: going to be married there in January. I'm going to be in London next week. Maybe we can get a beer? I land tuesday and am free wednesday. You down?
Hi Radius, Congratulations on your January wedding! :) :) :) Unfortunately I'm Xmas partying on Wednesday next week o/w it would have been good to meet up and share archery tales over a beer. Maybe in the future and I'll drag Del along too!. Have a safe trip over. Cheers Allan
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mullet i was out shooting today with my newest build, pulled back an arrow, saw a new crack in it, and thought of your story. pulled that arrow back offa my bow and put it aside. thanks for sharing your experience, i learned from it.
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A friend a while back showed me a vid where he was shooting and the arrow lifted mid-shaft...the last 20" drove between his radius and ulna, from about 6" south of the elbow and came out about 6" north of the wrist. They actually had to use a screw driver to pry his fingers off his bow so they could get him into the truck to go to the hospitol.
I don't shoot wooden arrows. Ever.
Michael and dragonman;
It's probally a story everybody is tired of hearing but might give everybody something to think about. I was shooting some 3-d targets with some friends and we were all just using each others arrows. Whichever one we grabbed out of the basket. My buddy had a wire, hog wire fence behind the target. One of the arrows must have glanced off the wire and cracked right in front of the cock feather. When I shot it, the piece dug into my knuckle and pealed off about 6"of wood, feathers and cresting paint.
While they were pulling arrows I pulled a 1/2"piece of wood and fletching out of my knuckle. I asked them to check the arrow and see how much was gone. When they showed me I got that crappy feeling in my stomach and drank a beer. As I moved my hand I could start to feel all the pieces down to my little finger in the palm of my hand.
I ended up in the Hospital, surgery by a Plastic Reconstructive surgeon, antibiotics intravenously 24/7, for 4 nights. If I think I even have a chipped or cracked arrow, I save my point and throw the rest in the trash. Unless Art made it. Even broke they look too good to throw away. ;)
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Holy smokes you guys gotta stop your scaring the kids here ;D I guess it's still more dangerous to go driving in a car though.