Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Cloudfeather on April 22, 2015, 01:07:02 pm

Title: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Cloudfeather on April 22, 2015, 01:07:02 pm
This is a bow made from my stash of 60 year old log staves. So much work to clean the petrified crap off of them, but definitely worth it. This character stave yielded this baby. The skin is channel cat that I hooked on a bank line about a year ago while fishing for carp. With carp, I skin em and throw them in the garden. With the catfish, I did the same but I took the meat and fried it up. Some of the best fish I've ever had.  Hope y'all enjoy. :)

62" Tip to Tip
Channel Catfish Skins
Cow Horn Tip Overlays
Scrap Leather Grip
Strunk Style Lace Pattern
Asymmetrical Limb Design: Top Limb 1" longer
3/16" Positive Tiller
56# @ 28"
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Cloudfeather on April 22, 2015, 01:07:43 pm
More pictures...
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Aaron H on April 22, 2015, 01:13:08 pm
Great looking bow you got there
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on April 22, 2015, 01:40:51 pm
Fine bow right there.
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Stoker on April 22, 2015, 02:10:15 pm
Very nice
Thanks leroy
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Parnell on April 22, 2015, 02:47:07 pm
That's a real beauty.  Wonderful job, congratulations.
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: bubby on April 22, 2015, 02:49:12 pm
Sweet!!
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: sieddy on April 22, 2015, 02:57:28 pm
Outstanding!  :)
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Pat B on April 22, 2015, 03:02:39 pm
Boy, I love the looks of the catfish skins and the bow looks pretty good too.
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Will H on April 22, 2015, 03:32:31 pm
Like I said on FB, real nice work! Tiller looks spot on!
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: George Tsoukalas on April 22, 2015, 04:09:58 pm
I was going to ask you if you named the bow after a baseball player. Then I figured you were too young to remember Jim "Catfish" Hunter.
At any rate that bow is a beauty!
Jawge
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: alwayslookin on April 22, 2015, 04:18:33 pm
Nice bow man. Job well done
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: PAHunter on April 22, 2015, 05:44:17 pm
Very nice bow man!  Now you got me thinking about trying that.  ;)
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Mark Smeltzer on April 22, 2015, 05:47:22 pm
That is a very nice bow! Awesome Job!
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Peacebow_Coos on April 22, 2015, 07:33:47 pm
Beautiful bow
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Dvshunter on April 22, 2015, 08:13:45 pm
Love the bow and love the "Simpsons" catfish hunter reference.  Well done!
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Badly Bent on April 22, 2015, 09:15:06 pm
Beautiful work, that channel cat skin looks great on the osage and the bow as a whole is really nice all around.
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Aries on April 22, 2015, 09:19:59 pm
I have never skinned cat fish before, how heavy are those skins after you have them prepped?
Beautiful bow sir!
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Weylin on April 22, 2015, 11:12:41 pm
Awesome bow, James! Looking forward to seeing more of your work.  8)
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Cade on April 22, 2015, 11:35:15 pm
That looks great. Would you mind doing a close up of the skins? I would like to try that this summer when I get to do some fishing. Did the color change when you dried it?
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Drewster on April 23, 2015, 12:07:26 am
That's a fine looking bow indeed.  You should be happy with that one.
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: chamookman on April 23, 2015, 03:51:30 am
Great looking Bow - the profile says it all ! Bob
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: adams89 on April 23, 2015, 04:04:24 am
beautiful!! great hunting bow, just the perfect design in my eyes.
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Pappy on April 23, 2015, 04:53:16 am
Beautiful bow, nice job. :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Cloudfeather on April 23, 2015, 12:28:53 pm
Thanks so much for the kind words, fellas. Here are a couple more pictures of some of the details...

George - I did know about the baseball player, although it *was* before my time. Lol
DVSHunter - Simpsons was "General Sherman", this was a Grumpier Old Men reference. :)
Aries - The skins are just a tad thinner than carp skins, if you've ever had experience with them. Probably almost thick enough to be a protective backing in my opinion.
Cade - The skins on the fish were a silver/gray, they darkened up just a tad when they were put on and dried.
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: ---GUTSHOT---> on April 23, 2015, 01:17:10 pm
Nice bow. Like the catfish skins
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: rps3 on April 23, 2015, 03:41:21 pm
Sharp bow. I like the black outline on the sides.
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: DC on April 23, 2015, 03:50:28 pm
I'm liking fish skins on bows. I hate to admit it in public but snake skins kinda give me the willies. I know,a wuss. ;)
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Hans H on April 23, 2015, 04:35:37 pm
nice bow, well done
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: IdahoMatt on April 23, 2015, 06:21:07 pm
You did a great job on that thing man. 
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: RyanR on April 23, 2015, 06:21:21 pm
Nice job!
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Arrowind on April 23, 2015, 07:31:35 pm
Well done!
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Sidewinder on April 24, 2015, 07:36:38 am
Very nice bow. Ive seen people skin bows with many things but channel cat hasnt been one of them. Good for you for doing it. I like everything about it. Danny
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: burnt on April 24, 2015, 10:22:04 am
Looks like a bow I'd like to shoot. Great job.
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Bullitt on April 24, 2015, 12:25:51 pm
Dang Cloudfeather,  smile sir!  That is a sexy looking gal! ;D

The leather dressing covers just enough, leaving her legs, neck, and shoulders exposed!

Oh, she's got real nice curves, too!  ;)

You did good!



Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Josh B on April 24, 2015, 05:25:00 pm
Too cool!  I've been wondering what channel cat skins would look like. Josh
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: PeteC on April 24, 2015, 07:36:04 pm
Real nice bow. The "cat" skins are very unique. Good job. God Bless
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: okie64 on April 24, 2015, 08:25:43 pm
Great looking bow and good use for fish skins!
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Cloudfeather on April 28, 2015, 07:11:09 pm
Really appreciate all the kind words, guys. I'm very grateful to have gotten these logs, had the time I did cutting them and turning them into something functional and long lasting. :)
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: RLimerick on May 09, 2015, 12:44:58 pm
Great looking bow!  What did you treat the catfish skins with to tan them?  Nice handle wrap too.  Great work!
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Redhand on May 09, 2015, 12:50:09 pm
That's one heck of a bow. I especially like the catfish skins.
Title: Re: "Catfish Hunter" Osage Selfbow: 56# @ 28"
Post by: Cloudfeather on May 10, 2015, 02:46:04 pm
Thanks, guys. I basically handled them like carp skins. Skinned the fish, fleshed them out, then cleaned a few times with dish detergent. I froze them in a small container of water, then just thawed them out and adhered them with hide glue. Worked great. :)