Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: jayman448 on November 09, 2017, 08:12:42 pm

Title: Stiff vs bendy bows
Post by: jayman448 on November 09, 2017, 08:12:42 pm
Seeing as virtually all modern bows are stiff in the handle, im wondering why this shift happened through the years? Is it simply for ease of production or is there a noticeable performance difference in stiff handles vs bendy? is it just a matter of hand shock? and what do you guys prefer.
Title: Re: Stiff vs bendy bows
Post by: Morgan on November 09, 2017, 08:22:57 pm
I have just made my first bend through bow recently. It is my fastest bow. Doesn’t have any more noticeable handshock than any other that I’ve made. Most modern bows have an ergonomic handle and cut in shelves that I understand is not possible with a bend through bow. I think ergonomics and styling is where the shift came from. I do not believe they give anything up in performance all things being equal.
Title: Re: Stiff vs bendy bows
Post by: mullet on November 09, 2017, 08:54:41 pm
I think Mass production and people wanting to shoot off a shelf had a lot to do with it.
Title: Re: Stiff vs bendy bows
Post by: Pat B on November 09, 2017, 09:53:39 pm
A lot of the designs we use today came out of the golden days of archery in America in the 1940, maybe before. A stiff handle bow has more mass, most were longer and set up for target and hunting. When the TBB series came out lots of earlier those norms were edited by folks that tested every bow style and bow wood, experimented with both and changed the rules. Even when TBBIV came out it corrected methods that were cut in stone just a few years before in the earlier editions. Folks are doing things with wood bowyery today that I couldn't have imagined 10 years ago. All of this is good. It shows that archery lives, is alive.
 A well made bendy handle bow shouldn't have hand shock. Most hand shock probably comes from poor design and execution.