Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Tuomo on January 26, 2026, 05:24:15 am
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My newest bow, just for me. Madake backing (from Jaap), sugar maple, ipe, and a horn belly. Osage power lam, with ipe and bulletwood in the handle. The handle is wrapped in green vegetable-tanned leather.
Draw weight is 57 pounds at a 28-inch draw (about 54# at my 27-inch draw). Length is 1720 mm (67.7") nock to nock. Width is 33 mm at the widest point, 24 mm at the handle, and 9.3 mm at the nocks. Physical weight is 766 grams. Taper rate is 0.007.
I like this bow; I am close to what I really want. The next one will be a bit lighter—about 45–50# would be just right. I will also make the handle differently, using a more modern method: two short belly laminates and gluing a one-piece handle between the back and the belly laminates (like "simk" makes his bows). I like the traditional look of this kind of glued handle, but it is very difficult to do correctly, and there is always a risk of it popping off, especially when using woods like ipe or bulletwood.
However, I like the shape of the bow, the materials are good (I think that madake backing is the best backing material and horn belly is the best for belly), and there are many nice details. Even so, it is almost impossible to make a bow I would be perfectly satisfied with!
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More images. Sorry, no outdoor photos for now – too much snow and too cold.
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Now that's another beauty, nice work for sure. :)
Pappy
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That is a gorgeous bow Tuomo, very nice work!
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Another beauty. I really enjoy seeing your work.
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That’s a beauty!
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Beautiful bow, Toumo. :OK
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Very nice. How long a run is the horn?
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The belly slat consists of five pieces: bulletwood in the middle, horn on either side, and black cherry at the tips. The horn slat is 59 cm long, and the last 18 cm of the belly slat is black cherry.
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Another masterpiece! Yes it is exceptionally beautiful.
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I’ve held this in my hands. Real eye candy and shoots fine.
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Can you post a pic or two of the belly?
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More photos:
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Beautiful bow Tuomo. If you find to much fault with that one you might be a little fussy.lol.
I love the look of the horn on the belly
Bjrogg
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That's a great looking design. I have often wondered about using horn on the belly of a DR longbow that's my preferred 62-64" hunting length. It seems like horn belly bows are typically short. I even owned a Watusi horn bellied Dryad longbow many years ago that was drop dead beautiful, but it was very sluggish. I thought at the time that it must have been the added belly mass. Thanks for posting.
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There’s the money shot! Beautiful bow and love the idea of the horn belly lam under the handle. Seems to work just fine on the d/r bow too. Nice work.
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I even owned a Watusi horn bellied Dryad longbow many years ago that was drop dead beautiful, but it was very sluggish. I thought at the time that it must have been the added belly mass.
I remember those Dryad bamboo-backed, horn-bellied bows, they were great-looking bows. It’s interesting to know that they were slow, because they seemed very fast. The physical mass of this kind of bow is the main thing to consider. The heavier ones I made (98# and 70#) are fast, but that’s because they are strong relative to their mass. This bow is also quite heavy but has a lighter draw weight, so its performance may suffer. I have to make chrono tests. Making low-draw-weight bamboo-horn bows can be difficult, although "Simk" has succeeded at this very well.
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Simk’s bows are wonderful. He and Ed have been an inspiration to me over the years for these type of horn bellied bow builds. I’ve made a number of them and have seen a slight increase in mass compared to non horn bellied bows of similar style but the performance is noticeably better. Mind you these bows have also been sinewed too. My fastest bow to date though have been my bamboo backed and bellied bows. They would be similar to what James Parker made.
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Absolutely stunning in every way. Really love that reflex shape. I need to make more laminated bows.
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I remember those Dryad bamboo-backed, horn-bellied bows, they were great-looking bows. It’s interesting to know that they were slow, because they seemed very fast. The physical mass of this kind of bow is the main thing to consider. The heavier ones I made (98# and 70#) are fast, but that’s because they are strong relative to their mass. This bow is also quite heavy but has a lighter draw weight, so its performance may suffer. I have to make chrono tests. Making low-draw-weight bamboo-horn bows can be difficult, although "Simk" has succeeded at this very well.
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Mine had a silver gray and black horn belly. Mike said that changed from the mild DR form to his more radical DR form to pick up performance. It seems like it was 64" 50#@28". It was beautiful though. It would be great to find a source for that Watusi horn. The breed has massive horns.
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Absolutely stunning.