Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Jim Davis on March 08, 2026, 10:31:58 pm
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I cut a 6" hornbeam tree a year or three ago. Just got around to making a bow out of it. I had made bows of hop hornbeam, but never one from "muscle wood."
This one is 64" ntn, 2" wide at the fades, about 3/8" wide at the tips, straight taper from fades to tips. Draw weight is 42# at 28". Handle is 4" non-bending.
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Couple more
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Resending this one. Hope it's not distorted like the first.
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Nice bow Jim. How easy is that wood to work
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I t seems about as hard as hickory, but I sawed it out with a band saw and did l most of the sanding on a belt sander. Hand work was mostly rasping the handle shape.
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Don't think I've ever seen a hornbeam bow before. I was given a stave many years ago but don't remember what happe4ned to it.
You did a great job with this cool bow, Jim. Tiller looks perfect. :OK
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Very cool character in this bow. It’s got some dips and hills to it for sure. Makes for a challenging bow. Well done.
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Oh, that is cool! How does it shoot?
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Great looking bow, love the gnarly back. Tiller looks great.
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Oh, that is cool! How does it shoot?
Bow has medium speed as near as I can tell, smooth draw, no remarkable hand shock. I'd hunt with it. It's big appeal, I guess, is the look of the back. Makes it seem surprising that it shoots like any other self bow. I'm happy with the outcome.
Thanks to all for looking and commenting.
Biggest thing I notice in the pictures is that over the years I have developed a very hunched over stance. 8-(
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Certainly a lot of character on that back Jim.
Nice job coaxing that bend out of it.
Bjrogg
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JD, that’s an outstanding bow and everything about it, I would have passed that stave up, I need to stop and take a second look next time, my hats off to you!
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Wow! Amazing bow.
I can see why it's called muscle wood, it looks like flayed anatomical muscle.
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Nice job Jim, love them character bow and did that one justice. Maybe see it live at the Classic. :)
Pappy
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That's a fantastic bow! I've been wanting to cut a couple staves while I'm down south and this just tipped the scales.
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I made quiet a few bows from that wood over the years. Some held up on the back , and some didn't. Never had belly frets, and takes heat really well, and is easy to shape on a form. The back can be iffy, so to solve that problem for me I decrown them, and sinew back them. Excellent looking character bow. I hope it holds up for you,
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Awesome bow. Love seeing ones like these. Hornbeam is some tough stuff!
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Yes, that is a cool bow!
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Awesome bow Jim!
So - Hop Hornbeam and Hornbeam are different trees? And Hornbeam is also referred to as "Muscle Wood"?
I've never used either one for any project - self bow or otherwise.
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Their is hop hornbeam, and American hornbeam, or in my opinion, so as not to get the two mixed up I think it should called blue beech. Different species. HHB has a strong back, but can belly fret. Blue beech never seems to belly fret, but through time can lift splinters on the back. Both are good bow wood. HHB is more popular to bow builders. Were i live you can find the blue beech along creek bottoms, but is hard to find a knot free ,straight, and long enough piece for making longer bows, but works great for short plains style bows.
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Jim I love it! I would have never seen a bow in that stave. My hats off to you sir! I have to say you must be bored and out of staves! 🤠🤠🤠
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Arvin, you are about right on your assessment of my attitude and resources. :-)
I have another stave from the same log that has less dramatic irregularities. I do have some Osage, but it is not very good. Lately, I have been making Osage limbs backed with hickory, elm or tree of heaven. They are quick to make and look and shoot great. I'll have some of those at the Classic too.
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It’s my plan to be at the Classic unless GOD or life says different. I’ve been building quite a few bows .
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Here's a pic of one of my backed Osage bows.
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That'll do just fine, Jimm-O, just fine indeed!
I just gotta laugh about this bow because I got some newbie on F/B telling me real bowyers never touch anything but the top-quality woods. Hey Jim, sorry to hear you have been demoted from the ranks of "Real Bowyers". Don't worry, you are in good company.
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That'll do just fine, Jimm-O, just fine indeed!
I just gotta laugh about this bow because I got some newbie on F/B telling me real bowyers never touch anything but the top-quality woods. Hey Jim, sorry to hear you have been demoted from the ranks of "Real Bowyers". Don't worry, you are in good company.
Amend that to say, "boring bowyers," and he's got it.
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I like them clean but they are not all clean. Real bowyers can build both with success.
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thats a cool piece of wood JD :) i like it.
I have not made a selfbow from Hornbeam. But I once thought about using our (european) hornbeam for laminates - a cheap local alternative to IPE, Yew and Osage I hoped. Shoots fast, takes almost no set. Good deal.
In my laminates it worked great for lower weight bows but always frets in weights above 40+. So finally no approval for my laminates . When selling bows only bomb proof material is good enough. I wonder if hop hornbeam is tougher....
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To avoid fretting, go wider and thinner.
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To avoid fretting, go wider and thinner.
sure. I can make a bow from any wood. but not the bow I want in this case :)
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To avoid fretting, go wider and thinner.
sure. I can make a bow from any wood. but not the bow I want in this case :)
Hey Simk, European hornbeam is a wood I’ve been keeping my eyes out for. What kind of size bows were you making when it was fretting?
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[Hey Simk, European hornbeam is a wood I’ve been keeping my eyes out for. What kind of size bows were you making when it was fretting?
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Hey James, me thinks the ones that fret were about 35mm wide and around 67"ntn - that worked well up to 40#. I'd say if you go 45mm you can get the 50#. Its good wood.
I was wondering if I could use it as a backing - I read somewehere the english bowmakers used it for backing in the victorian age. that might work, it feels like interlocking grain. however, I have made so many experiments, maybe leave that one to someone else :)