Handles

[Badger]

    I was at my first meeting with other bowyers preparing to go out and shoot a 3-d course. They looked at me kind of shocked because my handle had no wrap on it. I was offered leather and even an offer to wrap it for me. I was informed that a bow is not finished until the handle is wrapped.
    After that for several years I started wrapping my handles. My heart was never in it but I felt I was supposed to do this. About 5 years ago I stopped wrapping the handles because I much prefer shooting a bare wood handle. I feel the bow is freer to move a bit if needed and just feels better to me. I have to admit that I admire the looks of a well done handle wrap but I certainly don't feel a bow of mine is unfinished without it anymore. Any others feel this way?

[half eye]

Badger,
      The only grips that I wrap are copies of older styles that would (usually) have them, or when I make a bow for a friend that feels like the people you met.
      Lately I've made all my personal bows in the short, eastern woodland type from my area (mostly Ojibwe and Odawa) and I do not wrap the grips. I shoot bare handed (both) and agree with you that you can feel a bow that way. I can feel it work, and can tell when the bow starts to work into the center. To me it's like you know exactly what's going on with the bow as it's drawn.
      I also use the native american method of tillering under tension, and the partial draw cycles involved coupled with the "looking" makes it very easy to get get a good symetrical circle tiller, with out benchs, vises, or gizmo's.  But hey that's just one real old mans way....but I do get a real feel for my bows by making them that way.
JMHO
rich

[osage outlaw]

I have done them both ways and liked them both.  My favorite shooter wasn't wrapped.

[Pat B]

Steve, one of the cool things about making our own bows is we can make them the way we want and don't have to make them to please others. I make every bow for myself even the ones that will go to others. I do consider the recipient though.
  I do like a handle wrap on my bows and lately(over the last few years) I have been using hemp cord wrap set in Massey finish. For me it gives a good positive grip no matter the weather conditions. Leather handle wraps look good but are not practical in adverse conditions.

[Badger]

   Pat, the hemp is something I kind of like also. Even some of the cotton cordage. As you say, whatever is comfortable. I know a lotof modern bows are just bare wood.

[sadiejane]

ditto on pats words.
my pal and bow making mentor, wayne, never wraps his handles. on the occasion he sells or gives away a bow and the recipient wants the handle wrapped, then of course he obliges.

have only a very few bows under my belt, but so far i've wrapped em all cept the last one. that little sinew backed bow. cant imagine wrapping it. it feels good in the hand just as it is and would look goofy imo.

just depends on the bow i reckon. really like the way that little sinew bow feels in hand. it barely even has a distinctive handle area. just a tiny bit narrower than the rest of the bow.

my personal fav handle wrap on bows i own are the two bl bows i got from grunt in the bow trade. they are both wrapped with jute twine and sealed. they have a bit of a "rough" texture but feel good in the hand. will likely do that to a bow in the future. have seen online some handle treatments i just loved the look of.

if the bow were going to someone else, then handle wrap as they like.

[johnston]

At this point in my somewhat arrested development as a boyer I prefer wood because I have not give much time to shooting others. My
handles may go full circle back to bare but I wont know til I try 'em out.

Lane

[artcher1]

I think handle covers are cool looking . But certainly not necessary by any means. Beats looking at a z-spliced handle all day long.........Art

[Buckeye Guy]

Do as you like !
I generally like smallish handles on my bows ,so wraps often make them to large to suit me !
Some bows do seem to ask for a wrap to look finished or cover up a splice or such .
The bow I shoot the most is a naked bow I will almost always grab it if I'm shooting with others , It has no handle wrap, no nock locater for arrow ,no arrow pass marked on it, it is even tillered so either end goes up .Leaves the training wheel folks shaking their head saying "how is that even possible" !!them with their thousand dollar rig and me with my stick with a string ,I love it!! So do them the way you like them and others can do it their way !
Keep it simple
Keep it fun
Guy

[Ifrit617]

I personally prefer the look of a handle wrap, but often mine are just a thin piece of suede wrapped around the handle.

[Badger]

   I certainly wasn't implying anything is wrong with handles, just curious how many prefer no wrapping. I agree well wrapped handles look better. I just happen to like the feel of the wood. I also agree some bows are just not finished without a handle wrap of some kind.

[Parnell]

Gotta admit I prefer no wrap.  But, if there is one, I like it to be real grippy.  Heavy leather wraps remind me of condoms.

[Matt S.]

I let each bow tell me if it needs a handle wrap, and if so what type. So far I haven't finished any bows without handle wraps, but since most my bows are from boards they seem to need the extra "dress-up". Some wood is just so darn pretty covering it up is a shame.

[Del the cat]

The three bows I go back to shooting most often are bare wood grips.
Does anyone put a leather grip on their spokeshave? No? Thought not.
I do have a leather grip on one of my regular bows which would otherwise be a bit skinny.
Each to his own, but it's sometimes hard to know what you really want... like the time I put an Ivory arrow plate on my big old Yew ELB... in my heart of hearts I wish I hadn't
Del

[bubby]

leather, wood, whatever it takes to grip it and rip it , Bub