Why would you only want to clamp the handle? That doesn't make sense for shaping the handle and the fades . When I shape the fades I have the handle and opposite fade clamped and work the fade up into the handle for a very even transition. I do make a bulbous handle so the center of my handle and the fades are close to the same size.
If you make vise pads like I show in the picture they clamp irregular surfaces like a steel trap, no shifting no matter where on the limb you position the stave. No chasing them around the shop either, I can relate to that problem because my earlier magnetic clamps had a habit of shifting and falling off at just the wrong time.
I had a shave horse , it was OK for hoggin off wood but I need to be eyeball to eyeball over my vise to do very detailed tip overlay and handle work. With my current vise/post arrangement I can do much more precise work hogging off wood with a drawknife initially or working down a bow blank with my #49 nicholson. I also built my workbench specifically for bow making and made it 42" tall so I won't have to bend over to work on a stave.
The bottom line is what I like and works for me is not the only way to do things. Most folk stay with what they learned to use initially.
The guy in the picture is at least 6'3", Like I said I made my bench tall so I could work standing up, the bench probably weighs 500 lb loaded and isn't moving when I get serious about hogging off wood. The other pictures are the attention to detail I get from being eyeball to eyeball with my work as well as the way I work my fades.
