Just came across this video today. Thanks for sharing your methods. Had made a table yesterday from the elk hide I had lying around before finding yours. Great way to continue honor the animal and not let things go to waste. Going to try your method. I used single layer elk and punched a couple of holes so I could run 550 cord through making a loop to run over my finger. It improved my shooting right out the gate compared to my glove. Love all the practical knowledge you bring to this tradition and hunting. Been shooting since I was 14, 66 now. Thanks for teaching both new archers and old alike.
i know Im randomly asking but does anybody know a tool to log back into an Instagram account..? I somehow lost my login password. I love any tricks you can give me
@Ismael Tadeo Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site on google and Im in the hacking process now. Seems to take a while so I will reply here later with my results.
I took the idea and made it for a thumb draw. The leather ones online tend to be way too thick to allow the thumb to be in the ideal place. I found it interfered with a good arrow hold. Especially since the index finger goes over the thumb. So, imagine an oblong piece of leather with a hole for the thumb, in effect it's a flat thumb ring with a hole. You'd simply use a strip twice as long as the thumb from the joint, just a little wider double it over, leather glue it, make the hole for the thumb. Insert the thumb and place the thumb over the edge of a flat surface and outline the thumb, then trim it. Like a thumb ring, it will rotate and you still need to make a hole slightly smaller than the joint.
I set things down and misplaced them a lot too! After buying several $20 tabs, I finally got a piece of leather and took your advice. This is a great video and a great design! Thanks!
Here's a tip for anyone using a Selway type bow quiver, put your tab on the bar between your first and second arrows anytime it's not on your finger. This keeps me from losing them like I used to all the time. As a bonus, it's right there when you grab your bow.
Hey Clay, not sure if you even have time to respond to comments anymore, but I was wondering if there would be any drawbacks to applying a super light film of glue between the two layers to seal them together a bit in order to make it less of a “floppy” design so to speak.
I have made one like that. It works great. I have made some stitches near the finger to prevent shifting the leather parts sideways. Thanks for the video. Shoot straight.
Online you find all these 100$ tabs. Have you tried them? Are they total ripoffs or do they improve your shooting? I have a buckskin that I made but it much thinner that 1/8 inch. Will it work?
It would generally be a bad idea. Having the parts loose is where tabs get a lot of their flexibility and speed that is often lacking in gloves where tightly bound layers often end up stiff and less responsive which is often attempted to be overcome with thinner and more flexible layers that just end up not being protective enough for hunting level draw weights. Usually you would actually want two different materials for your layers for best performance and comfort. A moderately thin, stiff and smooth grain leather for the face that would offer less resistance on release and do a better job of spreading out the load to the backing layer, which would generally be something like a buckskin or split leather that can give you nice padding with a bit of give.
IMHO, Cordovan leather shell makes the best finger tabs...they only get better with age. A full ‘Shell’ of cordovan can be expensive BUT a trip to Good Will might discover a pair of men’s cordavon dress shoes.
I've shit bare fingered for 3 years now and havnt bothered to buy a tab... but I tried making one out of some extra leather and now I can shoot for longer times
I once talked to the Ohio State U archery coach and he told me that all Olympic type shooters use tabs. He said the arrow comes off cleaner and faster than gloves.
Just came across this video today. Thanks for sharing your methods. Had made a table yesterday from the elk hide I had lying around before finding yours. Great way to continue honor the animal and not let things go to waste. Going to try your method. I used single layer elk and punched a couple of holes so I could run 550 cord through making a loop to run over my finger. It improved my shooting right out the gate compared to my glove. Love all the practical knowledge you bring to this tradition and hunting. Been shooting since I was 14, 66 now. Thanks for teaching both new archers and old alike.
Sweet man I had the tips out of my old welding gloves. Great idea man and it works much better thanks !
i know Im randomly asking but does anybody know a tool to log back into an Instagram account..?
I somehow lost my login password. I love any tricks you can give me
@Cyrus Thatcher instablaster ;)
@Ismael Tadeo Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site on google and Im in the hacking process now.
Seems to take a while so I will reply here later with my results.
@Ismael Tadeo it did the trick and I finally got access to my account again. Im so happy!
Thank you so much, you saved my ass :D
@Cyrus Thatcher glad I could help :)
I took the idea and made it for a thumb draw. The leather ones online tend to be way too thick to allow the thumb to be in the ideal place. I found it interfered with a good arrow hold. Especially since the index finger goes over the thumb. So, imagine an oblong piece of leather with a hole for the thumb, in effect it's a flat thumb ring with a hole. You'd simply use a strip twice as long as the thumb from the joint, just a little wider double it over, leather glue it, make the hole for the thumb. Insert the thumb and place the thumb over the edge of a flat surface and outline the thumb, then trim it. Like a thumb ring, it will rotate and you still need to make a hole slightly smaller than the joint.
I set things down and misplaced them a lot too! After buying several $20 tabs, I finally got a piece of leather and took your advice. This is a great video and a great design! Thanks!
Here's a tip for anyone using a Selway type bow quiver, put your tab on the bar between your first and second arrows anytime it's not on your finger. This keeps me from losing them like I used to all the time. As a bonus, it's right there when you grab your bow.
Hey Clay, not sure if you even have time to respond to comments anymore, but I was wondering if there would be any drawbacks to applying a super light film of glue between the two layers to seal them together a bit in order to make it less of a “floppy” design so to speak.
Thank you Clay.
Do you have a tutorial on tip reinforcement? I've got an old 70's recurve and the tips are looking too this for comfort
Thin*
I did one on nocks and tip overlays a while back.
Great tip. I will try this.
I have made one like that. It works great. I have made some stitches near the finger to prevent shifting the leather parts sideways. Thanks for the video. Shoot straight.
Back when I was hauling hay for a living I shot bare fingered. Nowadays my fingers aren't that tough.
Nice job Thank you
No problem 👍
What kind of scissors are those?
Online you find all these 100$ tabs. Have you tried them? Are they total ripoffs or do they improve your shooting? I have a buckskin that I made but it much thinner that 1/8 inch. Will it work?
Sure it would work as long as it protects your fingers. I’ve never used those expensive tabs so I’m not sure what difference they might make.
Do you stitch them together?
Nope
So... you don't need to glue the two halves together for a single unit?
You can if you want but I usually don’t.
It would generally be a bad idea. Having the parts loose is where tabs get a lot of their flexibility and speed that is often lacking in gloves where tightly bound layers often end up stiff and less responsive which is often attempted to be overcome with thinner and more flexible layers that just end up not being protective enough for hunting level draw weights.
Usually you would actually want two different materials for your layers for best performance and comfort. A moderately thin, stiff and smooth grain leather for the face that would offer less resistance on release and do a better job of spreading out the load to the backing layer, which would generally be something like a buckskin or split leather that can give you nice padding with a bit of give.
Nice video. Would this also work with bicycle inner tube rubber?
I’d think the rubber would grab the string too much for a clean release.
Ok thanks
I made a pvc bow and some arrows to mess around with and man my 3 finger tips are swollen as hell. Cant wait to get reap arrows and some finger tabs.
and regarding the draw, speed of sound is constant during 40 yards, but arrow decreases speed
IMHO, Cordovan leather shell makes the best finger tabs...they only get better with age. A full ‘Shell’ of cordovan can be expensive BUT a trip to Good Will might discover a pair of men’s cordavon dress shoes.
Cordovan is good stuff for sure!
Great idea of using thrift stores like that to harvest some decent material on the cheap!
I've shit bare fingered for 3 years now and havnt bothered to buy a tab... but I tried making one out of some extra leather and now I can shoot for longer times
I once talked to the Ohio State U archery coach and he told me that all Olympic type shooters use tabs. He said the arrow comes off cleaner and faster than gloves.