Make a Primitive Bow by Feel - No Special Tools
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ม.ค. 2024
- Bow making technology has changed since the ancient times, but the process remains much the same. With no shortage of primitive archery how-tos showcasing the benefits of specialized tools, it's always good to be reminded that bows can be made with nothing more than one or two readily-available implements.
If you're not confident in your wood carving skills with a hatchet, practice on scrap wood for a while before tackling a bow stave. The key to carving with a hatchet is being able to hit the same spot every time, and that'll come with practice. If you get tired, take a break and come back to your bow later. Fatigue is the enemy of patience, and patience is king in the art of bowmaking.
I've got some survival bow builds planned for the near future that won't contain as much how-to information, so I'll recommend this video to anyone who has questions about the process in future "making by feel" videos.
Join me for 3 or 4 days in one of our live Bowmaking Workshops, where you'll craft your own bow from start to finish using simple hand tools! Check out the Organic Archery website at www.organicarchery.com for more info.
Okay I have to ask. I do Viking age reenacting and don’t have a lot of time on my hands for doing this. Is there a way to get in contact to discuss having on made in this fashion?
Yes! I removed the custom order page from my website this year to invest more time in our bowmaking school, but still make custom bows for people who reach out with genuine interest. I specialize in historical replicas and can do most all-wood designs from most regions and time periods. Send me an email to discuss details and pricing. www.organicarchery.com/contact
@@organicarchery email sent
I'm 48 and I started bow making when I was about 18. It warms my heart to see a younger generation like yourself continuing the tradition. I really enjoy your videos and I'm still learning new techniques. Keep it up!!
That’s awesome! Glad to have you onboard 👊🏼
Iam 16 and start making bows year ago. really fun thing to do but I dont have good wood for bows so every single bow I have made crack :)
@@organicarchery what model casio watch is that? I'd like to find a made in Japan casio in that model
@@organicarcheryhow high and long are ur fletchings I love that sound .
You are the best eastern woodland powathan bow maker! I love this type of bows!❤ i have make a 61 inches elm wood bow powathan style 60 lbs .Elm wood and osage is for me the best wood for this type of bows
i feel like a child looking into a school window when I watch your superior knowledge/skill in making these awesome bows.
Glad to hear you enjoy the videos!
You just made the best bow build video I have ever seen for someone who wants to recapture the allure and method of a truly primitive approach. Masterful, to say the least !!!
I really appreciate that! Thank you. More to come!
That walnut is insanely beautiful.
Agreed!
Nice video - I have used this method for a few years now - mainly because I do not have access to the kind of staves you have to work on! It makes those constant measurements you sometimes have to take when removing work lines much easier and more expedient in the process, that means you can stay much more fluid and connected with the work, otherwise you’re constantly stopping to grab a square or ruler or whatever…a very useful technique to learn
I completely agree! There's just something special about a bow made with intuition and not calculated measurements. The measurements can sometimes dominate the process for new bowyers.
I'm a big proponent of starting woodworking and carving with only a knife, a hatchet and a saw to really feel the material like our ancestors did, at its closest to our hands. And your video is an outstanding inspiration for that. Thanks a lot for your contribution, your high level of craftsmanship and for getting into TH-cam. I'm so glad you decided to start this channel. Now I have to try and build a bow.
Agreed! Simple hand tools certainly add to the nostalgia of this craft!
Great tutorial. Everytime I see a bowyer making a bow with just a knife & a hatchet, I can only admire the patience, the craftsmanship and particularly...I just appreciate more my drawknives 😁. What a difference they make. Thanks for sharing
This build certainly renewed my appreciation for a draw knife!
Thank You Cory... As a youth & into adulthood my favorite craft book was "The Archer's Craft" by Adrian Eliot Hodgkin. His use of an axe for ruffing out is exactly your technique & true to your title "Organic Archery". I enjoy watching you create (it fires me up to get out in my garage more often) and I look forward to your future shows. ... TM (Tuffy Marginez)
That's awesome. I've never read The Archer's Craft, but sounds like I should!
Congrats to Pat for winning that bow! So cool to get a bow with a story from the man himself. Thanks for awesome content
I know he'll put it to good use!
as someone starting to do basic carving and woodworking (passed down from my dad), i'm so so glad i found your channel; you're so inspiring
Welcome aboard! Glad you’ve found some value in the channel!
This sounds like an awesome project.
Great video, I know how much hard work goes into building a bow with just a knife and a hatchet. it really makes you appreciate all the modern tools we have! i'm not sure if you hunt or not I'm assuming you do, if you ever wanted to make a video hunting with one of your bows I would surely watch it! Thanks for your channel!
It certainly does make one appreciate a draw knife and rasp! I plan to film some hunting this year. I spend a lot of time in the woods between September and January, but started this channel at the end of hunting season in 2023.
Excellent video again!!!
Great video!
Thats cool, you make it so simple, easy, great skill.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!
Great job that bow looks terrific !
Enjoyed great job
Thats a lovely bow.
I am always impressed when someone can work so finely with an axe without cutting too deeply into the wood. Great work.
The trick to hatchet carving is practicing until you can hit the same spot every time!
Great video! Thanks!
Absolutely beautiful
Your bow building videos are amazing, informative, useful, and very enjoyable to watch. Im building a hawthorn holmgaard at the moment. Thankyou for all your hard work making these great videos!
Thanks for watching, and good luck with your bow build!
Thank you so much for making this video Cory. I really worry that ill make a mistake with something and really screw up the bow. I now see there are areas where I can be a little off while im learning
I'll be watching this video many times.
Thank you
It's ok to break some of your early bows. It's part of the learning process. Don't get too attached to a piece of wood until it's a functional bow with several hundred arrows under its belt. If one breaks, take what you learned and apply it to the next.
Very impressive!
Superb how-to ...
That is a beautiful bow sir
Very nice build and tutorial!
Awesome work as always! Your bow builds are always so satisfying to watch!
Thank you! Glad you like them!
Mighty pretty bow you have there.
Really nice!
Very good tutorial, thanks. Those arrows make a really nice hiss coming out of that bow
Woods that are lighter in physical weight like yew, hackberry, and black walnut can really rip an arrow!
Real enjoyed watching you dig the bow out . Great work.
Many thanks!
That's a work of art! What an incredibly useful video, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
great vid!
Besides you make it look so easy, absolutely FANTASTIC workmanship. I know you have many years of experience, as it shows, i would really like to see you do an English longbow out of Osage that way. Keep up the awesome work.
Thank you very much! Osage makes a good longbow, but once you start getting to 70"+ long, its high density makes it prone to unpleasant hand shock. I've made several 72-74" bows out of it and they all needed to be shortened to be enjoyable.
Very well done and explained. Really enjoy your videos.
I'm glad you found some value in it!
So sick! Love it 🙏🏼
Much appreciated 🙏🏼
Looks like it shoots nicely
Congratulations. Really great craftsmanship.
Our Robin from d hood would be proud of this implement.
Much appreciated!
Absolutely love this build!! You said it best, our ancestors did not have fancy Tech and machinery, and they figured it out. Can’t wait for the next build!!
Building bows this way is very satisfying, but certainly renews one’s appreciation for the draw knife!
I imagine so lol. I haven’t built a bow myself, im hoping to attend your workshop for my first self made bow!
@@roberttaylor631 we will look forward to having you out for a build!
Like a pencil ?
LOVE IT. MOST INTERESTING, man tall long bow!
My latest video is dedicated to the man-tall English style longbow!
Bow me, brother! Great work!
Another great video. Thank you very much for the inspiration!
My pleasure!
I really appreciate that you get ocd with the final finish and sanding. It’s impeccable craftsmanship. Also really stoked to try my own go at a self bow.
Please keep doing these, it’s inspiring more than you know
Glad to hear it, and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon! Good luck with your build!
Fastest hatchet I've ever seen! I like this guy, and I am going to try to do this.
Wishing you a successful bow build!
Один из лучших, среди многих, что есть на ютубе. Сильный лук.
Nice work my dude! Love it!!
Thanks, Cubby! Just noticed you've been posting videos here too. Looking forward too seeing what you come up with!
Cool video, awesome tutorial
Great build Video.
Glad to hear it!
Awesome 👏
Just found you today. Great content. Great artistry to bring what was in the wood, out.
Great video brother. Learned a lot.
Glad it was helpful!
This was a really cool process to watch. I'm glad the YT algorithm led me here.
Glad to have you! More to come. The channel is pretty new, but I’ve been working diligently to get it going!
AWESOME! thank you for showing us. i especially like the fact that you showed us the time spent. i always assumed that it would take about 3-4 days at about ten hours a day.😎
It might take that long if it's your first bow build!
Maybe my favourite video to date.
Glad you enjoyed it! 👊🏼
Really cool work man! Loved the video 👏👍
Excellent. More to come!
cory,GREAT work.cant wait for the next video.maybe in the near future do something on your arrow build.I am also building bows but as you know you are never to old to learn new ways .thank you for the videos.
I have an arrow making masterclass on the roster but it’s a lot of work to film all the steps! Just takes time. Stay tuned.
nice one
Great build! Simple
Consistent
Thank you! More to come...
@@organicarchery looking forward to it. Enjoy the craft as well as you sharing the knowledge
👍 les notions d'outillage minimum et d'utilisation des proportions du corps pour prendre des cotes et des repères et de là créer un objet sont très interessantes. Beau travail
This content is great!
Much appreciated, my friend!
23:18
I'm a big fan of Danish oil,
For other projects, so I'm glad to hear I can use it here.
Just found your channel, excellent build with such basic tools 🏹
Thank you and welcome aboard!
cool video here. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Jeff. I really enjoy watching your videos. You do good work!
what a beautiful piece. n it realy builds up the arm great job. Godspeed man
Thank you very much!
Wow I ❤this artist, I want to make one, 53lbs that is amazing 🌞
I like it, I’ve never built a bow bout time I do . I have a sawmill in western Carolina so I have walnut but what might be better ,cherry red and white oak, ambrosia maple, hickory,poplar, white pine,locust, and is quarter sawn ,riff sawn, flat sawn, or maybe just watch more of your channel and figure it out. Great channel,I’m hooked.
Oak, hickory and locust are the best out of what's listed. White oak and hickory both being top-shelf bow woods. You can make a bow from quarter, rift and flat sawn boards, but grain orientation is very important. Watch some of the "board bow" builds on TH-cam. You'll find some excellent info on the process.
i live in south africa and we dont have any of those woods .you are so lucky...i also build bows but really so hard to get decent wood.and if you do it is just so expensive.have a great day.
@@tobiefick5147 I’ve heard there is a species of hackberry in South Africa that is considered a weed and cut freely. If that’s also true for your area, hackberry is a great bow wood.
Very inspiring video! You keep the information simple without leaving out important details.
As you mentioned in the video, there are many TH-cam videos on the subject regarding flemish twist bowstring. But I would love to see your take on how to make a bowstring in a more detailed video!
I’ll do a Flemish tutorial soon!
Okay! Looking forward to watching that video!
I am picking up bow building this spring after a hiatus. So it's a big help refreshing some of the technical and theoretical aspects in the process of bow building. Thanks!
Black walnut, air dried in particular, is a dream to work with hand tools.
The knots in your stave are the reason that it's one of the few domestic hardwoods with its own unique grading system.
Agreed! Aside from the occasional tear out, it was a pleasure to work!
I recognize that knife...job well done and keep up the good work Correy.
Told you it would appear in some future videos! I appreciate you! 👊🏼😁
Keep up the good work Correy and Godspeed...enjoy your new son.@@organicarchery
Nice. 😄👍
Thanks for watching!
Nice Bow I would personally protect that bow with epoxy resin coating 😉👍💯
Hey, as always nice video. In that build I like especially the nocks. Thank you for sharing your methods and thoughts. :)
Thanks for watching!
My pleasure. ;)
Looking at taking one of your bow making classes 🤙🏽🤙🏽
We'd love to have you out for a build!
That bit about heat buildup and the risk of ruining the temper of the hatchet made me chuckle when it led to thinking of the stone scrapers used by early people to finish their bows. No temper to ruin there.
I often wonder if they had it all figured out better than we do… 😅🏹
I gather you are using old tribal bow making. nice job.
Thank you for sharing💯👍💯 I'm glad I found your channel.
Btw, I love making wooden bows. And I have some rods of Norwegian yew, which I have dried/manufactured in different ways to see if there is any difference in the behavior. One has only been left to dry for half a year, one has been left to dry for 3 years and one I had left in seawater for a year.
Interesting! I’ve always wanted to try seasoning a stave in water. It was a practice used in prehistoric America as well.
@@organicarchery Exactly. I try to do things the Viking way. And it's fun to experiment for myself.
"seasoning a stave " Those were the words I was looking for.👍 Thank you.
It's awesome seeing building bows can get as simple or complicated as you want. Very beautiful bow, love your videos! Just out of curiosity, what kinds of quivers do you use for hunting? I have been trying to find something that I won't have to strap to my Toelke.
Glad you enjoyed it! I like a back quiver when hunting in the mountains where the underbrush isn't so thick. I'll use either a self-made one of bison hide (see my bison quiver tutorial) or the Backcountry Quiver from backcountryquiver.com. I really like the water bottle, folding saw, and zipper pouch on the Backcountry. When I'm in the thick timber here in the midwest, which is most of the time, I leave the quivers at home and carry 3-4 arrows in my bow hand.
I'd be interested to see your take on a Medieval short bow. We always hear lots about longbows, but despite shortbows having been widespread and commonly used we rarely hear anything about them now.
I'll need to do more research! Unfortunately there isn't much information out there. Regardless, I'm almost certain the average hunting bow of the period would've been shorter and of more reasonable poundage than a 72+ inch long warbow. I believe "Shadiversity" did a TH-cam deep dive into the Medieval shortbow/recurve if you're interested in the historical portion.
Awesome video. Love the simplicity of your content where a new bee like me can understand and follow.
Any arrow build making content in the works soon? Or at some point
I have an arrow making masterclass that’ll cover making the shafts, self nocks, fletching, and points on the roster. It’s a lot of work to film, so it takes time… but stay tuned!
I will keep my eyes peeled 😁
Enjoying all the content so far, definitely looking forward to seeing more. 🙌🏻💯👏🏻
Great video man, amazing work! Does that 5.25" brace height not smack you on your wrist when you shoot? The last bow I built had a similar brace height and it bit me every time. Maybe I shoot goofy or something.
If you're using B50, B55 or any other nylon-based string material, it's really hard to get rid of wrist slap. I use D97, which helps a ton. I still wear an armguard, but the slap isn't nearly as much of an issue with a low stretch material.
Well done...!
Do you have a tutorial on making those 2 fletch arrows?
Thanks for the video....
I have an arrow making masterclass on the roster. It will cover making shafts from scratch, fletching, self nocks, and broad heads. It's a lot of work to film and will take time. Stay tuned!
Fuck that’s cool. I’m going to try this out for sure. I like the idea of using the least amount of tools as possible at least for the first time making a bow. Out of respect for the hunter gatherers in history who had basically nothing to help them
It definitely adds to the nostalgia of the craft!
Looks fantastic. Is there a particular reason you didn't use the heartwood of the walnut? I'd heard that walnut heartwood is quite dense and tough so I'd figured it would be a reasonable belly wood, but I suppose if the properties of the sapwood are similar enough then its easier to use that instead?
I've heard through bowmaking forums that the heartwood tends to be a little less elastic overall and prone to failing in compression, so most of the people who've used it extensively recommend sapwood limbs.
🙂❤❤❤
You mentioned safety margin twice when discussing stave length. Safety from what? Excellent video and finished product.
When I mention the safety margin, it's mostly meant for the bow and not the archer. I'm referring to making the bow long enough to handle some minor imperfections in the wood and tillering errors and still survive the build. Many new bowyers make them too short for their desired draw length, and it's a recipe for broken bows. About the worst that could happen to the archer is a lump/cut on the head, but it's definitely unpleasant when they let go at full draw.
I'm in British Columbia and aside from Pacific yew (which I know is amazing) It's hard to find other woods to use native to BC. Any suggestions?
Loved this tutorial! Thank you!
If you have access to Ocean Spray or Hazel, both make a nice bow. If you want a challenge, Vine Maple too!
Great video. Thank you, sir. I have a nice mulberry branch in wait. It's the first serviceable(+) quality bow I'm trying to make completely from scratch. It's only about 5 feet tall and 3 inches across. On a good day I'm 6'2", but it's for both my daughter and I to use. Any additional recommendations?
I just subbed and was checking out your channel. I'm surprised you only have 6 videos on it with how high the production and delivery quality is. Keep up the great work. I look forward to seeing more. Cheers.
The channel is only a couple months old. There will be many more videos in the future. You can make a bow that’s 5 feet tall so long as it bends throughout the handle. It’s too short for a stiff handle design if you’re 6’2.
I'm really surprised how fast it shoots
*- It took me a while, but I finally noticed that the hatchet head is bigger/heavier than most hatchets.*
*- That heft, and moderating longish handle balancer, greatly helps the wrist chopping a lot.*
*- I can see that when many viewers might not. I know and can see how it works for you from my hours of swinging a 1.5 lb Estwing long handle framing hammer with the handle leather wrapped so my long fingers had something to grip.*
*- Brilliant, perfect choice of hatchet head for this work.*
*- Is it actually an axe head you have adapted for this use?*
It is actually a Cold Steel Competition Throwing Axe that has been modified for carving! I reshaped the bevels and hung a new handle. Then shaped the handle to have a bulb near the lip for controlled work.
*- Head weight: 21 oz. Total weight: 30 oz. (1lb 14oz.) $38.99*@@organicarchery
Great bow build for sure. Now how bout doing the same thing on a 50” bow. Obviously it would be a short draw but just throwing it out there
Thanks again
Yeah, same thing but the draw is limited to about 23 inches. Shooting with a floating anchor point is straightforward enough, though. I make lots of short bows, and will film one soon.
Great skill - very nice bow.Ötzi would it take right now :-)
Many thanks! 🏹
Of all the woods available, I am curious as to why you chose walnut?
Walnut makes a fine bow. It’s under appreciated. Light in mass, snappy, and resistant to moisture. I haven’t done one in years and was in the mood!
Could you show us what kind of angle your hatchet is ground to for this type of work please.
I’ll make sure to show the hatchet in detail in a future video.
Excellent thanks. I am looking forward to it.@@organicarchery
How about sanding with an orbital sander, for wood removal? Im not following any strict "no fancy tools rule" thanx
Check out the other builds on my channel where I use more than a hatchet. I’d recommend getting a Shinto rasp. Power tools are usually a recipe for disaster.
To be honest, till the very end I did not believe that piece of wood had a bow in it. Yet, you found it )
Nice video
Btw do you lift weight bro?
I prefer bodyweight calisthenics, but still lift conventional weights occasionally.
So, this has little or nothing to do with the subject matter of this video, however, I am curious. What is that knofe you are using? It looks very similiar to an old, Hudson Bay Company trade knife.
It’s the Kabar Becker Kephart. I’m quite fond of it!
@@organicarchery it looks like a fine knife. And if you find pictures of the old Hampton Bay knives, I think you will see what I mean. It's a classic for a reason.
Which kind of wood did you used.?plzzz
Walnut.
3:25
I'm working with a piece of maple, from. A tree that was cut down by our power company.
The stave I'm working with. For my first attempt isn't a straight as yours in this video.
I've been advised, that a bit of steam should be able to help me straighten that out after I get the general shape roughed out.
That's the step I'm... Stumped on.
How would you advise I rough out the bow, knowing that it doesn't stand perfectly straight. It bends a bit to the right,
Its not twisted,
Just trying to find, what should be a center line. To rough out measurements from.
The grain is otherwise, pretty gorgeous maple grain... Long and straight.
If I can figure out, the 'center line' despite the slight curve, i think I'll be fine...
Just follow the natural grain to find your centerline. It should follow the bend in the stave, which also usually follows the split. You should just be able to hold your fingers against the edge of the stave and use them as a depth gauge to run your centerline. I also show the steaming and straightening process in the video "Eastern Woodlands Bow" on my channel. It needed two steam corrections.
@@organicarchery thank you.
I did watch, I think, all the videos you have posted.
I saw the eastern woodlands bow build, as well.
Thanks.
So, I'll definitely give it a shot. I'm not as confident with Axe chunking... I'll probably stick to my knives, and my big ferriers rasp. For most of the shaping.
And I have scraper, for gentler tillering.
You did the steam really, simply with a pot.thats, neat.
A simple pot and towel works really well, but sometimes it's hard to bend wood over the knee if it's too thick. If you can find a tree with a V crook, you can stick the stave into it and pry. The added leverage makes bending much easier. @@jonathanbennison9220
@@organicarchery
Great advice.
Thank you.
I'll let you know... How my efforts to find the bow blank inside this maple stave go.
Worst case, it will. Make nice fire in our woodstove.
But I'm gonna give it my best