I have never seen a center cut asl style bow. I'm certain they exist I just have not encountered one. I'm curious does anyone personally own an asl bow that is center cut or very near to it. I realize that the small riser doesn't lend itself to this. If you own one could you please let me know the maker and maybe post some picks.

Toelke Super D. I had one that was cut a hair past center once. Otherwise, 1/16th from center at the most I've observed on mine.

Dumb question: What's an ASL style bow?

American Semi Longbow... AKA Hill Style. If you think they would shoot better cut to center, or past, you probably shouldn't be shooting one :)

Typically there is only so much material in these risers. I have one tbat is notcenter fut, and it still folded at the shelf.

I have this project for an asl ilf structure bow with alloy riser. But I decided to use typival centershot, because otherwise it messes up too much that I might learn from the project.

Hal maybe you should not be a jerk?

I built one cut to center but left plenty of meat in the riser. It shot fine but a wide bulky handle doesn't lend itself to the ASL style grip, IMO.

I prefer a very narrow grip. It's naturally torque free when gripped correctly and easily tuned. I have concluded that center shot is of no value in an ASL.

I believe Acadian Woods used to make one and I think Keith Chastain used to make one, maybe still does. What they would do is build out the sight window quite a bit on the opposite side of the arrow shelf so there was enough material to cut past center shot. Kind of like Bill Stewart used to do on his recurve risers.

If its cut to center its NOT an ASL longbow. As longcruse said the ASL is narrow in the riser, as well as the limbs and deep in the core and riser. Keith never made a ASL. Bob

I had a center cut dual shelf for a while but just could not figure out how to put it together...apparently the bowyer used some odd sort of connection system

DDave

Interesting project David. I would think that if you reinforced the grip, riser area with phenolic or something similar, it could be done.

By the way, while we tend to equate ASL with the Hill style bow, that's really not a proper analogy. the dimensions an limb width tapering ration are much more similar to the specifications of all wood bows that were popular earlier on. One in particular being the American Flatbow design,

I was thinking phenolic as well

Maybe not an ASL to your liking Bob, but he offers a D-shaped longbow with an offset riser. I just checked his sight and he has one for sale now. He calls it his offset riser and, I'm pretty sure, he offers it on both his narrow limb and wide limb longbow.

joep003: It has nothing to do with my liking. ASL longbow was developed by Howard, and it is narrow limb deep in the core, narrow riser deep in the grip, with little or no shelf, period! Some seem to think because it a longbow of most any configuration its an ASL. Bob

I tend to agree with Aromkr & others in that a narrow shelf- or even no shelf except a small wedge jammed under the grip leather at the arrow pass- is part of what defines the ASL (and the traditional flatbow, English longbow, & other pre-fiberglass traditional bows).

But, going counterintuitively MORE primitive, you can sometimes get an almost center-shot bow. Think snakey character wood bows. Here is my Osage self-bow beautifully made by our friend & master bowyer Badger. No shelf, but you can see that he took advantage of the sideways bend in the handle to make this bow a lot closer to center shot than my typical Ekin fiberglass HH longbows. In fact, I've seen more extreme examples than this right on the LW.

I only use the term asl because hill style etc always causes this type of conversation. I don't get too caught up in what things are called. To me an asl is defined by the limbs being narrow and thick cored usually staight limbed with either reflex or deflex as an option. I might be the only one that feels that way but for the purpose of this discussion that is what I am referring to.

Toelke Super D

You can pretty easily build a near center shot bow, English,ASL, whatever you choose, with a very narrow shelf.

John Strunk built the Spirit Stick very narrow through the grip, with no shelf. That way it could be shot from either side. Don't see a structural reason why you couldn't duplicate that on a Hill porfiled, dimensioned bow and shoot off your hand if you wanted to.

That would be cool to do I posted looking to buy some staves to work with. I've got a few months to build something and do some experiments. Maybe get close to center and build an antler shelf. It may not end as I have envisioned but sometimes it's good to mix it up and try new stuff. I had been thinking laminated bow and i might still go that route but my traditional bowers bible has been keeping me occupied and giving me the itch for some hickory or osage.

With the straight grip I put on the ones I build, they shoot best 1/8th to 1/4 out from center and I have heard guys preferring them further out than that. I cut one to center and had to build it back out to behave. Sorry, I guess it is an exclusive club only a few get to join :)

Hal...why would that be the case? What do you think the dynamic was that required you to build the sight window back out?

I dunno. Like Aromkr, to me, narrow thick cores, a narrow deep handle, straight or slightly set back limbs, and an arrow rest cut proud of center, or no arrow rest at all, are all part of the definition of an ASL (Hill style longbow).

When one cuts the shelf to center or past center, one no longer has an ASL. But nowadays, there's little knowledge of or agreement about what constitutes different style bows.

Classic Hill dimensions.

I consider mine ASLs but don't refer to them as "Hill style". Longer risers (14 to 18), wider at the fades and narrower at the tips.

NOT r/D!

I guess it's an opinion/perception thing. I completely understand what a "Hill" style bow is, an American Flatobow, a defelx/reflex, and on and on. Never considered the amount, or lack of center shot, or the width of the arrow shelf to have anything to do with the description myself.

In my mind it's more about the limb configuration, as well as how the bow bends and where.

Phenolic or Wenge will give you the most stiffness with the least material. People can call the results whatever they like.

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