If a person has a selfbow and backs it with leather, hide, or sinew. Will it add any poundage to the bow and does it make the bow last longer?

Sinew will add some poundage depending on how much you add and will also give you considerable protection against lifting splinters. Rawhide and hide will offer a little protection against breaking and add very little if any weight to the bow.

greyrider, is it an existing self bow that has been shot regularly? What is it made from?

Personally, I almost never back a bow with anything but I did when I was first learning.

Most backings will add weight and slow the bow done.

Sinew will offer protection to the back. Sinew is best used if the bow is a few inches shorter than needed. Too much sinew will slow done a longer bow. I don't have much experience with sinew.

I've also used linen, silk and burlap for backings.

So I guess more info would be nice...length of bow, material, etc.

Jawge

Jawge is right - most backings will slow a bow a bit. That being said, I backed a short bow with sinew some years ago and it really spits out the arrows - took a couple of deer with it.

I think it should be said that sinew backing requires a lot of work, a good plan, and a bow design that can use it. Just sticking sinew on a bow and hoping it's going to add poundage/snap/performance is likely to be a big ole disappointment. It also requires a good bit of sinew to make any kind of difference beyond just helping keep splinters down, and you might as well just use cloth/rawhide/burlap for that.

The better solution to your problem might be heat treating and/or piking the bow, and re-adjusting tiller. Can you post pictures of it?

sinew ADDS poundage; rawhide,linen, etc. does not...a light backing of raw hide adds SOME security against splintering...personally I've backed all the selfbows I've built..the best natural bow backing I've seen and used was hickory..and yes, it too adds to the draw weight

Yes, sir. A backed self bow is no longer a self bow. It becomes a backed bow. Add a third layer of material and it becomes a composite bow. :) Jawge

Greyrider, what exactly do you need to accomplish, and why?

I was looking at a bow that was lighter than I shoot and was wondering if it would add poundage. Also just getting into the selfbow shooting game alway heard selfbows tend to break and would hate to fall in love with a bow just to have it break

Like OCR said, if you lean your ear toward those intimate with selfbows, GOOD (average or above) selfbows, you too would understand that selfbows generally don't 'tend to break'... unless they're poorly made, or poorly cared for.

Like an average or above woman, good selfbows aren't fragile, but they won't stand for abuse or neglect either. A basic understanding of their development and/or subsequent proper care ensures a mutually beneficial relationship. A good selfbow is more than adequately self-backed... period. She can stand alone, strong, durable, adept, efficient, even sensual... why unnecessarily burden her with unneeded backing? If folks say selfbows can't stand alone, or are too fragile, they haven't spent enough quality time with the good ones. All of my selfbows seem feminine by the time they're done. Some girly and playful target bows, like 'Joscelyne', some focused and bloodthirsty hunting bows... like 'Lioness'... all ladies, but they are who they are.

Selfbows don't inherently "tend to break"... because they're selfbows. I have selfbows that have shot countless thousands of shots and show no worse for it in any way. Don't know what else to say here. Selfbows get it done. Be careful who you listen to.

I have self bows with rawhide back and like them,, I have self bows with no backing and like them too,,, one I have been hunting with for about 20 years,, well made neither should ever break,,

Brad, a bow with a rawhide backing isn't a selfbow. A selfbow is one with no functional backing... i.e. 'self-backed'. Rawhide on a wooden bow is quite functional. But it's all good stuff ;^)

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