There has been a lot of talk about self bows over the last few days and it got me shooting mine (a gift, I'm not talented enough to make my own). Some of you guys amaze the he!! out of me with the works of art you make. Please post some more pics of your work. There are some very talented folks here.

T4

T4 I'm new to the site so please bare with me. I tried several times over the past two days to start a new topic with no success. If I can't start another topic I'll try get one posted here if that's ok. Bjrogg

Funny how you get a bow out you have owned for 20 years and suddenly the addiction has taken hold. Good luck shaking it. You will be looking for help bu8ilding one in a month or so. The progression has just started.

Pearl is right, just try building one and the journey never ends. I'm sorry T4 I couldn't start a new topic again so I'm going to try put this one here. Sure hope that's ok. I got this stave from Frank at Marshall PA meet last year. He had several staves that that he was tired of loading and unloading. He said they were all at least 25 years old. I kinda watch out for Frank and feed him pretty good. He made me a deal I couldn't pass up on these picked over staves. This one he said might not have a bow in it but should make a nice walking stick. Had to look awhile but I found it. Here's my "Walking Stick" every good walking stick needs a string. 64" ntn 57@28 Bjrogg

More Bjrogg

Another

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Braced

I can't quite get to 28". I'm just a shorty but maybe you can get the jest of it. Here's close to full draw Bjrogg

Sure hope you don't mind me putting this one here. I'd start my own topic but just haven't been able to for some reason. Got a bunch more but not going to put them all here. Sure hope this gives you and some others the bug. Bjrogg

Beautiful bow!! Ya, I’m thinking someday I need to make one of those. I hope some others post some pics.

T4

Probably a bunch at Pappy's Bjrogg

I'm an addict, can't get enough of them selfies either. John

Pretty cool bows, John. I like the turkey skin backing. That must have been finicky to apply.

Thanks Stoner those are some nice looking bows. Wouldn't of ever thought of backing with turkey skin. Seen some backed with turkey feathers but never the skins. I like it. That Osage in the snow has some serious snakines going on. Bjrogg

I took a small side split off the "walking stick " stave and found a pretty fair kids bows in it. Call it "old -n- young ". It had several inches of ring chased years ago and I finished that ring. You can see the dark Old Osage and it's made for the young. Even makes a old fart like me feel young again shooting it. Bjrogg

Another Bjrogg

The exposed ring tip. Bjrogg

It's 11 lbs at 15" draw but it'll go further and hasn't taken any set. It really zips the Red Oiser arrows I made for it. Bjrogg

Braced Bjrogg

Full draw probably about 19" but it doesn't seem to mind. Bjrogg

This is where the two bow where Bjrogg

Hope I'm not putting to many pictures up here, but on my other site they always want the unbraced, braced and full draw. Let me know if I should back it down a bit. Bjrogg

Serious inspiration here. That HHB is waiting out there for me. Couple more weeks and the leaves will start popping. Supposed to be nice finally - 70s and sun. Then I'm gonna hit on Pearly some more (he has already been very helpful, showing me his stuff and giving me tips) on the process. It does look addicting. If only there was more time in a day... :0 Home ownership does have its price. Large yard, lot of maintenance, Just want to retire and doodle around with sticks and stones. Not! No money in that for travel. Keep these bows coming, I have to live vicariously through you for now... :)

Nothing wrong with HHB TrapperKayak. I made about my first thirty or so from it. Just I bit hard to bend with heat compared to Osage. Gotta say I do like this Osage. That drummer boy is alright but don't tell him I said so. Bjrogg

Put up all the pics you want, BJ.

Calvin, hope you start feeling better and the leaves start popping soon. I need to cut a bit myself.

Thanks, Chris. Feeling much better. Nothing keeping me from going out after some trees now, physically that is. Time is the factor. But I'm gonna do it. Brian, this will be my first attempt. I think I can come up with something nice looking, if nothing else, to put up on a wall on display. It may not be a shooter, but it might look nice among the racks there. Heck, I had to blow off turkey opener this morning due to trying to makeup leave time, and the birds were going berserk right out behind the youse, 200 hundred yards back of there. Grrr, it was a beautiful clear sunrise with a waning gibbous above and I had to go to work. All I could think about is when I have that self bow in my hand and my ghillie on, waiting for them there birds to strut by on opening morning unphased... :^/ Next year I guess.

I'm just finishing up my 3rd selfbow. Yes, building selfbows is very addictive. Still needs a few more coats of tru oil and a deerskin handle wrap stiched on. The stave was cut 25 years ago was not handled correctly... (my fault) hence a lot of splits and cracks. I had to carefully lay out the bow and add a glued up handle to work around all the cracks but I was sucessful in building a bow out of it. It's backed with copperhead skins with a painted border and buffalo horn tip overlays. The pics don't really show the orangey-reddish color but the wood color is beautiful. Here's a pic of the stave and a few of the almost finished bow.

Braced pic

Of course they're upside down or sideways.

That's a beauty, and I don't even like snakes all that much. But its a beautiful bow. Looks stout, what #age?

Looks like a winner, Steve. Buff horn tips?

Calvin you can make a shooter. The real beauty of a selfbow is in the bend. Always remember that. The most important two things are have a good back with no grain violations. Number 2 and probably even more important is the bend. You get those down and you start just shooting them all instead of hanging them on a wall. That's where the real fun is and watching someone else shoot them.

Steve that's a real nice looking bow. Third times a charm. Really though by three you start to get the hang of it. Keep on making em and making better. Bjrogg

Thanks guys. It's 45# at my 26" draw. Pearly, I got the buffalo horn off the auction site. Bjrogg, I'm already working on #4.

Stoner , What a great looking bow

NICE!!!

Those are some fine looking bows guys.......good job! The more you make the better they get. and the more you experiment. DBar

Nice looking bows.

1Longbow is that HHB?

Nice stack of bows there bowaholic Bjrogg

Not sure what HHB means

It was made by a friend of mine Grey fox

HHB stands for Hophornbeam.

Thanks ,no its Hickory

This "Snakey Osage" is my 3rd attempt, and the arrows my 1st, and yes, this stuff is really addicting! Fun to build and more fun to shoot, I'll be hunting w/ this rig come fall this year. It's 63@27", sometimes I get it to 28", but don't want to push it! Now Stoner, that is a real "snakey" selfbow!

Sorry 1longbow. Yes HHB stands for Hophornbeam. It's a whit woos and our local ironwood. I've made a quite a few from it. I thought it looked like it. I've actually never made a hickory one yet.

Looks like a nice bow there kwikdraw. Just teasing us. Got anymore pictures of her?

This is another side split kids bow. I just hate wasting Osage seeing how I don't have any growing here. I made kids bows for my grandkids but they really were to heavy for them. I need something lighter to start them out on. This one is slightly bend in the handle. 15 lbs@ 18" With the Red Osier arrows I made it's pretty zippy at 10 lbs@15". I think it should fit them much better. I decided to keep this one for when the grandkids come over. It's called "Granpas Toy". Now if I can get caught up with some work and get some time with the grandkids so we can play with grandpa's toy. Bjrogg

Another

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Fulldraw

Just finished this one up. it's my only picture for now. Salmon skin strike plate and red shade. The grip shape is something I just came up with. I like it.

Can't wait to see the full draw Pearl. I'm sure it's bending in all the right places. I like that shape for a handle. Tends to put your hand in the same spot every time. Bjrogg

Here's one that Bryce Ott made for me.

Brycey boy makes a great bow. I have a yew bow from him. Good kid.

My thoughts too Pearl.....I shot yours at deer camp in 16 and if i remember right it is a sweet shooter. Bryce is a very good bowyer as far as I'm concern. by the way that hill style bow of yours looks pretty good. DBar

Here's one I'm working one with a Pearl type pistol grip. Static recurve with walnut underlays and ebony over lays on the tips. I'm taking it to the Classic in Tenn. to do some fine tune tillering and finish work sanding. DBar

Great looking hooks, big guy. Have fun down in Tennersee

Nice bend Bill. Is Bryce Pinecone? It's a beautiful bow Iwander Bjrogg

74" Osage

Nice bows guys. Arvin

Beautiful bows guys, and Tyler, great Osage w/ skins!

That is a beauty Tyler. Like how well everything goes together. What are your tip overlays? They look nice. Bjrogg

Looks like zebra wood. I was going to mention something about that. If Tyler wants to know, I'll mention it. If not, I'll let it ride.

65" osage by Brad Smith, hand painted on back of bow limbs.

This is a white ash I made for my daughter for her birthday. After I broke my first bow I started two more. This one had a nasty knot and emerald ash bore. I had it roughed out but put it in the corner. A couple years later I decided to give it a go. I chased a ring and cleaned up a very white back. I decided to call this one "Snow White" my daughter loves it. Bjrogg

Unbraced

Braced

Full draw

Oh sorry meant to say nice bow George. I remember Brad posting that one on a different site for a very special person. Bjrogg

Great work guys. True works of art!!

T4

Great bows, thanks for sharing

Thanks 1longbow, that is a very nice bow, very nice indeed. Thanks for sharing Bjrogg

Sorry I meant Iwander very nice bow Bjrogg

Here is a close-up of the garter snake hide. John

Those are some monster sized garters! Ive never seen one of 16-18" long up here.

They use to hang out between the slabs of Limestone in my Michigan shop. I would lay a yard stick next to them, kinda like catch and release. Unless they were long enough for a bow. Since I've been out west when I move stone I have to look under & between the slabs. THESE SNAKES BITE! John

That skin looks perfect on that snakey limb. Never saw a garter big enough for a bow. Very cool.

There's some beautiful bows here!!!!

I really hate threads like this. Very aggravating. Please don't start any more of them. They only serve to remind me of my failures to succeed at making a self bow of my own. So far three attempts have been screwed up one way or another including a hickory bow that cracked across the limb just above the grip area.

But on a positive note you all do some really nice looking work. Some gorgeous bows on here.

BowAholic - Nice to see "Lumpy" again! Glen

Wow great looking skin.

That's a Beauty John, as well as the rest, I love building them!

Bill Rickvalsky don't give up. For everyone I build that is a success there is one that failed. I'm always trying a new design, different tapper, width, handle, etc. just more unnecessary fun. John

Forgot about this one I made for my brother. John

"Nimrod"

Nice bow stoner! Arvin

That's a good one Stoner. Very nice finish work and I like how you built the sides of the grip up as well as the top. Nice.

Nice bunch of bows, good to see selfbows are alive and well. Pappy

Beautiful bows there Stoner. Wow just love that garner backed one. Sweet. Man that is huge. They are so pretty. I had the release this beauty from my garage last year. Bjrogg

Let him go so he can grow. John

Those are all amazing bows fellas, great inspiration. Hope to get there myself someday.

I have 2 selfbows but only one that I built by myself. I woodburned this on it. “With the arrow flies the soul” and a feather and stone broadhead.

Marsha

Nice guys. I haven’t been making many lately but here is my last one

Yes John I let him go. Actually had two other times they we're in my house. Think they we're coming in clothes dryer vent. The first one I found and released. The second one my wife found wasn't so lucky. She chopped it up with a garden hoe. I found one run over dead on my dad's driveway last fall about two days after I released the one from my garage. I did put that one up. Couldn't let it go to waste. Bjrogg

Osage take down 55#

Last pic. Love the golden color of Osage

Wow ,what mastery you guys have at building those bows.Just beautiful.Congrads to everyone of you.Bjrogg bow of the month,good for you.

Very nice take down Gaur, like that full draw. I like that golden color of Osage to. Thanks Bassman, still lots better bowyers out there than me, but I am learning from them. They are very generous with their knowledge Bjrogg

Simply Orange

Bjrogg

I like your style, Greg.

The Osage bow on the bottom is the only one I've made the others are from different bowers.

Made this one for a guy named Pete. It's his Dragon Slayer. Wish I'd of got more pictures of this one. It's a sweet bow.

Bjrogg

One more

Kinda glad the site had picture problems and got this thread going again. Always love looking at everyone's selfbows.

Bjrogg

Here is one I shot at MoJam broadhead flight shoot.

I never should have looked at this page...grrrr.. I was driving a few roads tonight and stopping to check out osage trees..I don't have the time, space or skills...d#×€€/ it..Not looking good for me.

Crow

I love this thread

Bjrogg

Lots of beautiful bows, fine craftsmanship.

This one I built for my cuz. We grew up inseparable. He's lived on the other side of the country for the past thirty some years but comes home every summer for a few weeks. He's the reason I got addicted to all this Primitive stuff in a round about way. Thought I'd return the favor.

Bjrogg

Back about 20 years ago when I started making selfbows the pictures people posted were mostly of poorly tillered and really rough looking bows.

I am amazed at how far we have come as bow makers in this craft over the last few years. So many great craftsmen turning out really impressive bows!

Eric, I wasn't around here doing this twenty years ago. I to am really impressed by some of the new and first time bows turned out. I think it say a lot for you guys that where around then and have passed that knowledge and skill along.

My sincerest thanks

Bjrogg

Yep. It's experienced selfbow bowyers sharing knowledge expecting nothing in return. That's just one of the things that makes primitive archery so great. It helps insure that selfbow building isn't lost over time.

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