Does anyone know a bowyer that can build a Penobscot bow?

Does anyone know a bowyer that can build a Penobscot bow?

White Wolf.

http://www.rbows.com/gallery_fantasy_penobscott.html

Judson Bailey, "The Workshop," St. Albans, Maine. Google it.

Mr. Bailey was featured on the cover of Primitive Archer magazine about 20 years ago for his pioneering research and work recreating "authentic" Penobscot bows. I met him and shot some of his Penobscot selfbows back around that time. He is a good guy, a world class gunsmith and he made an exceptionally nice reproduction of the Penobscot bow. He used to make them for sale, but I haven't been in contact with him for a long time. His bows weren't cheap, but they were about as "authentic" as any that have been made and certainly better than other current offerings. I would get in contact with him and see if he still makes them. - John

Judson Bailey as Fisher Cat mentioned is the master. I don't know any source that offered that type bow at that level of quality.

Has anyone shot this type of bow, and is there any real advantage to it? Saw the one from White Wolf will definitely look up Mr. Bailey. A unique look, but is that it?

-Bones

The only advantage I can see is that you can adjust the weight by loosening or tightening the strings to the back limbs.

And some say that the Penobscot does perform better than other bows with heavier arrows. I personally have never shot one.

Runner LOL!!

Mr. Bailey made them as longbows and static recurves. Here is a picture of his bows that I found online. I believe these are the same ones I shot.

In fact, I think Mr. Bailey's Penobscot bows were the first selfbows I've ever shot, so a comparison to regular selfbows is tough. I will say they were a bit faster.

As for the design in general, I'll go out on a limb and say that it improves performance using selfbow materials that were available to native americans when it was imvented, but I don't think it offers much that can't be achieved another way when using modern materials. For this reason, it is just an interesting and oscure bit of history and a novelty to me. - John

Looks like a Xena movie prop.

John nailed it! Improved performance based on the materials available to the indigenous people who designed them. More proof, that primitive does not equal simple!

Call Tony at White Wolf and talk to him. He is a great guy and never in a hurry to get off the phone . He will answer any questions you have. I have not owned that model of bow he builds but I have owned 5 of his bows in other models . I will tell you his work is next to none . He builds a very nice product.

Some pic's

Tony s modern version

What are the draw characteristics of the bow? Does it draw like a compound with "let off" in draw weight near full draw?

I think Keoganat Omega can be talked into one.

I swear Greyarcher1 has done a review of one of these bows...I think it was the whitewolf mentioned above.. alex

If I was asked why they made them that way, I would have two answers. Because the main bow didn't end up heavy enough after it was made, so they added a second on the back side to gain weight. Or, it was a good way to take a youth bow and make it an adult bow as the child grew. Otherwise there are no benefits, and if anything, a lot more negatives.

The following was posted by Judson Bailey on another forum about nine years ago:

"The people who built the Penobscot bows seemed to under stand "Bowology" It appears apparent that they knew that there are two to make a bow shoot "harder". One way of course, is to increase draw weight. This is the route that the English took with their long bow with weights reaching as high as 150 pounds. The second way is to make you work harder drawing the bow during early and mid draw with the final draw weight remaining the same. This is the idea behind the modern compound bow and it seems that the members of the Wabanaki confederacy realized this over 1000 years ago. When drawing a properly designed Penobscot bow one will find that the draw weight climbs very fast until a bit after half draw, then the weight climbs very slowly up to full draw. On my reflex deflex bow from 20" to the full draw of 28" it gains only two pounds per inch. When Dean Torges tried my static recurve Penobscot in Coudersport, he asked me what it gained as he drew the bow several times. Not sure what he meant I asked him and he replied. "From about half draw on it feels almost as if it has let off like a compound." I was very pleased that he had noticed the same thing about these bows as I had and it was not all in my head! Going to that Penn. shoot was one of the highlights of Barb's and my life. Steve Hulsey invited us to set up at their tables with Primitive Archer Magazine and we got to meet so many great people such as Gary Ellis, Dean Torges and so many others. Thank you again Primitive Archer for the opportunity."

Are there any test measurements like a force-draw curve and chronograph test on this design that they can share? I also often hear that these bows have compound-like energy storage, but haven’t seen any test data to support this claim.

Alan

Crows Head Traditional Archery makes Penobscot bows for around $200. They also have what they call a U-Build in several models. Not sure if the Penobscot is available in the unfinished stage. These are hickory sapwood. Take a look at their website as they make quite a few different models of N.A. bows.

If you have already registered, please

sign in now

For new registrations

Click Here