Just finished a White Ash Mi'Kmaq Warbow. 68 NTN, #60 @27 stained with Black Walnut. Left handed and built for a Mi'Kmaw friend he wants to take a Moose with it.

Just finished a White Ash Mi'Kmaq Warbow. 68 NTN, #60 @27 stained with Black Walnut. Left handed and built for a Mi'Kmaw friend he wants to take a Moose with it.

Fascinating to see how folks managed before the invention of the wheel. And cams.

May I ask ... What is it about that bow that makes it a "warbow"?

The Coastal (Atlantic People) built these double bows . I was given a set of plans and information from a Judson Bailey of St Albans Me. he has built many of these bows along with Penobscots. He and the Orono ( Penobscots) I believe seem to think that these were Warbows, as were most of the North American native bows. They hunted with them and they feuded with them. I have built many Penobscots and Mi'Kmaqs believing them to be warbows. Maybe they were simply Penobscots and Mi'Kmaqs . Talking to local Mi'Kmaw first nation here in Atlantic Canada, They agree that there was a MiKmaq Warbow but have different ideas as to how they were actually built.One thing for sure is that they were double bows.

What a neat bow. It would be something for your friend to take a moose with it. I bet many a moose has fallen to those kinds of bows.

Certainly something I've never seen or even heard of. Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

The small strings on the back bow run up through an antler groove at the end of the limb and onto the end of the Main bow . The Penobscot is different , the small strings attach at the end of the back bow to the main bow. Slightly different mechanics .

Very cool.

Great job!

That would be the answer if your self bow came out too weak, just add another bow.

Seems to me if the bow was made to a certain spec to start with you wouldn't need to add that appendage, Velly intellesting.

Neat design, I hope he gets his moose.

The penobscott bows look that too. They work really well.

Ron, the draw weight can be changed by twisting the small strings. When the main bow is braced and the small strings are at their longest , the draw weight can be increased up to #15.

Nice job ! White Wolf Archery builds bows of that design. I shot one one time. Very cool !

Thanks for answering my question Ironfist, really appreciate it ... That's a very very nice bow. How does it shoot??

Phil its a hog and I may have to take some weight off of it for my friend. Its left handed so not my side so shooting off my hand right handed shes got lots of oomph. Early days yet. All my Penobscots and Mi'Kmaws have shot really well. I actually finished 2nd in the Canadian 3D archery Championships in the Primitive class with a #60 Penobscot built from Hop Hornbeam. I usually use White Ash. I did build one using Pacific Yew as a back bow and a Hickory backed Maple main bow. The mind boggles

Ya know Ironfist ... it's really important that folks like you are keeping these bows alive .. well done to you Sir

Yup Box. up here we like to call em Silencers. Not too many Puffs in Nova Scotia hahahaa.

Iron fist, thanks for giving that info, now I see a reason for it.

Good Job, Doesn't the small bow bottom out against the main bow and create a stacking effect.

I've seen several of them and find them absolutely fascinating.

John, have you built any of the shorter, wider variations that I have read about through the years?

I never knew there was more history to the "penobscot" design besides modern tinkering. Now I have more to look up. Thank you for posting.

-Bones

from what i have read it was first introduced in 1900,and was made from american hornbeam wood.all the bows made before that date were were not double bows at all but simple d shape bows. a lot that has been written about the double bow is a myth.I have a book on the indigenous people of north america,and on page 225 it shows a mic mac wigwam and a mic mac indian drawing his bow with a pipe in his mouth.they liked there tobacco.the bow is simple d shape and looks to be shot pinch finger style.This was photographed in 1873.i have two so called mic mac war bows and a penobscot bow that i made myself.fun bows to make and shoot.these indians were of the algonquin speaking tribe and that d shaped bow is typical of that tribe.just what i have researched

i read that the inventor of this bow was frank loring,chief big thunder about 1900.i should have stated above that this may or may not be true.who really knows.in any event it is an excellent design and a fun bow to make and shoot.do not mean to step on anybody,s toes one way or the other.just some facts that i have read and some pics that i have seen do the research draw your own conclusions.

That is a very cool looking bow. Good job crafting it. Hope your friend gets an opportunity to shoot a moose with it.

me too

Trying to add the quick snap of a short bow without the pinch?

I've never shot one, but I'm always fascinated with that style of bow. What is the difference between Penobscot and Mi'Kmaq bows?

yep I'd like to know the difference between pen/Mi'K too.

mic mac has one grooved nock right at tip and in the middle of the very end of the short back limbs the string goes from the nock of the big bow and sits in that string nock groove and runs the length of the short limbs and is buttoned off just above the handle on the short limbs penobscot the nocks are cut into the short bow and longbow in the same way,the string goes from the nocks of the long bow to the nocks of the short bow, and is a much shorter string.i like the mic mac set up better for twisting the back string you just pull the string off the nock groove ,pull it off the button and twist the string as you want put it back on the button depress the limb put the string back in the string groove and you are done.

Nice respectful discussion and good info. Thanks. And a great looking bow. Too

My latest effort.

Nice job on that one. Invented in 1900 by a white man who used to go to medicine shows to promote the design. Their bows were simple D shaped bows. They were Algonquin. I have a book called Indigenous people of North America. On one page it shows a Penobscot native drawing a simple D shaped bow, and has a pipe in his mouth. Picture taken in 1870. Lots of myths about those bows. from shooting Vikings ,and Europeans from 300 to 400 hundred yards out as their boats were entering land etc. I have made 7 of those bows, and still have 2. Conversation piece for sure, but has nothing on a well made self bow except you can adjust the weight.

If you watch Vikings on the history channel. The last episode finds the Viking band on the shores of Eastern North America , The Mi'Kmaw ambush the band and surround them. If you look closely they are holding Penobscot bows. They also exchange gifts later and one of the MiKmaw trades a bow for an axe I believe. The creators of the production did their "homework" on the coastal natives and came to the conclusion that they would have used these double bows or a variation of such.

Back to back issues of P.A. has a good read on Penobscot bows.

She looks great, nice job.

Yes Interesting

Neat stuff

I hope codjigger chimes in on this one. He has a lot of knowledge when it comes to native peoples in his home province of Newfoundland

Neat stuff

I hope codjigger chimes in on this one. He has a lot of knowledge when it comes to native peoples in his home province of Newfoundland

Please get a photo of that beautiful bow draped across a big, steaming moose! Thanks for sharing it with us

cool stuff, nice bow(s) you made & a history lesson too. THANKS

Because I draw light weight due to having rebuilt(not replaced)shoulders, it would be interesting to see what advantages would be obtained in that lighter weight. Better penetration,etc.?

That's a very interesting bow! Grats! Your friend is set!

Great job again.

Good luck on your hunt.

Anyone know if Judd Bailey is still making bows and custom rifles? Haven't seen him in awhile, sure hope that he and his wife are doing well. Very nice people.

Very cool bow.

This is a nice bow. I am Mi’kmaw and have heard about this bow about 20 years ago. Friend of mine was in the US Midwest at a museum back in the late 90’s. While there he notice a 4 limb bow in a display case. He asked the curator about the bow which he did not know anything about only that is was dated to be about 500 years old. My friend told the curator the bow was a Mi’kmaq War Bow. My friend is a very knowledgeable historian of First Nation Peoples.

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