I am building my second selfbow. I would love to see pictures of handles. Trying to get some ideas.

are you goping to shoot off your hand, cut in an arrow rest or build up a rest?

Can't find a picture of a handle right now. I make the all the same. I make only longbows and don't make shelves.

I round the back of the handle to try to make pull on the back of the handle balance on my hand right in line with the string during the draw.

I use a loose grip and I think the above helps deliver the same forces to every shot--no varying torques.

That's my approach and I'm sticking to it.

Jim

Actually a backed bow handle still counts

Badger, I am leaning toward a building up a shelf but not sure yet. I am still tillering so I have time. Any advice on building up a shelf?

Badger, I am leaning toward a building up a shelf but not sure yet. I am still tillering so I have time. Any advice on building up a shelf?

As long as you don't cut it in the handle go for it. I usua;;y just cut a sliver of wood and shove it in the leather grip with a little glue. A really nice one can be made of a node from bamboo.

Here's a hickory with a shelf I just finished, kinda blocky, not very classic

The Torges style is a pretty versatile approach as it is slightly narrowed at the arrow pass and allows nicely for a built up shelf stuffed into the grip. If you need demensions for that tomorrow I will draw a diagream and photgraph it. 4" handle 2" fades for a toatl of 8" center of handle is 1 1/8 wide and center between center handle and fades is 7/8 wide on either side of center. Depth of hadle I like about 1 1/2". See Bjorn's handle above.

OK one more this bow is rawhide backed

I took a piece of deer antler and cut a sliver and sanded a small flat shelf that rounds down a little under the shelf and sanded the side that touches the bow to a perfect fit and super glued that on one of my bows.looks pretty neet

Good off your hand shooter!!!!

I've been making Torges-style handles for many years. They're my favorite. They perfectly fit my hand for comfort and shootability, and they suit the contours and 'flow' of the bow as the eye traces its overall shape. They're come to by way of facets... same way I shape and tiller... so I just continue those facets from the limbs, through the dips and flares, right up and over the handle. When the bow is done, the radiused belly flows right into/through the handle and vice versa and all corners are rounded from one end to the other. I can post a picture of one with facets if you’d like to see them.

The front of the handle is rounded SOME, though not completely. Its outer growth ring is intact such that it’s got about a 1/2" flat across the center, widest part of the grip. Sometimes I'll finish rounding this off with a piece of leather I shape for the task, other times, when it seems the leather isn't needed, I allow the stitching to fill it out.

Badger's dimensions are pretty close to how my bows end up when complete. Although often, I keep the handle to flare measurement as short as 1 1/2".

I use very thick hard leather to build up a shelf of minimal proportions... just what's needed... and try to taper it so that no edges can be seen through the handle leather. I also skive the leather at the top and bottom of the handle so that the leather rolls over into the bow and no leather edge can be seen. I've found this most easily done with a very sharp fillet knife.

Jeff,

Them handles look great. Really like one the limbs transition into the flares/handle. Same way I make most of my bows.

Regarding the skiving of the leather, I use a new razer blade.

Thanks for posting the pictures and taking the time to explain the shape flow. The originator of this thread appreciates it along with countless others.

Russell

Good examples Jeff, nice work.

Jeff that bow looks very nice.Rich

Joe Mattingly on top, John Strunk underneath

Thanks fellas.

Russel, no problem. One thing I love about such bows, and the reason I'm completely enamored by unique wooden bows in particular... is how within their simplicity, they can be so much more than the practical or functional sum or seperation of their parts. They can be made so that there's nothing there that doesn't need to be, yet the 'parts' flow together such that it's hard to tell, or care sometimes, where one stops and another begins... an inseperable blend of function and beauty... of science and art. As you trace their lines with your eyes and hands, such bows draw you into them.

Incorporate too, with equal finess, just the right amount of character, like naturally snakey grain, and a bow can look and feel downright sensual.

Geeze, I love these things.

For instance, follow the lines of this bow back and forth slowly from one end to the other with your eyes.

It just wouldn't have the same effect with a handle design, or anything, that interrupted the flow.

Ok... I'm done hoggin' up this thread with pics :)

I doubt he still cares after 10 years. He hasn't posted since 2014.

LOL, right.

Lol

It really bites that we can't see photos from years gone by......

Very cool grip Dano

This is an oldie. LOL. :)

What kind of grip is that, is that beading?

Looks like stingray.

Regardless, you have a good looking bow!

red bow

very minimal

elk bow

wide bows

Hadn't realized rays had that cool looking skin... I take it can be dried or tanned?

Here is my standard handle. Some turn out a little different . Depending on how much wood is there.

Here is my standard handle. Some turn out a little different . Depending on how much wood is there.

One more.

Old Dano is putting some nice handles on his bows also. They are easily tuned and are in my opinion more accurate in the hands of man. Arvin

Wooddamon1 my Selfbow had a chunk out of the riser similar to yours and I cut the bad part off and glued a thin piece of Purple Heart on and then some more Osage and then Dano did his magic on it with one of his grips. Turned out real nice. Kurt

I like bulbus handles with a glued-on rest, here are some before I put on the leather.

After the leather;

I don't stitch on the leather; I just glue it one with a neat seam.

Very nice guys! Eric, those look really comfortable.

Kurt, I had some extra meat there naturally on that stave and thought it looked cool so I left it and finished the bow. I thought about sanding that area flat and adding a lamination of walnut or something else , but the rough stuff just fit with all the bumps and waves in the bow as I worked on it. Also it fits my hand perfectly. I really like how it turned out.

My next handle I'm gonna try that rolled leather. Hopefully this next stave wants to be a long slender longbow...

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