New Hill-style longbow... with history

[Rusty Snuffers]

Hey Gang,

I've only ever shot recurves.  I've been going back and forth on getting a longbow.  Every time I'd decide to get one, something would always come up to drain the "extra" funds.  Finally I've been able to save a bit over the last few months and along comes a gala to benefit the Richard Murphy Hospice in Hammond, LA.  I donated a hunting knife and my brother-in-law, Thomas, donated a bow he made.  After a few back and forth bids in the silent auction, I was happy to see my number was last on the list when the papers were collected.

Now the history: under the clear glass is a thin piece of sassafras.  If ever my late father-in-law came across some sassafras, he'd brew his own tea with it.  When he was a late teenager, he had a tumor removed from his spine, but being that this was in the 60's, surgery wasn't quite as advanced as it is today, so he had issues in his later years, resulting to him being confined to a motorized wheelchair.  He was a cranky old cat, so coupled with his challenges, he was dubbed "The Crippled Crab".  He died last year in the Hospice house in Hammond due to complications of cancer that had spread to other parts of the body.  Thomas thought it was only right to donate this bow in his honor to the auction items.

So here we have "The Cripple Crab":
Riser is Osage and Purple Heart
Limbs have maple core with sassafras under the clear glass
Bow is 68" and 47# @28"

   

   

   

One of these days, I'll actually use my REAL camera instead of the silly iPhone.

Thanks for looking,
Rusty

[ron w]

Nice, I think you should get friendly with that bow and kill something in "Cripple Crab's" honor. I hope you enjoy......long bows are cool!

[Wannabe1]

That's a real beaut! Congrats and hope you find many enjoyable shooting hours with it.  

I hope it shoots as good as it looks, because it looks fantastic.  Sassafras is beautiful stuff.  Now I am wondering what a longbow would shoot like if all of the lams were sassafras.

[David Mitchell]

Wonderful story.  I love bows with a story behind them.  I have a Treadway Black Swamp bow that has sassafras lams (2) with one center lam of bamboo.  It shoots lights out.  Great performance and pretty to look at--looks just like the limb in this bow.

[Brianlocal3]

Fantastic story and bow. Thanks for sharing!

[T-Bowhunter]

Great story, and a beautiful bow.

[GreyGoose]

"Cripple Crab" sounds like a bow that might belong to a Maryland boy! or girl.

[Goshawkin]

That's a beauty!

[Knawbone]

Sassafras has a history as a bow wood, uncommon and rarely seen in the construction of bows. Nice to see it used in a hill style. What length and poundage is it? thanks for sharing.  

[Rusty Snuffers]

Thanks for the kind words, guys.  Knawbone reminded me that I left off some pretty important info.  Thanks for that!  

Bow is 68", 47# @28"

I'm updating the original post with this info as well.

[awbowman]

Wow, what a bow.

[wislnwings]

Nice looking bow and really cool history behind it.

[Shinken]

   

SWEET!

Enjoy!

Shoot straight, Shinken

 

[joebuck]

Your brother in law has some talent!  he's a keeper