What is a string follow bow?

[Matabele]

Hi all,

Just curious about this, heard the term mentioned a few times here but don't really know what it describes?

[McDave]

A string follow bow means that the limbs on an unstrung bow are slightly curved back towards the shooter, as opposed to a recurve, where the limbs are curved away from the shooter, sometimes radically.  String follow occurs naturally over time as a self bow that starts out as a straight limbed longbow, or even one that is slightly reflexed, is used, if it is not backed with fiberglass.  Some self bows are made with string follow.  Once string follow gets too pronounced, it is time to retire the bow.

A small amount of string follow reduces hand shock and seems to make the bow smoother drawing.  The tradeoff is that any amount of string follow also reduces the bow's performance.

[Alexander Traditional]

I've always wondered this myself. I just thought it was a term used with all Hill style bows.

[Matabele]

Thanks for the explanation McDave, appreciate it! Something about that bow style brings on some serious nostalgia and a hankering for simpler times.