What is a traditional bow to you?

[last arrow]

Back in the late 70's and early 80's after the compound took over bowhunting, there was only people that still made and/or shot recurves and longbows.  I don't know when it became a "tradition".  I always thought the term "traditional bow" and "traditional bowhunter" was a way to target a market by manufactures, publishers, etc.  

So build what you want and show us pictures as you go.

[Roy from Pa]

Well ya all can forget about me making a traditional crossbow guys, just hain't gonna happen:)

Pat it's been a while and I don't even remember the site, may have been PA though, no biggie.

Fish my brother, you build whatever kind of stickbow ya want, it's your Bow. But if ya put wheels on it, I'm coming out there and smacken ya dude:)

[KellyG]

ah roy come on now I was looking forwad too one:)

[Roy from Pa]

Don't make me do it Kelly:) LOL

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I think a traditional bow means so many different things to different people, and many have already said that basically it's a recurve, R/D, or Longbow with no wheels or cables.

To me personally, it's the same except I don't condider anything with sights, an arrow rest other than a padded shelf, stabilizers, peep sights, or any metal in it to be traditonal.
That's just my opinion because how many metal risers did you see 50 years ago? How many stabilizers sticking out the front of the bow did you see 50 years ago? How many guys who shot a stick and string had sights?
Not many if any at all.

But.....and it's a real big but.......it is what it means to you. If you like metal riser bows and want to make your own then I say go for it.
Bottom line is that if it's made with your own two hands from a pile of parts, it doesn't get much more traditional than that except to carve your own from a fence post size chunk of bow wood.

I'm a wood guy, even the new laminated bows that I drool over everyday would have to be all wood with the "exception of" some glass over wood to trip my trigger. I don't mind fiberglass over wood and I think some of them are down right georgous! Metal risers just don't tickle my fancy much, but that's just me.

Arrows don't matter much to me, I like them all no matter what they are made out of and I shoot all three wood, aluminum, and carbon.

[hunter's dad]

VA.....good story....you finished the race...kudos.Some are purists,others not so much....a little variety in the long run isn't going to diminish the nature of this excellent group of tradgangers.I'm just saying........

[Roy from Pa]

Ah come on Semo, you can't shoot carbon out of a wooden bow dude, that's a no no:) LOL, well said above.

[No-sage]

I have my own opinion what a bow is.  I wouldn't use the term traditional, because it doesn't really mean anything as far as archery goes.

I also wouldn't give a rats tail what anyone else thought of any bow that I made.  If I like it, its fine.  If you like it... good for you.  If you don't.... good for you.

[fish n chicks]

It may sound like an insane question to many, but this is all excellent information. To me anyway. This is my research into the traditional world.

Pat B, I don't know how this happened, but you mentioned the Penobscot Bow, so I looked it up, and it turned out to be one of those "holy crap... this guy stole my idea" moments. The bow is almost a dead match to a bow I sketched out a month ago. Except my outer limbs stretched the length of the bow, and it only used one string. Thanks for throwing that out there. Maybe i'm on to something after all.


Traditional bows to me... are hand made, mathematically derived, scientifically proven, and field tested food for the soul. It's knowing you hit the mark before the string has broken free of your finger. Arrogant confidence, manifested by thumps of the target, and a childish grin.  It's wood shavings, raw fingers, fired up stoves and long nights you wished went longer. It's instinctual. It's pure. It's simple. It's more than a bow, it's a story. A conversation piece. A friend maker. It's a weapon, an art piece, and a tool. It's yours, but borrowed from nature, and possibly meant for the future, but yours in every way.

I guess a traditional bow is, in so many ways, indeed what you make it.

Thanks for the dialogue Gang.

[Dick in Seattle]

Here's an aspect of this whole thing that I haven't seen mentioned in the thread...  Over the past years I've seen a lot of feeling expressed re trad vs. compound, and I avoided any "open" shoots.  Well, a few weeks back I got invited to go to an open shoot with some trad friends.  I found we were welcomed and we had a great time.  Some folks were interested in our bows.   OK... That worked.   Next weekend I went to another open shoot, this time alone.  Again I was welcomed and even caught up with a couple of trad guys on the course.  It worked well for me because these two small clubs ran their shoots on the basis that Saturday was casual, Sunday was the formal "for score" event.   Hmm... I said, if there are more clubs like this, I could easily shoot a dozen more events and new courses this year than I usually do!  Trad is a niche within archery, but everything that's archery helps to support the industry that makes what we do possible, which is good.  Further, anything that creates more opportunities for a non-score keeping "just love to shoot" trad guy like me gets a "yes" vote.  I don't think I'd want to go to a big, highly competitive compound event, but if small compound groups want to give me a chance to come play with them and have fun, I'll take them up on it and probably meet a lot of real nice folks!  I'm going to another shoot tomorrow.  That's three shoots in three weeks, all within driving distance.  My shooting world just changed.

[Zradix]

Happy for you Dick..Have fun!

As to the original question....

Make what you want and have fun doing it.

If you're worried about the rules HERE as what Trad is look em up.

Most of all enjoy the journey!
   

[fish n chicks]

Dick, that sounds like a blast! A lot of wheelie guys like the trad bows I shoot with em too. Of course it's even better getting those who have never shot a traditional bow to shoot one, and see the look on their face when they hit someone's tire in the parking lot        


I'd also say that Dick answered the question best. Traditional bows are certainly relative to time period. Today's traditional bows, well, they really aren't. But, if the market is to compete... manufacturers are certainly going to do what it takes to stay ahead of the competition.

Stiks, I agree with you too bro. No sights. Hard to call it instinctive when you are using a tool other than your nugget.

[Rattus58]

In my opinion, anything that is of traditional style is traditional. This is longbow, recurve, takedown what have you. Metal, synthetics, or wood.

No mechanics, just limbs and string for power.

Much Aloha...