Define Traditional...

[TSP]

"Define Traditional"...Why?".  Well, why not?  Is this a threatening term in and of itself?  Hardly.  What logical reason is there NOT to discuss and try to establish concensus for a common term used for decades?  Personal agendas aside, what are we (collectively speaking) afraid of?

[Sam McMichael]

I agree with those who say it's the bow.  If the style pre-dates the compound and you hold the full weight of the bow when drawn, its traditional enough for me. No need to worry about sights, stabilizers, arrow materials etc. Just ask some of the old timers. They saw a lot of really innovative stuff before most of us were born - and I was born a while back. There is also much truth & wisdom in the statements that most  "traditional" archers stress the importance of integrity, ethics,and good fellowship in bow hunting and target competitions over high competitive scores and record book kills. In short, I'm an older guy and I like the older ways. And I like archers who also like the older ways.

[Dan Reeves]

The bow around here, here's some tradition for proof, he's four

 

 

See my avatar, that's me at about the same age with Dad's Herter's recurve.

[trashwood]

hmmm I am a non-tradtional recurve archery.  My goal is the hit the spot I am aiming at, consistantly first shot or 144th shot.  I guess I would call me a modern recurve shooter.

is that different than traditional?

rsuty

[Jim now in Kentucky]

Both the crossbow of ancient days and the compound are very different (I think all will agree?) from just a stick and string.

I think a researcher who was not an archer would define the stick and string as "conventional"  archery and the others as related branches of archery.

My interest is in bows I could make with only stone tools (though I make them with a band saw and various other power tools), wooden arrows and natural feathers.

This isn't to say this approach is best or better. I just like it better. Not traditional, just nostalgic. I happen to like the smell of burnt feathers in small doses. I'm just a nostalgic old guy.

I think "traditional" was a poor choice of words from its first application to archery.

Next time it isn't raining, I'll go out and shoot my new ash "long bow." I also have a 60-year-old tractor I regularly use. I just like some things from the past!

Jim

[Jim now in Kentucky]

This conventional bow is what I am nostalgic about.