I am not sure where you can get a similar selfbow like the one that Bart made. I talk more about Bart and his bow making in Part 2 of the article coming out in Oct/Nov issue TBM. Most of Bart’s long bows were of the 4,700 year-old Meare Heath flat bow style. The bow pictured in the current article was the bow Bart named the Good Medicine Bow. It was 65 inches long and drew around 92 pounds. It was made of Siberian ash. It was not the first bow Bart made, since he gave most of the first ones away, but it was the first one he made for himself. It was special. He actually put the finishing touches on it at the start of the sheep hunt pictured. It had a strong connection for Bart to the land, the past , and the present. It was backed with sinew from multiple animals killed by 5 different tigers Bart had radio-collared in Siberia as part of and international study team. You can read more about this bow in Bart’s words in the article he wrote in the Feb/March 1998 Traditional Bowhunter Mag. or go to
www.brothersofthebow.com and pick up the book compiled by Gene Wensel , The Best of TBM. The article is in there as well.
Jay Massey was friends with Bart, and Bart gave him some elk sinew for incorporation into his bow which Jay named The Medicine Bow. The elk (red deer) was killed by a tiger. A replica of Jay’s bow was made by Gary Davis for the Michigan Longbow Association for an auction item at the Great Lakes Longbow Invitational. Jay’s bow was not a Mearth Heath, but maybe Gary can let you know where to get one. Ron LaClair might know some folks who may still be making the narrow handled, wide limb, and slight limb tip design that Bart styled after. You may also want to look up a guy named Doug Theiner in Willow, Alaska. He makes bows and helped Bart get started bow building as well.
Mike
Topic: Good Medicine Bow (Read 864 times)
