Modern traditional archery too high tech?

[luv2bowhunt]

Originally posted by Bisch:
What exactly is traditional??? The term never even existed until compounds came along, and somebody needed a way to distinguish between the two. It used to be just bow shooting, bowhunting, or archery, then compounds came along and made two different styles. Those two styles needed a way to be referenced.

Traditional does not mean "Done the way it was XXX number of years ago". It is just a label someone came up with to be able to distinguish what we do from what wheel guys do!!!

Bisch

Well said Bisch!

[Soonerlongbow]

Amen Bisch!

Metal bow handles are cold.  Aluminum arrows go 'ting-o-ling-o-ling'.   You do not want carbon arrows to get shredded in a deer.  Feeders are folly.  Trail cameras are like having a digital spy.   Antler stew tastes no better now than it did 50 years ago.

[Crooked Stic]

To me trad is a method we use to shoot our bow.And there are a few methods and still not have sights. As far as the tech going into the building and perfromance part we all need the advantages it gives to enjoy it more and make the harvests seem easier with the confidence it gives.

[Trond]

Originally posted by cpnhgnlngct:

Trad is not a word to describe equipment. It's a lifestyle. And I'm pretty sure every member that had the ambition to join TradGang lives that lifestyle, regardless of what their bow is made of or looks like. Stop drawing self defining lines in the sand and go shoot some arrows. The camp fire is open to everyone.

Amen to that, bro  

[JohnV]

"The camp fire is open to everyone."
 
Is it really?  Threads like this make me think that it is not.  Since there is no definition of what is "traditional", I often prefer to refer to some of the modern bow designs as "traditional-style" bows.  One string with no pulleys or other mechanical advantages.  One can argue all day to what extent foam and/or carbon glass give such bows an advantage, but whatever advantage they provide, it is rather modest and does not make a bow any easier to shoot accurately other than maybe dropping a few pounds in pull weight.

[Bowwild]

David Mitchell,
I've recently bought a large number of Traditional Bowhunter back issues.  There's an article in the Feb/March 1999 you authored called "The Politics of Bowhunting".  It is a GREAT article with sound advice!

This thread, while it seems pretty civilized to me, reminds me of the Proverbs 15:1 verse you quoted in that article:  "a soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger".

For those of us out in the world (vs. holed up somewhere) this is divine advice.

[David Mitchell]

Bowwild, thanks so much for the gracious comment about that article.  It seems like every facet of American life these days emphasizes division rather than an effort to promote unity.

[dbd870]

Originally posted by Bisch:
 

What exactly is traditional??? The term never even existed until compounds came along, and somebody needed a way to distinguish between the two. It used to be just bow shooting, bowhunting, or archery, then compounds came along and made two different styles. Those two styles needed a way to be referenced.

Traditional does not mean "Done the way it was XXX number of years ago". It is just a label someone came up with to be able to distinguish what we do from what wheel guys do!!!

Bisch [/b]

[forestdweller]

Originally posted by Bisch:
   

I never said I was more traditional than anyone, I just think that calling some of the bows out there traditional is a misnomer.  

What exactly is traditional??? The term never even existed until compounds came along, and somebody needed a way to distinguish between the two. It used to be just bow shooting, bowhunting, or archery, then compounds came along and made two different styles. Those two styles needed a way to be referenced.

Traditional does not mean "Done the way it was XXX number of years ago". It is just a label someone came up with to be able to distinguish what we do from what wheel guys do!!!

Bisch [/b]

"tra·di·tion·al
trəˈdiSH(ə)n(ə)l/
adjective
existing in or as part of a tradition; long-established"

Most of the bows being touted as traditional are not so. When did super recurves with carbon and foam limbs fit into history along with carbon arrows and clickers?

Super recurves as an example are considered by some to be traditional yet their design and materials have only bee around for less than 20 years.

I think that calling any bow with a single string traditional is a misnomer. If we take into account the materials being used (glass/carbon/foam) along with the designs only capable using said materials than it's clear to me that they are not traditional.

I think it's important that we have a clear definition of what a traditional bow is to separate the high tech modern single string bows from the true traditional bows as to me they are two separate things.

According to the author in TBB a traditional bow is one made out of natural materials meaning wood and/or using natural backing. I think that's a solid definition. There was no fiberglass nor carbon 100+ years ago.

   

Originally posted by pavan:
Metal bow handles are cold.  Aluminum arrows go 'ting-o-ling-o-ling'.   You do not want carbon arrows to get shredded in a deer.  Feeders are folly.  Trail cameras are like having a digital spy.   Antler stew tastes no better now than it did 50 years ago.

That's one of the main reasons why carbon arrows turn me off. They can blow up and splinter badly into your hand or arm and they have the potential of ruining your harvest.

   

Originally posted by Ben Maher:
To the OP,
You have started this topic on numerous times elsewhere and that has ended badly each time.
This will go the same way as the others ...

id suggest just leave it that you have an idea as to what trad is that will differ from others. The preoccupation with clickers etc is odd.

This is the first time I've talked about this.

[kennym]

Heck , how bout you call yours trad and I'll call mine a bow I built in my own shop from almost all material I made in my shop . I don't care if anybody thinks mine is trad or not.

Let's go shoot somethin!

Well, I tried!!!!

We will have to agree to disagree on this one!

And I guess you can go back wherever it is you go, and be "more tradional" than the rest of us!                

Have a great day!

Bisch

[SteveB]

Maybe some need a traditional safe place?
   

[Zradix]

    :(

[Bowwild]

Man takes too much pride in his works, be they good or otherwise.

What's 25  years to be an antique or 100 years to be "historic" on the scale of eternity?   I've always chuckled (or cried if my tax dollars) at towns that spend a fortune preserving a bunch of wood, asphalt, pipe and wires called an old house.  

It is simple really.  When most people, archers or only those a bit familiar with archery, think of "traditional" they envision any vertical bow without wheels and multiple cables and strings.

I reckon there'd be a lot of room for  multiple websites if they were decade-specific: Pre-History Bows, 1900 Bows, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, etc. I imagine each might have about 10 followers? Your screen would be split, one side would be static, grainy old photos. The other side would be a mirror.

[Captain*Kirk]

Funny how some folks can get into a barroom brawl arguing about whose bow is "traditional", then go out and hunt with carbon arrows, screw-on broadheads and the like...  
I'm not throwing stones here, I have no dog in this fight. In my opinion, what works best for the shooter/hunter is what he or she should be shooting, not what somebody else has 'blessed' one way or the other. I completely agree with the comments about divisiveness and how petty arguments over semantics can make a mountain out of a molehill...and enemies out of friends. Nobody is all right or all wrong, we just have differing opinions. Nothing wrong with that in my book.
Bottom line, we all like bowhunting and prefer to do it without wheels. And that should be enough.  

[ChuckC]

I am with Bisch and others here.  Whatever the dictionary says, in context to archery, the term traditional was coined simply to separate compounds from what was used before.  Your personal meaning might differ or include more or fewer particulars.

What's going on with the world lately where we have to argue about everything instead of just talk.  Draw some lines in the sand for yourself, don't step on mine.

[Zradix]

Originally posted by ChuckC:
....
What's going on with the world lately where we have to argue about everything instead of just talk.  Draw some lines in the sand for yourself, don't step on mine.

x2

[McDave]

 According to the author in TBB a traditional bow is one made out of natural materials meaning wood and/or using natural backing. I think that's a solid definition. There was no fiberglass nor carbon 100+ years ago.

I thought we already had a class that fit your requirements pretty well, called "primitive," which is a term that is in common use and well understood as a defined category of bowyers and shooters, but let's make sure that we don't fudge on this.  There was no dacron for strings 100 years ago, no electrically powered hand tools in home garages, no modern glue, so I would guess that most primitive bowyers and shooters of today would be disqualified under your definition.  There are a few who do all their work by hand without power tools, and maybe even use linen strings, but how many of those use draw knives and rasps made in industrial processes not available 100 years ago?  Too bad, they're disqualified too.  Y'all have a good time, ya hear?

[forestdweller]

Originally posted by McDave:
   

 According to the author in TBB a traditional bow is one made out of natural materials meaning wood and/or using natural backing. I think that's a solid definition. There was no fiberglass nor carbon 100+ years ago.

I thought we already had a class that fit your requirements pretty well, called "primitive," which is a term that is in common use and well understood as a defined category of bowyers and shooters, but let's make sure that we don't fudge on this.  There was no dacron for strings 100 years ago, no electrically powered hand tools in home garages, no modern glue, so I would guess that most primitive bowyers and shooters of today would be disqualified under your definition.  There are a few who do all their work by hand without power tools, and maybe even use linen strings, but how many of those use draw knives and rasps made in industrial processes not available 100 years ago?  Too bad, they're disqualified too.  Y'all have a good time, ya hear? [/b]

We are talking about the bow and arrows themselves not the tools used to make it.

To be fair with you though most of the hand tools used to make traditional bows are still traditional tools. Draw knives have been around for a long time as have hatchets, rasps, and what not.

I suppose you could call it primitive but designs like the English longbow and the Turkish recurve among other bows are not primitive designs but are traditional as in being very old designs.

I don't know, when I got into archery I thought it was all wooden bows, wooden arrows, and so on.

If you ask most people what a longbow or recurve is made out of they will say wood and they will say the arrows are wooden as well.

I thought traditional archery was supposed to be a life style away from buying mass produced items and was supposed to be about self reliance and the age old craft of using wooden arrows and wooden bows?

I have nothing against fiberglass or carbon laminated bows or carbon arrows but to me they are not true traditional archery.