Home Grown Hunting Equipment for 2006/07 (UPDATE - Nov. 5th, 2006)

[TexMex]

AWESOME!!!!

[Osagetree]

Mickey, I thought you would never chime in! Thanks for the kind words, and you know,,, your partly responsible for this addiction I have aquired.
I was at work when you came to my neighborhood, so I'm glad you did not waste time looking for my house again. With any luck I'll get to meet you someday.

4runr, glad to see your still keeping up with this. A couple more weeks and I should contact you so we can plan us a hunt of some sort.

Initialimage, season starts Oct. 30th. My goal here is to make meat, so check back on the 31st          

MI_bowhunter, I agree,,, lots of talent on this site. Thanks for saying that on my thread!

Patience, you have the right handle to stick with this build along. Thanks, glad you are enjoying it.

TEXMEX, Thanks dude!

I have already created several new friends due to this thread. That alone is worth more than all my efforts are worth. I am amazed how many good people there are on this site.

Nice, helpful, giving, compasionate, encouraging, considerate, great stewards of archery, informative, hospitable, friendly, awesome,,,,Are only a few words that does not even begin to explain the members of this site.

From this thread, I have met several members either in person or over the net.

4runr, I met at the Flintridge Knapp-In. He's a real nice fellow and I plan to meet up again so we can do some whitetail hunting and swap bow talk.

Hey Kenny!  

       

Chad801, read my thread and come to find out we work at the same place and had never met. Chad is very interested in learning how to make self bows and I am excited about helping him out as much as I can. He said he wants to pass the knowledge down to his son's. So, this will help keep selfbows going for the next generation, at least. He mentioned a family member has osage on thier land and we plan to cut some of it this winter.

Hey Chad!  

       

And there are many others I consider friends just due to the nice comments made, even when the thread was not going as planned.

Hey Gang!    

     

I have also made one enemy,,, my young friend who works at the local machine shop. See he promised to take my old saw blades that I had drawn trade point patterns on and cut them out for me to make my broadheads from. Well, he took my old saw blades weeks ago and I can not locate him or the old blades. I am screwed on homemade broadheads     :mad:    

That is where my newest, bestest buddie in the whole wide world comes in. Though we have never met, I consider this guy a friend for life and I will be forever at his beckon call for any assistance I may possibly provide.

His name,,,, Woody Blackwell aka "Knife River"!
I say he is one lucky man and a real generous person. He was reading my thread and wondered what I was going to use for heads.

Woody contacted me and asked me if I was needing heads as he could knap me a few after returning from his Alaskan adventure. Well, I was very interested in this offer and he came through for me like a real tropper! He sent me some unbelievable stuff!

I do not know what type of materials these points are made of, but they are beautiful!

I hope Woody will chime in and elaborate a bit!

Thanks Woody, And I am just astonished at your abilities with this stone material.

I can only wish,,,,,

[Osagetree]

 


 

[Osagetree]

[knife river]

Osagetree, this is THE BEST thread I've ever seen.  I'd bet there are a few thousand other folks who feel the same way.  I'm in awe of the wide range of abilities you have to pull together for this project, and you're doing it "live", showing us all the bumps and hiccups.  So in addition to being talented and resourceful, you're darned brave, too.      

[4runr]

Joe, you hit the "Mother Lode" there bro. Kniferiver you are one generous fella.
This site is awesome!!!

[GrayRhino]

I've been silently following this thread from the beginning.......awesome, and a thrill to read.  I wish my hands could function like that!  Next year make it a season long reality program on the Outdoor Channel.  I'll especially be checking up on things come Oct. 30th!!!

Osagetree, thanks for the time you've invested in posting all these photos and captions for us to follow along.  Quite an unfolding drama of the ultimate traditional archery challenge.  Thanks!

[UKarcher]

Osagetree Sir, anyone who can make something from the natural materials around him is a hero in my book. But you have gone much further than that and built a whole kit list. I know you are doing this to be ready for the start of the season, but I almost don't want this thread to end. I've been trying to think of something you haven't made so I could suggest it to you. I had a knife in mind but Knife River just covered that one for you. Thank you for your time and patience in letting us be there.
Graham

[Osagetree]

 

     

 

[the Ferret]

Neat Joe!  

[knife river]

Joe, you did good (understatement of the week).  I'm looking forward to seeing pics of them after you put them to use!    

[vermonster13]

That is one sweet arrow set there!

[Osagetree]

Thanks to Knife River, I can add a couple hunting knives to the equipment list.

I never heard of a corner tang knife, so I had to do some research to find how it was used and hafted.

As I learned about the corner tang knifes use, I found I had done this to most all my modern knives. I had lost a knife while gutting a deer once and started drilling a hole in the handles of my knives to place a leather strap to go around my wrist. So, when I let loose I do not lay it down, it just hangs from the wrist.

Here is my modern gutter and skinner, both with straps.
   

The knife is held in this manner while is use.
   

If there is a need for use of your grip you can let loose of the blade and not risk loosing it in the fall leaves or tall grass. A flip of the wrist and it is back in your hand, ready to use!
   

The corner tang knife knapped by Knife River.
   

[Osagetree]

Now for the James River Black knife balde made by Knife River. I use a antler rack from one of my previous harvests. I find one with no browtine on the one side.

 

[yleecoyote23]

Just keeps getting better and better!!!

Those are some awesome points Knife River!!!!

[Osagetree]

I use an old hand saw to cut off the antler of choice.
   

Then cut the antler to the lenght I desire.
   

Trying to determine the angle I want to place the blade on the handle.
   

Once the angle is determined, I mark it so there is no doubt where to cut the slot for the blade.
   

Using a flat file I tapper the end of the handle to fit the diameter of the blade
   

With the hand saw I cut a slot to the depth I want the blade sunk into the handle
   

Using my string nock file, I follow the slot cut with the hand saw
   

[Luke Vander Vennen]

Did I ever tell you that I wanna be you when I grow up??

BTW your son is crazy/myhero/crazy  

[Osagetree]

Once I got the file down to the depth I wanted I then used a flat file to widen the slot even more
to better fit the blade
 

Placeing the blade in the handle with a tight fit I check to see if I like it before tiying it on
 

 

 

I thought about the artificial sinew for this hafting of the blade, but I recently used dacron and super glue on a knife project and it turned out realy well. And, since the color theme seems to be black, this dacron method will look pretty good.
 

I soak the dacron with super glue and let it dry. When dry, it is a hard tight wrapping that hold up to alot of abuse
 

 

[Osagetree]

How are you Luke?

Don't even think about it!

Either one won't be good,,,,

   


 

[Osagetree]

Now, something to carry it in!

Mark a pattern on the last of the black leather I got from the flea market
 

Cut out the pattern, fold it over, punch some holes to make sewing easier and use the dacron again to sew it all up,,, doubled the dacron and double sewn seam.
 

I use a utility knife to cut in some fancy fringe
 

Pretty nice fit