Horn Bows?

[Stiks-n-Strings]

any guys here build'em. I have a hankering to build one myself. My interest was peaked when watching some Ed Scott videos on you tube.

 I need to be planning another bow like I need another hole in my rear but I think that's what keeps us going. I got at least six bows in the works and five turkey calls. Might as well keep planning them out ahead of time.

 Any info is appreciated.

 Stiks

[Pat B]

Kris, I have one in the planning stage. It will be my first. I have horn that PJ(Sakiri)sent me and lots of shreaded sinew and plenty of wood. All I need now is the confidence to get started.
 I have been reading Adam Karpowicz's book "The Ottoman Turkish Bows  manufacture and design" and trying to get all the info to sink in.
  I also want to build a Plains type horn bow like the Lakota and other Plains tribes used.

[Stiks-n-Strings]

That's what I'm gonna build Pat is a plains style horn bow. From what I gather just horn and sinew is all that it is. A few pins to splice the horn. I think I'm gonna use Gemsbok horn and maybe go for something a little out of the ordinary like a 56" to 60" longbow, highly reflexed about 1.5" wide at the fades with a gradual taper.

 I don't see why it wouldn't work. Might make a screamer of a bow and be a real missile launcher. Sounds good in theory anyway.

 Not a lot of guys into the horn bows on here seems like.

[rainman]

Go into the build alongs, St. Jude BBY with a horn belly, and John Sturtevant, Oryx horn belly preparation.  2 Great tutorials that should get you started.  I built a short holmgard last Year with horn and sinew but the wood has started to split next to the horn.  It shot great though and I may be able to fix it.

[shikari]

I like and make horn bows,I made some fglass asiatic style bows but once i shot a real horn and sinew composite I don,t fel like touching anything other than natural material bows.I prefer the asiatic style bows with sahiyas only because those are my favourites,Yes these bows are real screamers.

[Stiks-n-Strings]

I'll have to check those out rainman.

 Thanks for the info

[b.glass]

I start working on one last summer. I got an osage core ready, but the bison horn I got didn't suit me. I cut it into strips from the outside of the horn, thinned it and boiled it to make it more pliable. It was just too short and narrow for what I wanted to do. I wanted four sections on the belly to butt up against each other (going by Jim Hamm's book). If I can find the appropriate horn I will try again. I'm seriously thinking about gemsbok horn though.

[Pat B]

Kris, Tim Ott did a build along on PA where he used American bison horn. He made a paper pattern and wrapped it around the horn, traced it and cut it out as a coil, cooked it and clamped it flat. Check it out in the "How To" section on PA.

[rainman]

Gemsbok takes work also but I saw one of Tim's bow's at MOJAM that he did with the Bison Horn and it is actually probably less work than Gemsbok.

[b.glass]

I was thinking the gemsbok would be easier but that trick with the spiral cut on the bison horn is a great idea.