mixed emotions - an open discussion

[JD 9116]

I started by building all wood bows several years ago. I built these bows from a hickory tree that I cut down from the woods at the farm I grew up on and hunted at. These bows mean a great deal to me because of this. I became curious about glass bows about one year ago and built my first one. (Not very good) However, my mind began wandering with ideas and the thought of building my own glass bow. What I am discovering is that wood or glass it is all about your imagination. Wood or glass, bows are a work of art, expression of the bowyer making the bow. I am working on a radical glass bow right know with a riser which has a great deal of carving involved with it. It will either be really cool or a big flop, but either way I am going for it! I say if your interested, then make one. If you decide that you do not enjoy the bow as much as a wood one then you know. Otherwise, take the chance. You might just be amazed and may discover you have to make twice the time, for wood and glass! Good luck! (just my 2 cents)

[JD 9116]

[eflanders]

Wow!  I am really impressed with all of these comments.  I love working with wood or playing with wood as I call it.  But some of the most beautiful wood boats I know are only possible because of them using fiberglass on them.  But in the same token there hasn't been a glass or graphite rod built yet that compares to a well built bamboo rod (IMO).  So is it considered cheating or are they just thinking outside of the box?

[fujimo]

what kinda wood boats do you like, i love wooden boats.

[Pat B]

I built a glass bow once. It blew before I ever strung it. I'll stick with wood!!! d;^)

[Stiks-n-Strings]

I love shooting my glass bows but I also love shooting all wood bows. When it comes to admiring and shooting I love anything with a string and no wheels.

 When it comes to building I only want to build wood bows. I love wood working and I love the natural beauty that comes from a finished stave to hunting tool.

JMO, Stiks

[Knawbone]

I started hunting and shooting a Martin recurve in 1970 and have been shooting and hunting with different bows threw the years. I just started making my own bows this year for which I now just finished my first one. Theres certainly an inner pride and earthly satisfaction from creating such wooden marvels.Gives one a sense of oneness with mother nature to know you can obtain food and defend yourself with what she provides.Hang on to your hats, these woodscraft skills we possess just may be our saving grace.Sooner than you thank.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Originally posted by eflanders:
Let me begin by saying that I love wood.  Wood boats, bamboo flyrods and traditional bows made of various wood combinations.  Now I am starting to question my current devotion to the building of all-wood laminated bows. The benefits of glass bows are numerous, longer shooting life, weather resistance and others.  But I love working with wood, the smell, natures beauty, the variances between species in performance, etc. It always seemed to me that in using glass in a bow, you neutralize those species differences and that you are working with in-organic materials.  What are all of your thoughts, concerns and ideas.

There are some excellent replies here.... i do not think you are "Neutralizing" a wood species at all by using fiberglass backing. i think of it more as protecting your investment of love and care you put into a bow building project.

Fiberglass is nasty stuff to work with, but it has so many advantages it's hard for me to ignore them and not utilize them to preserve the project and enjoy the enhanced performance capabilities.

i too love harvesting my own wood and love all things wooden. here is a transformation for you to look at.... i see no neutralizing effects here myself at all...

 

 

 

 

 

[George Tsoukalas]

All I make is wooden bows for me and mine. I've never made a lam bow and have no plans to make one. I've never made a wooden backed bow. I just love selfbows. I  have to back a bow I'll use rawhide, burlap, linen or silk but I won't hunt with a backed bow for a variety of reasons.     Jawge

[Bighornangler]

I have owned many glass bows over the years and my main go to hunting bow is a Shrew Classic Hunter. Having said that, there is nothing like the satisfaction I get from building all wood bows both self bows and laminated bows. To me there is nothing like turning out a all wood bow that I am satisfied with and even better yet taking a deer with it. I have done just that and then temporarily retired that bow so I can go and build another one. I have not yet attemted to build a glass bow and don't know if I ever will. Maybe some day I will, but right now I am having a lot of fun with the all wood bows and it helps to past time in the long dreary winters. I think that both glass and wood bows have their place.

[njloco]

Please correct me if I am wrong, I can shoot them but don't have any talent worth spit, so I do admire those that can work with there hands and bring something back to life, so to speak.

Can't you make a wood bow and put clear glass over it to let the beauty of the wood show through ?

Like I said I don't know anything about building one, but I as a user of your end product do love both.

Thanks for building them !

[Pat B]

Yes you can add glass to the back of a wood bow! I've never seen a reason to do so. For me there are better natural options and better yet a well made selfbow shows off it's wood very well and without the "crutch" of fiberglass. JMO.
  If you want to build a glass bow, do so! If you want to build a backed or lam all wood bow, then do so! If you want to build a selfbow, then do so but why spoil the beauty of an all wood bow, self or lam with fiberglass. It isn't necessary and it becomes a glass bow as soon as you do so.IMO

[PP]

I see several cavemen sitting around a fire with their spears beside them.  In walks another cave man with his new fancy stick and string.  He is quickly beaten to death and eaten by the hungry cavemen since he wasn't using the traditional spear.  One old man in the corner berates the mob for using spears and not the traditional selfclubs used in his day.
  ... I prefer the primitive selfbows.. let the wood be the bow it wants kinda thing.  But i do really enjoy seeing all the different kinds of bows you guys build, and would be glad to own/shoot any of them.

[Mark Baker]

I am a tried and true selfbow lover/builder/shooter.    I cut my teeth learning on board bows.   I've hunted with my all-wood bows from AK to TX, and Georgia to MT, and taken all kinds of critters in all kinds of conditions with them, for more than two decades now.   For me, nothing compares to a selfbow I've built from a stave.   They can and do perform.   But I will be a bit different and say they do not last as long as glass bows, and are not as durable, in general.  There, I've said it.  

I own a bunch of glass bows, and love to shoot them as well, from time to time, although I find myself seeking out my selfbows to take to the woods.   They have "spirit" the others never will.  

I have built a few glass bows, and own a bunch, and I have to agree that the glass defintely minimizes (IMO) the characteristics of the wood.   In glass bows, design is king.  In wood bows, design is important per the wood used, but the wood dictates the bows performance and varies a bunch, even within the same species....hence it's "spirit".  

I name my selfbows...something I don't do with my glass bows.

[eflanders]

Mark,

I think what you are describing is called "character".  I've had rods built by the same maker, using the same materials and dimensional specifications that posessed different casting characteristics only because no two pieces of wood are the same.  I haven't built enough bows yet to make the same statement about them.

[NTD]

I only build wood bows but seeing the wood combos you FG guys can do makes me drool.  Wood that is worthless for backed or selfbows can shine under glass, I like seeing those.

[Roy from Pa]

Make what you want and shoot what you want. Hunt with what you want. It's your bow and your hunt. No one will ever agree 100% with everyone else.

I'll shoot wood bows because that's what I want to do. And I love seeing the glass bows guys build.

[Mudd]

It's all good, at least it is for me.

I love seeing the artisans finished work no matter, all wood(1piece), multiple pieces or even with glass added.

I wish I had the talent to build some of the quality of bows I've seen made by the likes of you folks.

All I ever made were pretty plain, just sticks actually. But each one was a special stick to me, mainly because it could be used to fling an arrow.

Thank you all!!

God bless,Mudd

[Shaun]

When I shoot a critter with a gun I think, "Could have done it with a bow."

When I shoot a critter with a glass bow I think, "Could have done it with a self bow."

When I shoot a critter with a self bow I think, "That was good!"

I started making self bows believing it was a stepping stone to making glass bows. Turns out its the other way around. More skill and feel for tillering required to make a wood bow.

Fine double shotguns, light lap strake all wood boats, bamboo flyrods, self bows.

[Walt Francis]

Many good thoughts regarding the different types of bows, like Roy, I think they are all good, different, but still good.  I made my first selfbow from a board and every selfbow since from a stave or billets.  Nothing wrong with board bows, they just don’t do anything for me so I use a different medium.  I build BBO’s, BBI’s, and glass-laminated bows, and don’t find much difference between them; they are both composites and require similar techniques to build.  The glass bows do allow the use of many beautiful materials that will not work with the glass and I am currently concentrating on them now.  However, leaning against the wall in various stages of the tillering process are a BBI, three Osage selfbows, and two glass bows.  I like shooting all the different types; they all have their own distinct, individual feel.  Nevertheless, when I head out to shoot a critter, 90% of the time I am carrying a bow made from a stave or billets.  Sometimes the bow is backed with sinew, snakeskin, or rawhide, which technically disqualifies it from being a selfbow, but for me I still consider it one.

Enough rambling, the bow student has arrived and I had better get out to the shop.