How many have done it?

[DngrsDan]

OK guys....getcher minds outta the gutter!    

I've had this happen once to often:
 

You can see how the web of my hand is about even, even sticking a little above, the shelf. Make me a little gun shy so to speak. I had to consciously rearrange my grip every shot or it's band-aid time again. That little sucker really bleeds too don't it? The palm swell just wasn't workin' for me right.

So I whipped out the Dremel and sandpaper and had at the grip. I'll post pics and my reasons for doing so later on if you'd like to see the end results. Still have to poly it then wrap the grip.

I wasn't worried about the warranty-I wouldn't expect Bill to be responsible for my decision. I'm OK with that. And I've done nothing to jeopardize the integrity of the structure, so I don't expect it to blow up on me.
I don't intend to sell this bow in the future, it is MY bow, as such I want it to fit ME.
I am happy with the results, and that's all that matters to me.

Just wanted to see how many out there, and I'm talkin' to the guys who don't build their own, would do/has done the same to their custom bows.

[ozy clint]

i've lowered the shelf on my bob lee. i'm convinced it is easier to point now.

[JimB]

I haven't had that exact problem with my hand but I have taken a rasp to quite a few handles to fine tune them to my hand,assuming there was enough wood there.I don't mess with the thinner throat area though.

The grip is where you join the bow and the bow joins you.I feel that a grip that fits me well is truly what makes it my bow.

[DngrsDan]

Here's the original contour:
 

And how it fit my hand:
 
 
You can see the web of my hand peeking up over the shelf in the second pic. The swell of the grip hit right under the ball of my thumb, pushing my hand up higher on the grip. I could not get a satisfactory repeatable grip, always had to realign everything, or else OUCH!

After the Dremel and sandpaper:
 

I took off the upper part of the swell where it would be under my thumb, now the swell sits in my palm. Like this:
 
 
My hand is still a little open in this picture, but that's from trying to twist my hand around so I could take this picture with my other hand.

 
Notice how the web of my hand now sits a little lower, my hand is not being forced up by the swell now.
It fits my hand now like it was made for it.
Hey....waitaminnit.....it was!   :D  

Now to poly it up and find a nice piece of leather to wrap the grip with.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

With wood that nice looking why would you want to cover it for?

[DngrsDan]

Sal,
depends of what leather I can find, gotta make a trip to Tandy's. I thought of not covering it for the very reason you state, but the leather should offer a little insulation from that bare wood and maybe a little less slippery grip.

[DngrsDan]

Sal,
depends of what leather I can find, gotta make a trip to Tandy's. I thought of not covering it for the very reason you state, but the leather should offer a little insulation from that bare wood and maybe a little less slippery grip. Besides, I think the right leather and lacing can add to the looks.

[DngrsDan]

~Dang!~ Excuse the double post.
Mentioning wrapping and lacing-I saw a video a while back on that. Before I ever expected to do this.
Think I can find it now? HAH!    
It's not in the How-to's on here, don't remember where it was I saw it. Ticks me off 'cause I usually download things like that. If I did, and I bet I did, I can't find where I hid it.            

[Bill Carlsen]

Wouldn't it have been easier to use a thicker rug rest or to put a matchstick or  small wooden ridge on the shelf under your rug rest?

[the elf]

Or you could have wrapped some serving string around the riser just below the shelf -- just enough to make a positive upwards stop to lower your hand just that little bit needed to give fletching clearance.

[ron w]

I have a Mikuta longbow that the grip just wasn't to my likeing. Totally changed it and now its much better. I have small hands and many grips just don't work for me. It's your bow it should fit you!

[BWD]

Have done it on a few occasions after buying used bows that don't fit my fairly small hands. If the grip does not fit well, I will not shoot it well, consistently.

[straitera]

You did a good job working the wood. Blend back to perfection w/no harm of the grip by any means if you like it.

[Dave Bulla]

Well, if the grip bothered you from a comfort standpoint, then you did right to alter it.

Honestly, I try to get my hand up where you show yours in the first pictures on purpose.  Just helps me feel the shot or point the bow better being closer to the arrow.

If the grip was comfortable but it was just that you were getting cut by your feathers, then I'd have looked to the arrows not the bow.  You might have been able to just clean up the leading edge of your fletch and fixed the problem.  

I use a sharp knife to skive a bevel on the front of the quill then put a drop of duco cement on it and let it dry.  You can slide your fingers down the shaft and they just glide up over the front edge of the fletch.  You should be able to shoot a smoothly tapered fletch off your knuckle and not get cut.

The exception is maybe wild turkey fletch as it is stiffer than domestic and the feather itself can (over time and multiple shots) cause the same problem.

By the way, beautiful bow.  I love that bacote.  Any idea on what finish you are going to use to touch it back up?

[lpcjon2]

It works, I have used hockey tape for a grip and with my oldest son I wrapped a thin strip multiple times below the shelf so he wouldn't high grip the bow it did work for him.

[madness522]

Nice job customizing your riser!  Me? I'm not that brave.  I'll sell it and but another.

[dagwood64]

I had the same problem. Now I shoot cock feather in, no more cut hand.

Duane

[Don Stokes]

When I had a similar problem (the scars are fading now) I just built up the shelf a little bit, just enough to keep the fletching from touching. My Torges bow is like that too, but I won't alter it! It will stay the way Dean made it. I shoot it like Duane, cock feather in.

[Butts]

Hell, thats the only way my bows can draw blood!

[Jeff Strubberg]

Dave makes a good point about smoothing the leading edge of your fletchings...there's no scenario where that sharp edge helps you out.

Yes, I've reworked the grip on a longbow and two recurves.  I radiused and narrowed the shelf on my Bear recurve, radiused and narrowed the shelf on a Brownign Wasp and completely rebuilt the grip on my Seven Lakes longbow.

It's my bow!  I don't buy 'em for resale value...