Ok, so I have tried a bajillion bows this year via the classifieds on all 3 major forums. All makes, recurves, longbows, all different weights. I thankfully ended up with my sweetheart, a bow I just can't sell, a lovely 66" Leon Stewart Slammer takedown/ cocobolo diamondwood with osage/bocote accent riser, curly maple core limbs, quartersawn bubinga under clear glass. A real looker. The bow just does it all right. It is the one bow I kept comparing all the other bows to, and at a certain point recently I realized nothing else shot as good for me and probably never will.
SO...
This past week I dropped the hammer and called Leon to order a second set of limbs for my baby. The limbs are 90% of the bow, so to me it's my first custom. The riser is getting sent in when he's ready for custom limb fitment and also to get a brand new grip and sideplate.
I'm getting a set to make a 68" bow, 55@28.
I'm a firefighter, so I wanted to do something wild and just for me.
Olive ash burl back, gently stained red-brown to complement the cocobolo diamondwood riser, and mimic flames
Quilted maple belly, stained southern pecan, also to mimic flames
African sheep horn tips
I played with photobucket edits a little bit, and here's kinda what it should end up looking like theoretically:
Olive ash burl back/ stained red-brown
Quilted maple belly/ stained southern pecan
Deposit has been paid. The wait is gonna be agonizing. 3-4 months! But I know that Leon is going to deliver me something that will knock my socks off. I can't wait to get them and put the bow together. 3-4 months!! How do you guys do it???