Remarkable selfbows: Vine maple

[Ghost Dog]

I have been collecting selfbows for fifteen years. I started out collecting glass longbows, and bought an osage selfbow one day out of curiosity. I started selling most of my glass longbow collection the next day.

Here are four examples of vine maple selfbows. Vine maple is a white wood, so all of these bows have been stained. The one on the left was made by an advanced student of John Strunk. It is one of the most quiet and shock free bows I have shot out of any material or configuration. The rest are by John. All are fast, quiet and store an amazing amount of energy. The darkest one is backed with rawhide and stained a mottled green. They are all in the mid fifties at 27".

 

 

[huntsman247]

Nice bows.  That light colored one looks alot like mine that I made out of Yew.

[bbell]

Beautiful bows! How wide at the handle is the bow on the left? That is the style I want to try next. Again beautiful bows!

Brandon

[Sockrsblur]

Wow! If anything ever looked like a stick and a string... that's it. Any more pictures of your collection? Those are some thing else. Thanks for posting them up! I would love to spend a day hunting up stumps to see what they shoot like.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

The stuff grows wild in Oregon & Washington and is really thick on the coast.  Very tough to shoot through too. I've killed more vine maple with arrows than i have animals...

It's really tough wood.... you should get many years of use out of them...

[Horserod]

John Strunk is a good friend of mine.  Back a few years ago, my Son, Wife and I stayed at his residence.  I helped him harvest a bunch of Vine Maple for bow making. It is a tough wood and does make a great bow to shoot. John is a very talented bowyer.  I've shot several deer with his bows. Quite a craftsman!  Horserod

[Bear Heart]

I have also killied a few vine maple with errant arrows.  I have been told the use the wood from the top facing part of the limb.

[Ricker]

Simply beautiful.

[Ghost Dog]

Originally posted by Sockrsblur:
Wow! If anything ever looked like a stick and a string... that's it. Any more pictures of your collection? Those are some thing else. Thanks for posting them up! I would love to spend a day hunting up stumps to see what they shoot like.

I am going to make regular posts of my collection. There is no traditional archery where I live and I don't have anyone to share my collection with, so TG will be they way I share it.

[Ghost Dog]

Originally posted by bbell:
Beautiful bows! How wide at the handle is the bow on the left? That is the style I want to try next. Again beautiful bows!

Brandon

Hey Brandon. The width is just under 1.5" above the grip.

[tim roberts]

Mark Baker has one that he made, while I am partical to osage, vine maple is a joy to shoot!
Thanks,

[Shaun]

That VM stuff is amazing. I have traded for a few pieces at MOJam and it is easy to work, very light and as you mentioned - fast!

Nice bows and I look forward to your sharing more of the collection. Your past posts have shown some real beauties and top notch photos.

Thanks GD

[Brock]

I have a Vine Maple bow by John...I had some vine maple in my bow room for 10 years...sent it to him so he could use it for student to practice with or to make a bow for someone.  He made one for me instead...  It looks exactly like your bow on far right except it has black horn tip overlays.  Great shooting bow...has some string follow due to my long draw and turkey hunting with it in warm temps one year but shoots great.

[Rob W.]

Deadly works of art. I hope to deer hunt with a selfbow I build this year.

[HawkeyeArcher]

Those are some great lookin bows!

[ron w]

Really cool stuff.......  

[Matty]

Man I love me some self bows.  Those are gorgeous.

[wooddamon1]

I gotta try that someday, those are some sweet looking bows.  

[bbell]

Thanks for checking. That seems to be a common width for vine maple.

Brandon

[T-Bowhunter]

Great looking Bows!