The
Traditional Bowyer's Bible - Vol One
by Steve Allely, Tim Baker, Paul Comstock, Jim Hamm, Ron Hardcastle, Jay Massey,
John Strunk
Softcover
150 x 225mm
324pp
Published by The Lyons Press, Guilford CT USA
R.R.P.$29.90
ISBN 1-58574-085-3
As reviewed in The Australian Woodworker Issue 130
Although this is a set of three books, there is no question but that each should be presented on its own. If you aspire to making traditional wooden bows, the place to begin is with Volume One which has virtually all the information you need to get started. Given the wealth of detail in these books, you'll probably find that it will be some time before you need to purchase the other two Volumes. But be warned. Making traditional Bows tends to be addictive and it's highly likely that you will want to have the full set of books in your library.
Before considering Volume One in some depth, there are general comments that may be made about the whole series.
These books have no less than 17 authors, each contributing chapters within their particular expertise, but all working together to provide a consistent and highly readable treatise on the subject.
Browsing through the authors' short biographies, you will be convinced that a) each is eminently qualified to write about traditional wooden Bows and the methods of making them and b) they are all passionate about these Bows to the point where a number use them for hunting.
No matter what your feelings or beliefs about blood sports, it must be agreed that anyone who faces a quarter tonne black bear armed with only a bow and arrows must be confident of not just the weapons being used but also of the workmanship in making them. But there is more to it than that, as Jay Massey points out in his introductory chapter in Volume One.
Massey, who has lived in Alaska for over 20 years and is a registered guide/ outfitter and former member of the Alaska Board of Game, takes issue with what he calls: a disturbing trend in American sports, a trend in which our 'toys' have evolved from the simple to the intricate. No matter whether its boating, bicycling, skiing or backpacking, the goal seems to be the same: to improve the performance and efficiency of the equipment.
He goes on to charge this trend with the destruction of enjoyment in sport. Play, he says, is starting to look more and more like work.
Massey believes that learning to make and use traditional bows reverses the trend, bringing back a sense of fun and helping people to re-live a precious part of the past. He claims that, on the other hand, hunting with modern archery gear can be just get-em-any-way-you-can.
In the second chapter of Volume One, Ron Hardcastle, a science teacher in Texas, who has been making wooden bows for over 30 years, writes about cutting and seasoning wood. He favours Osage Orange (used by the Comanche Indians and well known to many Australian woodturners) but this in no way limits his discussion about sourcing and preparing timber for making Bows.
The next topic is Bow Design and Performance, addressed by Tim Baker, a Californian who undertook a long and comprehensive study to overcome what he saw as contradiction and confusion about wooden bows and their design.
By comparing the performance statistics for Bows made of various timber species and to different designs, Baker has defined the qualities which produce superior Bows. Among the sub headings are Arrow Speed, Draw Weight & Length, String Height, Bow Profile, Limb Mass, Mass Placement and Bow Length. The text is liberally illustrated with explanatory drawings, tables and graphs.
The next two chapters deal with actually making a Bow - first, a Yew Longbow (by John Strunk, who teaches bow making in Oregon), and second, a Flat Bow, described by Ron Hardcastle.
Paul Comstock, who made his first bow in 1984, then presents his studies of other Bow woods. This is followed by a chapter on Western Indian Bows, written by Steve Allely, an artist and accomplished flintknapper.
Tim Baker's chapter on Glue provides many unusual insights into its intricacies and would be of interest to anyone involved in woodworking. It is followed by a brief chapter on making splices and two longer chapters on the arcane subject of Backing - the addition of material to the back of a bow to improve its performance. The first chapter deals with natural Backing using animal sinew, the second with substitutes.
Take off wood where the limb doesn't bend enough and leave alone the areas where it bends too much. That says, Jim Hamm, a lifelong archery addict, is the essence of Tillering - but it takes a whole chapter to complete his explanation of how a bow is Tillered (tuned) to obtain its best performance.
Volume One ends with a foray into making arrows and a short anecdote about hunting with a traditional bow.
Having delved this far into the mysteries of wooden Bow making, the reader will, no doubt, be surprised by how much has been learned and yet how much more there is to learn.
Photos: Black & White
Units of Measurement: Imperial
Contents
Why Traditional? - Jay Massey
Cutting and Seasoning Wood - Ron Hardcastle
Bow Design and Performance - Tim Baker
Yew Longbow - John Strunk
Osage Flat Bow - Ron Hardcastle
Other Bow Woods - Paul Comstock
Western Indian Bows - Steve Allely
Glue - Tim Baker
Splices - John Strunk
Sinew-Backing - Jim Hamm
Other Backings - Paul Comstock
Tillering - Jim Hamm
Finishes and Handles - John Strunk
Self Arrows - Jay Massey
A Comedy of Arrows - Jim Hamm