I see so many bows with snakeskins on the limbs and wondered why . I admit snakes are not my favorite critter. Is it a fad or what?
I would say it's mostly aesthetics but they do also camo your bow limbs. Remember anything that breaks up the outline of a solid object is camouflage.
Most cases it is decoration. But on sinew backed wood bows it actually makes a near waterproof barrier so the hide glue doesn't come undone.
I just had my Bama Osage Expedtion done with Diamond back skins, I love the look and it gives it a natural camo effect if done with a matte finish!
http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae270/ripforce_photo/IMG_0656-1.jpg
I can think of no better use for a snake?
For sure they absorb the light much better than a clearglass finish,so more camo,less reflection and cool to see,but this is only the third reason I love them.
Fancy expensive wood lamination's or snake lamination. whatever looks pretty and doesnt brake the wallet.
They look cool :thumbsup:
tom nailed it! :bigsmyl:
QuoteOriginally posted by KentuckyTJ:
I can think of no better use for a snake?
Well put Tom!!
Great bow camo and looks good to humans as well, at least this human.
Gil
Probably one of the best camouflages from mother nature. But I do think most people just like the way they look...like me
:dunno: :dunno: :dunno: snakes give me the creeps
it looks great!!
I've only seen a few bows which I thought looked better with skins. Not that all skinned bows look bad, I just happen to think the same bow would look better without the skins. It's all about choices and personalization. Of course, there are so many skinned bows out there now that it's not very unique anymore.
I too don't find snakes as a favorite creature. But one can't argue their camo quality. I also find it adds a layer of limb protection. So camo and limb protection...that's why I have praire rattler skins on my dryad LB limbs.
I agree with several of you in several ways as steadman said they look cool and I also get the creeps from them. Go figure. :)
I love the way they look.
How well could YOU hunt with no arms or legs?
I admire the heck out of a snake, they are cool hunters, stealthy, can go just about anywhere, can taste molecules of scent in the air, can sense heat and track it down. I saw a snake catching minnows in a creek. I saw a snake raiding a starling nest high up a dead tree. Snakes helped me keep the rodent population down in the barns I worked in. I like the way they move, and like the feel of them in my hands.
I find them beautiful, and their scales remind me of beadwork, in colors and patterns that I am not artful enough to think of. God made them, made them in infinite variety, and infused them with beauty and ability. Yes, I admire them and their Maker. I like them on my bow. I think it makes the bow look far more alive than a blank face of carbon.
Killdeer :archer:
QuoteOriginally posted by steadman:
They look cool :thumbsup:
This... :)
I guess camo too, but he main reason...see above.
QuoteOriginally posted by Killdeer:
How well could YOU hunt with no arms or legs?
I admire the heck out of a snake, they are cool hunters, stealthy, can go just about anywhere, can taste molecules of scent in the air, can sense heat and track it down. I saw a snake catching minnows in a creek. I saw a snake raiding a starling nest high up a dead tree. Snakes helped me keep the rodent population down in the barns I worked in. I like the way they move, and like the feel of them in my hands.
I find them beautiful, and their scales remind me of beadwork, in colors and patterns that I am not artful enough to think of. God made them, made them in infinite variety, and infused them with beauty and ability. Yes, I admire them and their Maker. I like them on my bow. I think it makes the bow look far more alive than a blank face of carbon.
Killdeer :archer:
Amen to that Killdeer! Are you married already?
QuoteOriginally posted by Killdeer:
How well could YOU hunt with no arms or legs?
I admire the heck out of a snake, they are cool hunters, stealthy, can go just about anywhere, can taste molecules of scent in the air, can sense heat and track it down. I saw a snake catching minnows in a creek. I saw a snake raiding a starling nest high up a dead tree. Snakes helped me keep the rodent population down in the barns I worked in. I like the way they move, and like the feel of them in my hands.
I find them beautiful, and their scales remind me of beadwork, in colors and patterns that I am not artful enough to think of. God made them, made them in infinite variety, and infused them with beauty and ability. Yes, I admire them and their Maker. I like them on my bow. I think it makes the bow look far more alive than a blank face of carbon.
Killdeer :archer:
X2
I guarantee one thing...if I had them on my bow and laid it down to hang a stand or something, I'm sure sooner or later it would scare the dickens out of me when I stepped close to it.
QuoteOriginally posted by Hoyt:
I guarantee one thing...if I had them on my bow and laid it down to hang a stand or something, I'm sure sooner or later it would scare the dickens out of me when I stepped close to it.
haha, that's what I always think. I love the look of them and have often contemplated skinning a bow....just don't know if I can do it. I know I'd scare myself!
do whatever "floats your boat"... thats why i put copperheads on my roberston fatal styk z. its hard to beat natural camo from an animal and it looks cool!.. oh yeah and that means theres 2 less crawling around our woods!
I haven't got a clue :dunno:
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c210/coaster500/osage%20bow%20project/OsageTradebow011.jpg)
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c210/coaster500/1957%20Bear%20Kodiak/DSC00032.jpg)
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c210/coaster500/1957%20Bear%20Kodiak/100_2070.jpg)
Sweeet looken bows Ryan
perfect- snakes are misunderstood by most (imo) and aren't nearly as threatening as most would have you believe. Skined limbs are super camo to me, but I would hate to hide some of the beautiful veneers I have seen on some bows. personal preference.
QuoteOriginally posted by Killdeer:
How well could YOU hunt with no arms or legs?
I admire the heck out of a snake, they are cool hunters, stealthy, can go just about anywhere, can taste molecules of scent in the air, can sense heat and track it down. I saw a snake catching minnows in a creek. I saw a snake raiding a starling nest high up a dead tree. Snakes helped me keep the rodent population down in the barns I worked in. I like the way they move, and like the feel of them in my hands.
I find them beautiful, and their scales remind me of beadwork, in colors and patterns that I am not artful enough to think of. God made them, made them in infinite variety, and infused them with beauty and ability. Yes, I admire them and their Maker. I like them on my bow. I think it makes the bow look far more alive than a blank face of carbon.
Killdeer :archer:
I started keping snakes in 4th grade and actually still do so now at 49. Consequently, it does pain me some to see them used in this way. (Still . . I'm thinkin' copperhead skins will look nice on whatever trad bow I end up getting) ;P
I love snake skins over a solid colored glass on a bow just for the beauty, but with clear glass I love to see the grain in the wood veneers.
why not?
Glass bows I like some good looking wood. Self bows gotta be skinned. I think it's the way it was meant to be. At least that my favorite flavors
Why use exotic veneers?
(http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o94/WaryBuck/2011Jamboree333.jpg)
In my opinion, it transformed my 'Green Machine' Pronghorn into another level of cool. It absolutely looks great to my eye, and I think absolutely camouflages it although I've got it shined up a little.
It was my first attempt at skinning a bow, and I think I got lucky in making the decision to paint the limbs black before putting the prairie rattler skins on. But I did that because the riser was green/black laminate. While down at the United Bowmen of Missouri banquet last month, I talked to Mike Yancey who said the color under the skin is VERY important to the final project. Keep that in mind.
But I LOVE mine!!!
(http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o94/WaryBuck/IMG_0803.jpg)
(http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o94/WaryBuck/IMG_0798.jpg)
A couple more pics of the Green Machine, as well as one of another Pronghorn I wouldn't dare put a skin on. Both beauties!
When I ordered my Talltines I was just going with the black glass limbs. But when my 12 year old son saw pictures of limbs with skins on them he insisted that we get some on the bow. It did cost extra, but Wow they are cool looking. I guess a combo of the "Cool Factor" and also the natural camo are the reasons I went with the skins.
(http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/disneyschafer315.jpg) (http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/Stotlerskinned011.jpg) (http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/bullSD003.jpg) (http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/SDWS010.jpg) (http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/FF2003.jpg) (http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/TallTinesbullsnake001.jpg)
(http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/Howattmojave012.jpg) (http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/TallTinesbullsnake003.jpg) (http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/096.jpg) (http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/338.jpg) (http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/965.jpg) (http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/snakeskins/Archery004.jpg)
Sometimes the ride ain't the only thing that gets pimped.
(http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/snakeskins/skins001.jpg) (http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/snakeskins/1skin004.jpg) (http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/bows/deerburrs010.jpg) (http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/bows/morebows011.jpg) (http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/bows/appalation003.jpg) (http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/puffadder2.jpg)
It just looks wicked.
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb428/huskyarcher/101_0301.jpg)
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb428/huskyarcher/101_0299.jpg)
YORNOC, beautiful skins !!!
The last guy that handed me a snake skinned bow laughed at me when i dropped it and stepped away....
Then he cried when i slapped leather and shot it with my 45 :eek: :eek: ..... :biglaugh:
QuoteOriginally posted by YORNOC:
(http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/TallTinesbullsnake003.jpg)
That is the best fitting snake skin I've ever seen.
The way the pattern tapers proportionally with the taper of the limb is outstanding.
VERY WELL DONE!
:clapper: :clapper:
(http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg561/graybarkhunter/DSCF1037.jpg)
I like the looks of snake skins on bows but I always wonder if it might disguise a problem under the glass...nice wood or bamboo under clear glass looks good to me...
Just a quick note from a recent canebrake study here in the Old Dominion . . .
Current Species Status: The canebrake rattlesnake [(Crotalus horridus) Coastal Plain
population] is listed as state endangered under Article 6, Title 29.1 of the Code of
Virginia. There is no federal status for this species. Its range in Virginia is limited to the
lower York-James peninsula (i.e. York County, cities of Newport News and Hampton),
Isle of Wight County, and the cities of Chesapeake, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach.
In 1993, it was estimated that 55% of the known range (32 of 58 sites) in Virginia had
been lost (Mitchell, 1993). An additional 36% was expected to be lost over the next ten to
twenty years from habitat loss due to commercial and residential development. Today,
the largest, contiguous areas of habitat are primarily in the cities of Suffolk, Chesapeake
and Virginia Beach. Other threats include small population size due to habitat
fragmentation and human persecution.
FYI . . .I am not judging those who use skins ...just making my fellow hunters (Amreica's best conservationists) aware that some snakes are considered threatened in some areas.
A bowyer goes to great lengths to pick woods and work his magic on a hand made, essentially one of a kind creation. He looks forward to showing his creation, even if he's made the model numerous times because he knows each is different from the last.
Then.....someone decides to glue the skin of a snake to his bow. To enhance it? To strengthen it? To make it more unique?
I dunno. To each his own but I've never thought that any bow looked better after being skinned by a snake, a shrimp, a chicken or a fish. Matter of fact, I always wonder if the skin is being used to hide a blem, a crack or some other imperfection.
I got copperhead because we have a lot of them in our area, I wanted to cover the carbon back and adding a veneer may not be best over carbon. I think you are seeing some increase in use due to carbon backing on bows.
Landman, I disagree about looks, and think it makes a cool looking natural camo. All you are hiding in many cases is a thin veneer on the back of the limbs - hardly a slight to a bowyer's "one of a kind creation."
Snakes, unlike shrimp chicken and fish, have proportions and patterns that seem like a perfect match for bow limbs.
QuoteOriginally posted by Kingsnake:
FYI . . .I am not judging those who use skins ...just making my fellow hunters (Amreica's best conservationists) aware that some snakes are considered threatened in some areas.
Absolutely. Even deer are hard to come by in certain areas. Always follow legal game laws for any given area. Timbers and canebreaks are endangered in some areas and overflowing in others. We all have to pay close attention to this. As a big snake fan, I wish I had brought it up!
they look great. Im going to wait awhile then get my omega longbow skined
For the same reason people wear snakeskin shoes, it's downright SNAZZY !!!!
Although they perform a very functional purpose in the appearance I can't help but class them with wood paneling or vinyl siding and an old house..
Never quite sure if they were put on to improve appearance or to hide ills.
Mostly that pertains to older bows, but still always a consideration.
I'm pretty surprised at how many people think skins were put on to hide something.
Has anyone ever found this? I've bought and sold HUNDREDS of bows, refinishing and either stripping skins ,putting them on, etc..
I've never seen a skin hiding damage yet. Yet!
I just do it for fun so the answers dont effect my income whatsoever. Just dumbfounded, I have worked on more bows than the average guy by far and have never come across it.
Any time I see a dull( in my opinion of course) black or brown glass bow, my mind is searching for the perfect skin to compliment the riser woods.
Landman, you have me stumped too. I totally respect your opinion, I just dont quite understand. Many of the best bowyers in todays world regularly apply skins per customers request. Why would the bowyer care? He/she is getting paid to do what the customer wants, not what the bowyer wants.
On the other hand, if it was a bow owner skinning it instead of a bowyer....its THEIR bow! Again, why would a bowyer care...its not their bow, someone bought it.
Now..I could totally see a bowyer being a bit peeved if they made a bow for free as a special gift to a friend or family member after spending considerable time picking special woods for a certain reason. But thats about it.
I love snake skins. I wouldn't cover up a nice exotic veneer with one though.
I will skin some plain (to me) limbs that may be black/carbon, green glass, etc. Again, that's my opinion and I know others think that those limbs look nostalgic. I will not skin a highly figured veneered limb.
Kyle
THE Best Camo Patterns on the Planet!! :thumbsup:
(http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l502/MrDwood/DSCN1092.jpg)
(http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l502/MrDwood/Image9.png)
(http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l502/MrDwood/Image6.png)
I like 'em! Even if I'm not that good yet...
QuoteOriginally posted by KentuckyTJ:
I can think of no better use for a snake?
I couldn't agree more. And a pattern such as copperhead or canebrake blends in quite nice. Look at how close the canebrakes are to my natgear in this pic.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b353/kykiller/Trad%20Gang/IMG_2668.jpg)
QuoteOriginally posted by Killdeer:
How well could YOU hunt with no arms or legs?
I admire the heck out of a snake, they are cool hunters, stealthy, can go just about anywhere, can taste molecules of scent in the air, can sense heat and track it down. I saw a snake catching minnows in a creek. I saw a snake raiding a starling nest high up a dead tree. Snakes helped me keep the rodent population down in the barns I worked in. I like the way they move, and like the feel of them in my hands.
I find them beautiful, and their scales remind me of beadwork, in colors and patterns that I am not artful enough to think of. God made them, made them in infinite variety, and infused them with beauty and ability. Yes, I admire them and their Maker. I like them on my bow. I think it makes the bow look far more alive than a blank face of carbon.
Killdeer :archer:
Well said.
had skins on a few bows...osage selfbow, recurves, longbows....and I love them. Each time it had a reason...
selfbow- bow had some snake in it...so put some snake ON it.
recurve- red oak limbs under clear glass had too much shine and reflection of light...so they are on their third set of rattler skins over a 20 year period....my bug spray usually ends up eating the sealant and I dont catch it before the next big rainstorm I am caught in.
longbow- bowyer put it on for appearance....and contrast to an otherwise plain bow.
Never put one on to hide anything....always been either for aesthetics or functionality.
I love the look of snake skins along with great natural camo. I have been using ONESTRINGER Limbsations snake stickers on most of my bows. They're very simple to install, once installed I spray a few coats of lacquer on them and I'm done. Heck I've had a set of their Diamondback on my Bear Montana for over two years and they still look great. The best part is nobody ever believes that they are stickers and not the real thing.
I just love the look of them and plain to putthem on one of my palmer recurves in a couple of months. I saw a nice tutorial in the How To section.
Almost every donation bow I make receives snakeskins, for several reasons:
They look "Kooooooool"
They raise more money at auction (live or silent) then bows without them.
Waterproofing
I personally do not like the the look of sinew or rawhide (antelope rawhide is my preference).
Without knowing who the final owner will be, I like to add some insurance/protection; for everybody.
As for covering flaws, I have yet to see a bow that didn't have at least one...often in the snakeskin.
Personally, a plain old osage bow with some sploches (if that is a word) of black/gray paint on the back makes the best hunting bow, mainly because of the weight sinew/rawhide and skins add to the limbs.