This is a story about a cedar longbow, made by a guy named Dave Johnson...and it really begins back in 91 when Dave originally made the bow for a man who was going to Africa...
Many of you know who Dave is, in fact there was a thread about him on here not too long ago.
This will take some reading, but if you read along I think you'll appreciate Dave, his bows, and the true essence of the people like him who do little things greatly.
The bow is a red cedar longbow, finished in clear glass....it pulls 81 pounds at 27 inches.
On the lower limb Dave has signed the bow, and if you dont have a longbow with this signature on it, then I truly am sorry......those of you who own them know what I mean.
I have pictures of this bow, just waiting for someone to help me with the posting...hint.
For me the story actually begins (though I didn't know it at the time) back in 2006 when I returned home from a year long tour in Afghanistan. I was new to traditional archery then, and still am really...aren't we all?
An amazing group of people put a hunt together for me at a place called Brush Country Bowhunting, down in Freer, Texas, and I had an amazing time. Since then Smitty and I have become close friends and we talk often. I was brand new then shooting and learning about traditional bows, and the kind of people who shoot them.
I can honestly say that I witnessed and received a measure of humble friendship and generosity that I can not recall at any other time in my life....from complete strangers.
In the bunkhouse at Smitty's there was this obviously old Hill style longbow, unstrung, sitting in the corner. You could see it had stories it could tell...but it was dusty and appeared unused. I have an affinity for old things like bows and rifles, and the history they have lived, but at the time I wasn't interested in Hill style bows cause they were "slow".......and I was trying to get ever ounce of available speed out of the recurve I was shooting.
Sound familiar to anyone?
Hopefully someone will reach out and help me to post the pix of this bow, and the journey can continue.....
Happy Easter, everyone
Hey Russel.First things first.Have you signed in in Photobucket?It takes a couple of minutes to do that.Once you 've done that I ll guide you to the next step.
Russ,
email the pics to me at danny.rowan@dhs.gov and I will post them for you.
Danny
By the way Russ, it is now 04:48 on Guam and I get off at 06:00 so If I do not get the pics by then I will not be able to post them until tonight so also send them to my personal email at
drowan11@yahoo.com
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o315/rcclagett/bow3.jpg)
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o315/rcclagett/bow6.jpg)
If your longbow doesn't have this....you're wrong.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o315/rcclagett/bow5.jpg)
Dave even put my name on the bow.....
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o315/rcclagett/bow7.jpg)
See the silencers? No...? That's cause it don't need any........
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o315/rcclagett/bow2.jpg)
Dave Johnson Red Cedar Longbow...81 @ 27...
It looks like I have figured out the photo thing...hopefully. Thanks for bearing with me on that....
And I have already given part of the story away...
There it is!! While at Smitty's I watched a transformation occur.
Each time Russ would launch an arrow from that bow he would look down at the bow and then back at the target bag which was still rocking from being hit with such authority. Then he would smile.
Russ had just purchased a very fine and new to him R/D longbow before the trip. Once the dust came off the Dave Johnson bow I don't think the other bow ever came out of the bunkhouse.
That's one sweet bow right there!
Waitin' on the rest of the journey.... :coffee:
So...I tried and shot several bows over the years and still looked on those Hill styles as old, slow bows. My buddy Canyon has a couple, and is always talkin about his Hill....
So Canyon and I put together a hunting trip just a couple months ago and we went down to Smitty's to hunt up some hogs and javelina.......always a good time.
I hadn't seen Smitty in some time so we had catchin up to do, and some introductions. After a while Canyon noticed the old longbow leaning in the corner and Smitty said....."you ought to string that up and shoot it......that was my daughter's old bow"......we laughed. As Canyon headed out the door Smitty leaned out and said..."wait till he pulls it......."
Then we took it outside and strung it up. It had an old ratty string on it, and the nock point was clearly not set right, but we shot it anyway.
The first time I pulled that 68 inch longbow back and settled into it, I fell in love. Ol School was there with us, and suddenly we all decided this bow needed a new string....
A new string later, we strung it back up and set a new nock point....
Canyon had some arrows that might spine right for it, so we tried 'em......and my first two shots out of that old bow hit in the center of the bag target, almost within two inches of each other......
I was kinda marveling at that point, for two reasons. One was this bow shoots like it was made just for me, and two was I had never shot a bow this heavy before.
We took turns and just kind of enjoyed our time and company with this old bow. Smitty was saying he got the bow from a good friend who couldn't shoot it cause it was too heavy.
That man had been good friends with the original owner, who had passed away. So the bow ended up down at Smitty's and had been there for several years......
The finish was old and the handle leather was worn and dark....
So I had decided a couple things.....one, I had been wrong about "those Hill bows" and had no idea how much fun it was to shoot a heavy bow too.
I was seeing first hand how totally shootable a long Hill style bow was...and did it ever thump the targets.......our arrows were about 650 grains and they flew like rockets...
No silencers on this bow either....and it didnt appear to need any.....
We shot for several rounds (I could only shoot a few arrows at a time) and I had already decided I was going to own a heavy Hill style of my own..
Smitty was just saying how he kept the bow in the corner as a conversation piece until maybe someday he found someone who could shoot it..
Then Smitty gave me the bow.
Watching you haul that bow back the first time was something...but watching how you and it became friends over the week was SOMETHING ELSE. I couldn't believe how you started stacking arrows together.
It just fits and I think Smitty having those years of watching bowhunters knew it would.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o315/rcclagett/newlongbow.jpg)
At first my draw was kinda short, but the more I shot the bow the more I "got into it" and my draw increased...
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o315/rcclagett/shooting.jpg)
See the arrow on the right side of the pic? This bow is anything but a "slow Hill style..." The 81 pound draw weight has something to do with it, but still......
Unbelievable.
No, not really.......I've known Smitty since 06 and it doesn't surprise me that he gave a bow away. Sure surprised me at the time though...
So now I've got this new bow, and I'm headlong into a new journey with my very own Hill style heavy longbow..
So Canyon and I head back to my house to visit, and just out of curiousity we look up Dave Johnson Longbows........
Canyon told me he was the man back in the day and his bows were superbly crafted, and we were seeing that first hand, but he was now out of business and not making bows anymore.
Reckon how surprised we were to see a website and Dave back building bows again........
Now I just need to email the man and see what he could tell me about this beauty.....
that is an amazing story. you dont hear that with a wheelie bow. The stories to be made now, let the journey begin.
oh, forgot to add, a beautiful bow also.
Very cool!
That's a real neat story, Russ.
I orderd a bow last summer from Dave, and have really enjoyed shooting it.
That 80 pounder would be a chore for me. He won't make one that heavy anymore.
I agree, Dave Johnson is a great guy, and one of the finest American style bowmakers there is.
Russ I've been waiting for this story. Thanks for sharing!
So I decide to call Dave Johnson and see what he could tell me about this bow.....
Well, it's no huge surprise...Dave is a great guy! We talked for a while and exchanged some emails....
When he asked how I came to have the bow, I told him the story about seeing it for the first time at Smitty's after my first tour.
The big surprise came when I asked Dave if he would refinish the bow for me, and how much that would cost......
In his next email Dave told me in honor of my service in the Stan, he wanted to refinish the bow....and not charge me a thing.
I was astounded by this, but he insisted. I had a 3 week trainup coming up, where I went into the field with a deploying unit, and taught combat marksmanship and sniper training, so I sent Dave the bow.
To me I think one of the most interesting things for a bowyer is wondering where my bows go, what kind of hunts are they going on, and where they end up years after being made......Dave and I talked about that and put the pieces of this story together.
Dave told me this is the heaviest bow he ever made, and it was made for a brain surgeon who was bound for Africa with it, but apparently passed away before he could go.
I was overwhelmed by this man's gesture, and could not wait to see this bow restored to its former beauty...
I have one of Dave's bows on my want list.
I am always looking these days at different ways of funding one.
It'll happen.. I am a man of faith.. God willing.
His servant, Mudd
PS: My buddy Cobweb reminds me frequently that it never hurts to want....lol
Then another amazing thing happened......
About halfway through the trainup I get a call from my wife, telling me I got an email from Dave. He says it's gonna take a little longer than he thought.......cause he and his wife were in a car wreck....and wanted to know if that was okay......
!
Of course it's okay! Who cares about how long it takes......how are you and your wife?!
It turns out they were a little banged up but okay, and Dave wanted to finish the bow.
Amazing....we told him to take as much time as he needed, but to make sure and take care of himself and his wife.......
I love this story. Shows the "spirit of the bow".
So now I'm home from the trainup, and the big PVC tube shows up in the mail!
The bow is prettier than ever with a new finish, and Dave has even put my name on it...
Before I left I took a dozen surewood doug fir shafts and soaked them for 5 days in a PVC pipe filled with Danish Watco Oil....and they soaked up alot of weight.....
I cut them to length and tipped them with 190 tuskers.....they weigh in at 850 or so grains now...perfect! The oil made the natural grain pretty striking on some of these......
This bow shoots like a quiet, smooth rocket with these heavy arrows.....
So now this bow, built over 20 years ago to go on a special hunting trip....is mine. I am beginning a new love affair with a heavy Hill style bow...and truly, I never imagined this. I never imagined all these stars would line up this way, and that I would meet these obviously special people involved in this story...
But it ain't over yet.
Cause, out of the blue...I got another email from Dave Johnson......
Great story Russ, thanks for posting! :archer2:
Thanks guys.....just so everyone knows...Dave is back and building bows again.
He doesn't want to build any heavy ones anymore but he is building red cedar longbows again..
And they are works of art.
Yes his bows are awesome and he will build them up to 50 lbs. Russ thanks again for posting this.
Awesome stuff Russ ... thanks for sharing.
Hey you haven't even told me about the other email from Mr Johnson!! What did he have to say?
Great story! And?... :campfire:
So I get this unexpected email from Dave....I had asked what his recommendation was on arrow spine, and this is what he said....
WAY BACK IN THE 80'S WHEN I WAS SHOOTING A 60# BOW, IT BECAME POPULAR FOR LONGBOW SHOOTERS TO SHOOT ARROWS THAT WERE SPINED MAYBE 20#'S HEAVIER THAN THE BOW. FOR THAT REASON, I JUMPED ON THE BANDWAGON AND GOT 23/64" ARROWS THAT WERE SPINED AT 80 #'S...WORKED O.K. BUT I SOON REALIZED THAT 11/32" , SPINED AT THE ACTUAL WEIGHT OF THE BOW WAS THE TICKET FOR ME.
LONG STORY SHORT.....I HAVE 2+ DOZEN ACME PREMIUM ARROWS, 23/64", ALL SPINED AT ABOUT 80#, THAT I HAVE BEEN WAITING TO FIND A GOOD HOME FOR. I WANT YOU TO HAVE THEM. THEY HAVE SAT IN MY SHED FOR 25 YEARS AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THEY NEED TO BE REFLETCHED. ALSO, THEY ARE DIPPED IN WHITE PAINT (I LOVED TO WATCH THEM FLY), BUT THIS CAN BE REMOVED IF NEED BE. THERE IS NO WAY YOU COULD HOPE TO FIND SHAFTS LIKE THESE ANYWHERE TODAY AND I JUST HOPE THEY WILL WORK FOR YOUR BOW.....IT WOULD BE A THRILL FOR ME TO HELP YOU HARVEST THAT ELK WITH MY BOW AND ARROWS. THERE ARE A FEW THAT ARE SHOOTABLE AND YOU CAN TRY THEM OUT TO SEE IF THEY WILL WORK WITH YOUR BOW. SO, BE WATCHING FOR A BOX IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. WILL NOT SPEND A LOT OF EFFORT IN CAREFUL WRAPPING SINCE THESE SHAFTS ARE GOING TO NEED SOME RESTORATION ANYWAY.
BEST TO YOU MY FRIEND,
DAVE
Wow......what do you think of that?
Amazing......
If you read what Dave wrote you can probably see where this is heading......
I just found out I drew an archery bull Elk tag in northern Arizona.....
My lifetime buddy Canyon and I are going elk hunting in God's country this fall, and with the Lord's help, I am doing to stick a bull elk with this Dave Johnson longbow....and arrow....
How cool is this?.... Way!....I'm saying....
That is the mark of a.... Tradgang member!!
God bless,Mudd
The planning has already begun.
I am aware of a rather large bull in your hunt unit that is a spectacular candidate for a Dave Johnson combo. The bull was seen just prior to the sheds dropping meaning he made it through our mild winter this year. We will need to find where his girls live in September to arrange for an appropriate meeting but I have a good idea of their address....bring your climbing shoes.
Excellent story and generosity galore. Good luck chasing that bull - you definitely have karma on your side!
Canyon,
Not sure where you are located or where hunts are allowed, but I just returned from a cross country trip along I-40 from NC to Cali. We hit a detour up AZ 64/AZ 180 and back. We saw two herds. One definitely had a bull in it due to his dark and large neck, I think I saw some antelope off in the distance as well. One heard was east of the road and on the way south the other was on the west side but closer to the park entrance.
Dead coyotes all over the place that were hit by cars.
Az just looks like Elk and wildlife.
I already want to go back.
Bud B thats not the hunt unit Russ has but I know that area well as I spent 16 years patrolling it and still call it home.
Russ,
I've only got one thing to say: OUTSTANDING!
Sarge
Giddyyyuuuppppp !!!!!
way cool !
Guys this all reflects on Dave Johnson...he really is that kind of guy...
This community is full of super people and we see great stuff all the time, but even still some people really stand out as awesome and Dave is one of those guys...
If you dont own a Dave Johnson cedar longbow...you should.
I've heard tradgangers talk about certain bows that just seemed part of them and now I know exactly what that's about....this bow feels like part of my soul......every time I shoot it.
Now if I can just get those single bevel Tuskers sharp.........
"Guys this all reflects on Dave Johnson...he really is that kind of guy...
This community is full of super people and we see great stuff all the time, but even still some people really stand out as awesome and Dave is one of those guys...
If you dont own a Dave Johnson cedar longbow...you should."
Russ, after dealing with Dave when getting a bow from him,I could not agree more! He is a gentleman, listens to you, works with you, and is one very skilled bowyer/ artisan.
Excellent story! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Good luck on the hunt.
Got the arrows in! Wow!
These are really old....and most of them are still straight......after sitting on a shelf for 25 years........
Way too bad we can't get these anymore....
Can't wait to refletch 'em and shoot......
Thanks Dave!