Hi tradgang family well I am looking for some info on who makes an excellent selfbow,Osage,Hickory,anything really,can be someone with a website or just a trad member.
Any recommendations>? quality and craftsmanship! :campfire:
lets see those selfbows!
Ted Fry at Raptor Archery builds beauties. John Strunk out in the Pac NW is pretty much 'the man' when it comes to selfbows. I owned two of his self- English longbows for a while. Functional art. There aren't many mainstream selfbowyers out there since most guys just learn how to do it and just make em for themselves.
Arvin Weaver makes an awesome selfbow. His bows have back to back IBO World Championships, and I would not bet against them in the future.
One name comes to my mind... Ed Scott
QuoteOriginally posted by Caughtandhobble:
Arvin Weaver makes an awesome selfbow. His bows have back to back IBO World Championships, and I would not bet against them in the future.
What he said^^^^^^
Bisch
Second Ed Scott
thank you gentleman those are some good recommendations ill look into those more.anyone else?
feel free to show off your bow!
Mike Yancey of Pine Hollow & a lessr known (but not lesser quality) is a guy named John Holman of Bear Creek Bows. I think both have websites, but don't know if they're sponsors here or not.
Bert Frelink, if you want to score on the exchange rate- he is a canuck- builds beautiful bows!
calls himself quarter moon bows, he is a member on here.
I've got a couple of mine in here. Obviously, the Bear recurve is not my make, but the others are:
http://s1096.photobucket.com/user/danzsweeney/slideshow/
Id suggest floating around the Bowyers Bench a bit and also float around Primitive Archer a bit getting to know the guys. You will get super quality for half the money as these guys are building for fun and not a living.
I only have one. It is a Ted Fry bow that I picked up out of the classifieds. I absolutely love the thing!
Jim Rempp, Missoula, Mt
Darren Shue makes an awesome selfbow .
Ryan Gill,Gills Primitive Archery.
Pat B and Roy from PA seem to do bows pretty well. I don't think either does them for sale but if you talked real purty.... who knows?
Guy
JD Jones built some amazing BBO longbows and statics. I have one of each--they are works of a master for sure. I'm not sure whether he still crafts bows, but goes by the handle "horseapple."
There's Ed Scott self bows, then everyone else's. I have since traded off one, but gotten another to replace it. These are older pics. I haven't taken any pics of the newest Owl, which is the best one of Ed's, that I've held or shot.
(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s415/pinefarm/SAM_0722.jpg) (http://s1050.photobucket.com/user/pinefarm/media/SAM_0722.jpg.html)
(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s415/pinefarm/SAM_0721.jpg) (http://s1050.photobucket.com/user/pinefarm/media/SAM_0721.jpg.html)
(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s415/pinefarm/photo-113.jpg) (http://s1050.photobucket.com/user/pinefarm/media/photo-113.jpg.html)
(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s415/pinefarm/photo-112.jpg) (http://s1050.photobucket.com/user/pinefarm/media/photo-112.jpg.html)
(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s415/pinefarm/photo-115.jpg) (http://s1050.photobucket.com/user/pinefarm/media/photo-115.jpg.html)
(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s415/pinefarm/photo-110.jpg) (http://s1050.photobucket.com/user/pinefarm/media/photo-110.jpg.html)
(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s415/pinefarm/photo-109.jpg) (http://s1050.photobucket.com/user/pinefarm/media/photo-109.jpg.html)
(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s415/pinefarm/photo-107.jpg) (http://s1050.photobucket.com/user/pinefarm/media/photo-107.jpg.html)
Check out some of Blackhawks work on primitive archer. This guy can make a bow.
Another vote for Bert Frelink and I'd toss John Strunks name into the ring too.
mojostick- those are incredibly beautiful bows! you have excellent taste and they shoot as good as they look?
hunterbob- will look into Blackhawks work thank you!
and thank you to everyone else chiming in on this
Yeah, they shoot like a dream.
Mike Yancey of pine hollow makes some great ones
Jim Rempp Hamstring Archery in Missoula,MT. he may be the best out there!!! Jim is a gentleman and selfboywer extreme!!!!!
Check out Echo Archery! Of course John Strunk too.
I'll second Ryan Gill, he makes some excellent selfbows and other primitive gear. (http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn66/tarponnut/Ryansgear.jpg) (http://s301.photobucket.com/user/tarponnut/media/Ryansgear.jpg.html)
John Scifres?
Ryan Gill....he not only hunts successfully with his bows....others have too....check out his website for your own verification....
I'm going with Mike Yancey on this one. His bows are excellent.
Mike
Kevin Brown of Herwaybow in Irvington, Ky.
I guess I had thought that a 'self bow' meant that you made it yourself. Or, does it more refer to a style of bow?
A self bow is a single piece of wood made into a bow. No backing.
I would say take Mike Yancey's class. Use his knowledge and walk away with a bow You built yourself.
bretto
First of all, it's nice to see someone interested in selfbows. Traditional archery tackle is moving in a direction away from natural materials and truly handmade bows,and towards the infinitely reproducible.
I have been collecting selfbows for fifteen years. My collection is extensive and includes bows from most of the bowyers mentioned here and many others. I have 32 bows from John Strunk alone. John is a master self bowyer, and if we were Japanese he would be designated a Living National Treasure. John knows more about selfbows than anyone alive, and his price for a bow is reflective of his humbleness.
Be wary of a bowyer who charges more than what John charges. Some selfbow bowyers are legends in their own minds and their prices reflect it. I have paid some of these high priced bowyers for bows that went out of tiller, cracked, or were just really poor excuses for a selfbow. In all cases they took them back. I won't name names, but one of those bowyers is highly recommended in earlier posts in this thread.
Deciphering a piece of wood and making a bow out of it is not easy. You really want to deal with someone who knows what they are doing and has done it hundreds of times before, and who, if there is a problem, will with without question make it right.
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
You could build a nice selfbow if you put your mind to it. Its an addicting and rewarding hobby. Killing a deer with a weapon you created with your own hands is an incredible accomplishment.
I am surprised Jim Rempp has not been suggested more. he is in Missoula MT. and makes a superb Selfbow. I believe Paul Brunner interviewed him for an article in Traditional Bowhunter Magazine a few years ago. He normally has a number of bows in stock and snake skins as well.
luv my Owls but I would look at Jim Rempp also
Curt Brisky
I know Curt personally and he makes awesome self bows.
http://www.brisky-bows.com/
God bless,Mudd
Learn to do it yourself. Plenty of resource material available and guys to steer you right. Very satisfying and addicting when you start making shootable bows.
try Dean Marlow he's a member of this site and he makes a nice self bow. would love to have another one of his bows.
Is Gerald Welch,still making bows up in Alaska?
QuoteOriginally posted by Traxx:
Is Gerald Welch,still making bows up in Alaska?
I just visited the Welchman Longbows website. A few years ago Gerald was mentoring someone who may have taken over. The website is different and the prices are doubled.
Prices are the killer. I realize its driven by what a guy will pay, but seeing $1200 on an almost average, simple sinew backed osage bow is a tough pill to swallow.