Ok ok perhaps I exaggerate in regard to the clown LOL...

Finally got my mitts on something I have kept an eye out for for some time...a Saluki bow by bowyer Lukas Novotny.  

Specifically a 60" Saluki Ibex bamboo and glass horsebow 50@28.  

Based on my research Salukis seem to be one of those makes that your average bow connoisseur seeks out after maybe having tried a performance slanted or beauty focused recurve or hybrid longbow or two or three, has maybe read a couple volumes of the Traditional Bowyers' Bible, and/or maybe just wants to try something 'different' or something 'exotic'.  

Guys who own them seem to stream nothing but praise, those who don't might have some measure of skepticism, and then there's the rest of us who simply say 'its called a what??'  

Long wait times and a little bit on the higher end of the price spectrum combined with the 'otherness' of a non-Western design influence ensure that these bows hold some decent level of mystique in the tradbow world.

You hardly ever see them for sale, and if you do they don't last long...one might theorize "is it cause there's not that many out there or is it because they're that inspiring to their owners that they are absolute keepers?"

Well, since lucking out and finding one a few weeks ago I am pleased to report that in my mind the Saluki Ibex is indeed something special.  

Here we have a bow that is a glass and bamboo laminated bow with a construction near exactly alike to more typical tradbow designs, but with the influence of Eastern bow design meaning it has fully functional 'siyahs' or stiff, non-working tips that add a lever mechanical advantage late in the draw to increase arrow speed.  This bow resembles a Tartar horsebow as would be found on the wild steppes where Eastern Europe gives way to the Orient.  The static recurves that are having their heyday today owe their lineage to this type of bow.

Lukas Novotny seems to have done a bang up job of taking the classical horn composite bow designs of the East and interpreting them in wood and glass.  

Fit/finish on my 'new to me' Ibex is as good as any of the top makers out there.  This particular bow is elegantly simple, with what appears to be a bubinga riser, triple bamboo limbs under clear glass and brown micarta tip reinforcements.  Lukas apparently will build the grip to suit any taste; on this bow it is a near straight 'low grip' with a nice contoured shape that fits the hand solidly.  

This bow has an unstrung profile far more radical than anything in the more mainstream bow world.  It's just a tad tricky to string the sucker.  But with a little care it can be done.  A tip to tip longbow stringer is definitely preferable in this case vs a more common cup and block.  Otherwise if no appropriate stringer is available you'll be stuck doing 'step through' on this one.  Just be careful!

I got this puppy strung up and brace height decently good to go and then proceeded to tune some arrows and establish my nock height/ final brace height.  Bow was easy to tune and within a handful of shots I had my brace height chosen and nock height set- arrows were flying straight and true.

And man did they fly!!  $&@"/-!!!!   Holy moly this thing is fast!!' I was shooting WAY high.

After all is said and done after getting this thing tuned to me the only thing this bow could be criticized on is its light physical weight...it definitely takes a steady bow arm to keep things under control.  

Otherwise I find this thing surprisingly stable...the tips/ends of the limbs are so stiff.  I've read a couple other reviews that claimed these Ibex were 'unforgiving' or 'require your A-game' to shoot well but I'm just not finding that other than the light physical weight.  And really its actually heavier than say a 60" Centaur.  It is very very quiet with just wool puffs and at 6 7/8" brace height.  It points very naturally.

And the best part is it is without a doubt one of the all time smoothest bows I have ever drawn.  It just feels like a giant spring.  

Handshock is more or less absent, there's a slight sensation of string stoppage, again I think its just due to the bows light weight.  

All in all a bow that makes me grin grin grin     :D

Uhhh.... Pics please....

I ditched my recurve and longbow in favor of an Atilla horsebow.  #60 @ 33"

They are definitely a world apart!

I'll be adding 2 more to the stable in the next few months, one for my son and a #45 @ 33" for me.

Wow...I just got a case of the wantsies. Pretty bow!

I like it, one of these days Id like to try one and have one....
   I like going on the U-tube and watching the Horse bow videos....

Nice! I can't wait to see it in the classifieds, I call first dibs!    

  :D

Beautiful!

 

Y'all know me too well (Paul!).  I only get so much time to hunt throughout the year so one of my main hobbies lately has been acquiring and trying various bows learning all about what makes different designs tick.  I've got a couple I won't sell but the rest are used as currency to test drive the next one.  So much fun, they all have different personalities.

How much will you be listing it for?

Here's mine

http://youtu.be/VcaOKyDikO8

Hahaha well I've only had it a few days!  Who said this one was leaving LOL.  You never know.  I will say that I have probably watched the classifieds on all the forums for almost 2 years before finding this one.  So far we're getting along famously.  

'DeVille:  nice job on that bow man!!  That looks like a real killer!

This 60" Ibex has no finger pinch issues with a traditional draw.  Being it has a left hand shelf I imagine if I wanted to try a thumb ring I could do so shooting right handed.  

The draw on this thing is just too smooth.  It gets easier the farther you pull it back.  Loving it.

Horse bows a kick in the you know what!!!  FUUUUUUN!!!!!

Chuck,
You have a flair for these writeups and do a very good job of capturing the feel of each- thanks for sharing

What Beendare said...

yes. yes. i' ve wanted to shoot a saluki for a long time now. the ibex or the scythian would be cool to try and who could not love the curves?

Ive always been intrigued by these bows.   Great find

Awesome bow.  Just put the down payment on a custom Kassai Greyhound-50# at 36", guaranteed to 38", pulls to 40".  That's the only reason I didn't go Saluki.  If I ever luck into money one day, my next would be a Saluki.

Do you have a thumb ring?  If you do I can see if I have one here that will fit you, and if I don't I can easily make you one.

Thanks for compliments guys, I really try and pay close attention when I'm shooting a new bow to see bow it behaves versus ones I own or have shot before.  Lord knows I have bought enough bows based on reviews alone and often it has turned out great and sometimes not so great...just trying to help out by being descriptive and as 'objectively' subjective as I can haha.  I will often shoot other bows alongside the new bow.  In this case with the Saluki I currently have several other bows in the same weight range so I can do comparisons.  I love trad so much, believe me I wish I could make some kinda living at it.  I am an artist, so I actually do have some plans at some point soon to integrate trad into my artwork and maybe become an Associate Sponsor and start offering my work for sale.  

HalfSem'-  I do not own a thumb ring and would love to try one.  I can shoot righty well enough that I think it'd be worth a shot.

Nice bow. Im hoping he brings a pile of bows to Denton Hill this summer.

Izzy

Is Lukus coming back to Denton this year???

Nineworlds,
                  Do you think a bow would be shooting faster if the arrows were going high....or possibly slower due to the arc?

                                          Good Shooting,
                                                           Craig