no-leather longbows

COLongbow · January 28, 2010, 03:46:00 PM

Anybody take the leather grip material off of their longbows and go bare-wood? I would like to enjoy all the nice wood on my riser but not sure if it's a good idea.

wv lungbuster · January 28, 2010, 03:56:00 PM

All my bow are just bare wood no grips. It can get slick in the summer months from sweaty hands and very slick with some gloves especially wool in the winter. I usually were gloves with the rubber grippers.

Shooty1 · January 28, 2010, 04:22:00 PM

If I buy another Hill bow, it'll be with the finished grip. Then you don't have to wrap it, but can if you want to.

LCH · January 28, 2010, 04:30:00 PM

I like the feel of wood on my hand. LCH

LongbowGuy83 · January 28, 2010, 04:34:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by LCH:
I like the feel of wood on my hand. LCH

I agree.

LKH · January 28, 2010, 04:45:00 PM

I almost always have a glove on my bow hand when hunting and don't like wood. Just too slippery.

Besides, what you're really feeling is varnish or some other finish. Very few of the bows actually have bare wood. Why would you, it would just be a place for the moisture to get in.

**DONOTDELETE** · January 28, 2010, 05:20:00 PM

bare wood. no covering at all

JRY309 · January 28, 2010, 09:50:00 PM

For me I like and prefer a leather grip on a longbow,I like function more then looking at pretty wood.

T Sunstone · January 28, 2010, 10:03:00 PM

If it dos not have a leather grip I'm not buying it.

ron w · January 28, 2010, 10:36:00 PM

I like leather but I have been using the rubber sure grip and I really like it. It also comes on and off quickly. That way you can go naked wood if you want.

Cmalone1 · January 28, 2010, 10:39:00 PM

Bare Bows look more primitive to me!! Either way i think it's personal preference...

Red Beastmaster · January 28, 2010, 10:39:00 PM

I put a rubber sure grip on all my bows. Leather soaks up rain and no wrap at all is too slick.

cahaba · January 29, 2010, 02:42:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by T Sunstone:
If it dos not have a leather grip I'm not buying it.

Same for me.

wollelybugger · January 29, 2010, 05:33:00 AM

I like the feel of the wood in my hand, no leather for me.

Jim now in Kentucky · January 29, 2010, 09:30:00 AM

I also find bare polished wood way too slippery when I'm wearing a glove in cold weather.

I took the deteriorated leather off my Bear Polar when I got it and haven't made up my mind what to do next. The handle is wider than I like, but I do like leather.

How's that for being no help at all?

January 29, 2010, 09:35:00 AM

Recently changed the original rubber grip on my BW longbow for a new one, which was a lot thicker and changed the feel of the bow entirely. Went ti bare wood and I like it better--most of my other bows are bare, also, I'm usually wearing a glove so it doesn't seem slippery to me.

Tater 2 · January 29, 2010, 10:40:00 AM

Personally I prefer a laced Leather grip.

For the guys who like bare wood, when you are wearing gloves if you rub a little string wax or Beeswax in the throat of the grip it won't slip and gives you better control, cleans off easy and is not affected by moisture.

LBR · January 29, 2010, 11:12:00 AM

If I have to use a grip, it will be rubber, but I prefer none at all. Leather looks great and feels good, but it holds moisture and scent. If I shoot a bow with a leather grip all summer, by hunting season the grip is going to smell like something between dirty gym socks and an old jock strap. MS whitetails are hard enough to get a shot at without that handicap.

Chad

George D. Stout · January 29, 2010, 11:15:00 AM

Rubber grips are awful....I would rather have a bare grip than that. On a small riser, I like a leather wrap. The more pistol grip the riser, the more I tend to leave it all wood. That "slipperiness" allows for a no-torque hold, with locater grips. Everyone is different.

Dave Bulla · January 29, 2010, 11:23:00 AM

George, ya beat me to it.

I like either bare wood or a wound leather lacing for my longbows. The slickness to me is a plus to keep from torquing the bow. My current setup is narrow leather lacing (about 1/8" wide) wrapped around the handle and it is a really good compromise to me. It is slick enough that the bow can still rotate in my hand yet the wrapped lace causes little dips between each wrap that give me traction vertically. Basically, the bow won't slide up or down but it can still rotate but the rotation is a tad less than bare wood.

I'll see if I can find a picture of it.