How Traditional are you really?

[SlowArrow]

I guess I should have read the rule book more carefully.  Now I'm not sure if I am "Traditional" or just over the hill.

Can I still fling arrows anyways?

[SveinD]

Back Quivers were not common until the 1700s.. Traditionally, archers carried their arrows in a linen quilt (or other fabric).. Or so I've heard!

[Mainehunt]

Originally posted by Jake Diebolt:
Most of the time when people mention "traditional", they mean 'pre-compound'. I mean we're not all shooting hand-crafted wooden arrows with flint tips off the knuckle on a self bow. Some of us are, it's true. But the rest of us are using a mixture of modern materials and older stuff. That's fine by me. It'd be a funny old world if we were all alike.

To start splitting hairs over what is traditional or not is probably pointless, and in the end, arbitrary. If you shoot wood arrows out of a selfbow, someone else will shoot hand-knapped flint tips off the knuckle, with deer-gut bowstring. Does that mean you're not a traditional shooter? Not in my books.

For me, traditional is about self-reliance. No sights, no let off. The energy of the arrow is 100 percent ours, and we pay a price in effort to send it on its way. Traditional is about watching the arrow go and know that, no matter the outcome, the only thing guiding that arrow is you.

Hopefully, that's something we can agree on.

Very well said.    I like it and I agree with you.

Kev
<><

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

The only thing wooden on my bow is the grip.  

[Mudd]

I marked "other" as my bows are backed with fiberglass. I do however shoot selfbows as well.

I happen to agree with Steve's take on what it means to be traditional.

My 2 cents worth!

God bless,Mudd

[Night Wing]

For me, a wood bow and the last two choices are "other".

[Bobaru]

I fit right into the main steam of Trad-Gang.  But, when I started, all this was "modern" and "state of the art."

[chopx2]

On your scale, traditional archer 0 for3

But then again I am a hunter first archer second. I shoot LBs and RCs because they suit my preferred hunting style the best and challenge my hunting skills.

Unfortunately we measure our competence increasingly by how far we can shoot rather than how close we can get.

[Shawn Leonard]

See what I mean, people mention all this stuff, sights, elevated rests, bow quivers. They are all more traditional than most any of us on this site, I know they have been around longer than anyone and I mean anyone who has been alive on this site. Shawn

[Javi]

My bows are wood, laminated with modern glues by Bob Sarrels, my arrows are wood, tipped with steel and nocked with plastic.. I could make self nocks; I have before and probably will again but the plastic is frankly easier and if one breaks the shaft is not usually lost..  I shoot off the shelf, currently using a Velcro rest and strike plate although I have often used leather. I've shot off a knuckle more than once and will again I'm sure, as I like the old style bows a lot.

I started in archery long before the word traditional was applied to equipment and I still have issues using the word to describe my gear..

[bowhunterfrompast]

Originally posted by Ron LaClair:
The term "traditional" was coined in the 70's and meant a bow without wheels. I don't think the definition has change but there's some people that have tried to make it mean something else....maybe because they weren't sure themselves what it meant to be traditional.

I've always shot longbows, recurves and self bows or wood bows. In the picture in my avatar I'm shooting a John Strunk Yew bow, flint tipped wood arrows in a wolverine back quiver.  I still do shoot all of them, sometimes wood bows and wood arrows with a back quiver. Sometimes a glassed bow with carbon or wood arrows in a bow quiver. If it's not a compound then it's "traditional"

I think to say someone is MORE traditional is splitting hairs....but that's JMO

Ron's statement "The term "traditional" was coined in the 70's and meant a bow without wheels. I don't think the definition has change but there's some people that have tried to make it mean something else....maybe because they weren't sure themselves what it meant to be traditional" is correct.

lpcjon2....I guess the question is, are you traditional before or after this period of time    

[bowhunterfrompast]

Before the word "TRADITIONAL" was coined.

Originally posted by bowhunterfrompast:
By looking into the past/history of archery/bowhunting we can learn a few things.


1944 Fred Bear Allegan,MI ( Notice the bow quiver )

 

 
In early 1949, Frank Eicholtz started working with George Gordon to develop a uni-directional fiberglass. Fiberglass fabric embedded in plastic resins rapidly became the standard material for bow backins. Because of the abrasive action of cross threads in the glass frabric, however, it was not suitable for use on the compression surface. Bear and his crew worked on this problem for more than two years, and by 1951 they had solved it by eliminating all cross threads in the fiberglass.

Larry Hughes took the 1941 National archery crown at Portland, Oregan with Easton aluminum arrows.

[Scott Teaschner]

I think "traditional" means something differnt to everyone and it is used to describe lots of things. Traditional Country Music, Traditional Christmas or Thanksgiving so on and so forth. It all means something differnt to everyone. I think Ron hit the nail on the head it means "no wheels". But give the wheel bow shooters a little more time and maybe they will call the older compounds traditional. I shoot traditional not as much for the lore or the heritage behind it although that is part of it. I shoot a recurve bow simply because I truly beleave it is the best choice of weapon for ethecal bowhunting situations period. What you use to cary your arrows the kind of clothes you where its all cosmetic. I simply chose the best materials and products for the situation at hand and what I find works best for me. I think a lot of people get caught up in what they think is a "Traditional Look" and its almost like a costume to some point. I think learning the skills of a good woodsman and becoming a profeciant archer far out weighs tradition. If you cant build a wood arrow worth a damn why wouldnt you shoot carbon or aluminum. The one thing I hope never happens is that we segrigate with in the group as it has had in other hunting groups. What one finds to be tradional to him may not be traditional to another that does not make it wrong. This kind of thing goes on with subjects like mountain lion and bear hunting with dogs or baiting bears. We get seperated in our beleifes and we then weaken our cause as hunters. I know we seperate ourselfs from wheel shooters but is this a good thing? Sorry to ramble Scott.

[Roger Norris]

Traditional is your mindset.....not your gear.

[Mudd]

Originally posted by Roger Norris:
Traditional is your mindset.....not your gear.

Amen brother!!

But some reason while I love shooting any and all bows, it's only the Hill and Hill style bows that transport me to my "Sherwood"!

God bless,Mudd

[Bowwild]

I'm simply a recurve shooter. I stay away from the "T" word.

[Blackstick]

Fred Bear wasn't traditional, and neither am I.

[Kapellmeister]

Most times I like to shoot and hunt with my glass / laminated longbows and carbon arrows.  Then there are times when I like to hunt with all 18th century repro gear and clothing, selfbow, wood arrows, flint tips... I'd consider that more "primitive" but it's definitely all "traditional" by today's standards.

I'm feeling the urge to get out the breech clout and go back in time... it's been a while.  

[tippit]

I shoot everything traditionally from a Hickory or Osage selfbows with handmade linen string and hand forged broadheads & knife to an ILF carbon T/D longbow with carbon arrows.  I've taken game with all combinations.  But most importantly, I've enjoyed them all...except maybe the loin cloth in November  

Hickory bow with hand twisted linen string and footed wood arrows with halfed on hand forged broadheads.  

 


Griffin carbon bow and carbon arrows with Wensel Woodsman broadhead.


 

Real Traditional >>--->

Foot made knife by a guy with NO hands or arms and he still hunts!!!  There is always someone that can one up you.  You wouldn't be here if you didn't think you weren't traditional.  Just enjoy...Doc

 

[Archie]

Does it really matter?  I shoot a recurve, a longbow, and a 25-year-old compound with fingers (no release).  But I do it the way I like it, and not to please anyone or anything else.

Archie