Bow Making

Bow making is one of the most enjoyable and satisfying of all bushcraft activities. There is a saying that ‘a great bow is nine tenths broken at full draw’, but by understanding the properties of timber and with skill, we can take timber to its limit (and return!) to produce an implement of incredible beauty and practicality. The start of your journey through the world of primitive archery starts by exploring aspects of bow design, how this relates to bow making and the woods that can be used. We will look at the elements employed in the eight thousand year old Holmegaard bow and compare these elements with the English longbow many of us are familiar with. The bow making then begins in earnest, using the design elements discussed and working with the properties of the individual stave. You will make your own bow and join the ranks of primitive archers with a choice of making either a Traditional English Longbow, or a Flat bow from a variety of laminated timbers or for the truly rustic, a Woodsman's bow from Wych Elm.

• Bow history
• Wooden bow design
• Factors effecting bow efficiency
• Wood selection
• Laminating timbers
• Bow woods
• Tillering
• String materials
• String construction
• Arrow design
• Arrow woods
• Fletching
• Archery techniques

Details

• Camping is optional
• Location: West Sussex