Yew Character bow. Big pics beware.

[Dave]

That looks really good. A bow like that made by a recognised maker, would cost in excess of £400. How long have you been making Bows Dwardo? I'd be interested to know how that one shoots in comparison to one of the £400-£700 handmade yew bows. Cause it just looks the same.

 

[dwardo]

That looks really good. A bow like that made by a recognised maker, would cost in excess of £400. How long have you been making Bows Dwardo? I'd be interested to know how that one shoots in comparison to one of the £400-£700 handmade yew bows. Cause it just looks the same.

Always hard to judge one persons work again the other mate. I have never sold a yew bow as I keep them all my self Even though i am starting to running out of rack space. I have been making bows for about 6 years or so and have been lucky to be able to put a lot of hours in as i work from from. Almost part time i suppose.
My usual commission runs from about £250 upwards for a nice cherry or elm bow or what ever I have in stock at the time. Yew is so hard to come by that it does jump up the price but I do occasionally get lucky and some turns up. English longbows tend to go for more again because its hard to find a nice bit of yew to make and ELB. I dont tend to make many for the same reason and the fact that i just prefer the look and performance of a nice flat recurve.
The prices I feel are justified simply because of the amount work and hours it takes, without considering the material costs or the time it takes to properly season and look after the raw material before it even gets chance to become a bow.
Then there are the times when it simply just does not hold together and you end up with possibly 50 hours invested in fancy looking kindling .

 

[Dave]

I agree. Ive been to see Adrian Hayes making longbows in his workshop, and used a few. I even owned a Chris Boyton Longbow. The pacific yew is supposedly the best? Im without bow at present. But intend to get another soon enough. Might talk to you about it then. Great work anyway.

 

[dwardo]

I agree. Ive been to see Adrian Hayes making longbows in his workshop, and used a few. I even owned a Chris Boyton Longbow. The pacific yew is supposedly the best? Im without bow at present. But intend to get another soon enough. Might talk to you about it then. Great work anyway.

Thanks. Chris Boyton`s stuff is stunning.
Pacific yew is generally cleaner and slower grown which means higher density and less knots but.. there is some debate about that too.
Wood is wood no matter where its grown and you find more difference in compression and tensile strength between trees from the same species, than you do between different species which again makes things fun. There are amazing bows made from English yew regularly.
Performance is generally measure in arrow speed at a given arrow weight. The arrow weight is usually proportional to the poundage that the bow draws usually 10 grains per lb. This measures the bows efficiency and is where the fibreglass and wheelie bow guys get it all wrong. They quote figures of 300fps but are shooting a tooth-pick of an arrow through a 50lb so its going to be fast.
Oh then its just a question of how far to push performance before longevity is compromised.
All good fun.

 

[Everything Mac]

Thanks,

Get some photos up of the staves and i can point you in the right direction. Would try to stay away from anything with too much character for your first bows as the craft is brain scratching enough without having to consider a load of knots, pins dips n bumps. Just let the character ones hide and cower in the corner of the shop for a few years

Thanks too Woodspirits, we will have to sort that collaboration out one day for a carved handle n tips

Back up in Wirral now mate so will take pics when I get back.

Cheers

 

[Corfe]

I think Legolas is jealous and wants you to make him one.

(He has a yew bow in Lord of the Rings and I always thought ' - yew?')

 

[Darkwoodecho]

That's really lovely, and I don't even shoot! or arch or whatever

 

[dwardo]

I think Legolas is jealous and wants you to make him one.

(He has a yew bow in Lord of the Rings and I always thought ' - yew?')

Pretty sure someone made a copy, if not the orc bow anyways.

 

[dwardo]

That's really lovely, and I don't even shoot! or arch or whatever

I know what you mean as some archers get a bit funny over the use "fire" most tend to say shoot or loose anyways
Thanks.