Ash flatbow with painted back, 55#/26″ (No. 54)

I have seen some ‘great basin bows’ awhile and had those in mind when doing this one. Don’t know if I’m on the right track, but anyway it turned out as a sweet shooting flatbow. Design is a bendy handle, moderate flipped tips, flat belly, symmetrical. It got tiny pin self nocks.
The back is painted with homemade paint from earth pigments and hide glue. It came out very clean and didn’t look how I wanted it. So I did some antiquing. After a second layer of paint with avoiding ruler like lines it looked already much better. Next was particular sanding and rubbing on some brown pigments as a patina. At least a particular heating brought a very rustic ‘used’ optic.
Handle is simple wrapped buckskin, two leather strips glued on the belly makes a deeper grip.
Length is 54½”
Mass is 495 grams

 

2 Comments

Really love your work Simon! With winter coming on I intend to start a couple of osage bows. I like to shoot and hunt with bows in the 60 pound @ 28″ range. What would you recommend as a width at the fads for an unbacked bow with static recurves and 56 inches of length? Thanks for your expertise! Don

Don, have a look on bow no. 25, it has exact the specs you are asking for. If I remember right the widest part of the limbs are about 1.5″ wide.
Maybe you find some interesting things also on bow no. 31, 59, 62, 68, and 74.
No. 31 is a deflexed design, which I would consider for a hunting weapon. Hope I could give useful info.

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