bowm:bow_making

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bowm:bow_making [2025/12/04 15:35] – Dave Darbybowm:bow_making [2026/03/26 18:33] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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-# Bow making+This topic is part of [[gt:crafts|Crafts & making]] and [[gt:bushcraft|Bushcraft & Nature]]. 
 +====== Bow making ======
  
  
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-## What is bow making?+===== What is bow making? =====
  
 Bow making is the construction of a bow - originally a hunting weapon that was the world's most effective weapon of warfare for several millennia. It consists of a straight piece that's encouraged to bend with a length of cord to keep it taut, so that it can shoot an arrow. Bow making is the construction of a bow - originally a hunting weapon that was the world's most effective weapon of warfare for several millennia. It consists of a straight piece that's encouraged to bend with a length of cord to keep it taut, so that it can shoot an arrow.
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 <caption> <caption>
-Stave, roughly-hewn bow and finished bow. +_Stave, roughly-hewn bow and finished bow._
 </caption> </caption>
  
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 <caption> <caption>
-Some of the tools required for bow making.+_Some of the tools required for bow making._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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 <caption> <caption>
-How to make a bow using only stone tools.+_How to make a bow using only stone tools._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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 <caption> <caption>
-Getting closer to the finished bow - from stave to dried stave with marking out, then with more wood removed.+_Getting closer to the finished bow - from stave to dried stave with marking out, then with more wood removed._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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- +===== What are the benefits of bow making? =====
-## What are the benefits of bow making?+
  
 It keeps a traditional skill alive. It keeps a traditional skill alive.
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 In a survival situation, with the right skills you can make a useable bow in 24 hours - you don't have to season the wood. It could mean the difference between life and death. In a survival situation, with the right skills you can make a useable bow in 24 hours - you don't have to season the wood. It could mean the difference between life and death.
  
-In a non-survival situation, the making and using of bows and arrows to [harvest food from the wild](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/categories/game) is a very contentious issue. The arguments against are very simple - either that it's philosophically wrong for humans to eat animals at all, or that it may not result in a clean kill. If your conscience tells you that it's wrong to eat animals, then we certainly wouldn't try to change your mind - we'd agree that the more [vegetarians](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/categories/vegetarianism) there are the better, and that our current level of meat consumption is too high in terms of sustainability and human health. But not eating meat at all would mean abandoning traditions all over the world that have been practised for many thousands of years. If it ever happens, it's very unlikely to be soon. So from our perspective, we'd like it to be as sustainable as possible. And we'd argue that the most sustainable way to eat meat is to harvest it from the wild - no removal of habitat for farmland, no chemical fertilisers or pesticides, no hormone treatments, no genetic modification, no growing of animal feeds and no packaging. Also, in many countries, including the UK, deer predators have been reduced in number or removed completely, and so deer grazing prevents the regeneration of forests. If we want forest to return, we have to control deer numbers - and in many places, we are their only predator.+In a non-survival situation, the making and using of bows and arrows to [harvest food from the wild](/game/game) is a very contentious issue. The arguments against are very simple - either that it's philosophically wrong for humans to eat animals at all, or that it may not result in a clean kill. If your conscience tells you that it's wrong to eat animals, then we certainly wouldn't try to change your mind - we'd agree that the more [vegetarians](/vegt/vegetarianism) there are the better, and that our current level of meat consumption is too high in terms of sustainability and human health. But not eating meat at all would mean abandoning traditions all over the world that have been practised for many thousands of years. If it ever happens, it's very unlikely to be soon. So from our perspective, we'd like it to be as sustainable as possible. And we'd argue that the most sustainable way to eat meat is to harvest it from the wild - no removal of habitat for farmland, no chemical fertilisers or pesticides, no hormone treatments, no genetic modification, no growing of animal feeds and no packaging. Also, in many countries, including the UK, deer predators have been reduced in number or removed completely, and so deer grazing prevents the regeneration of forests. If we want forest to return, we have to control deer numbers - and in many places, we are their only predator.
  
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 <caption> <caption>
-Hand-made self bow.+_Hand-made self bow._
  
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-As with several other of our topics around animals, our position is that it's a disagreement that we can have amongst ourselves whilst still agreeing on the need to live without damaging ecology. At the moment in the UK the debate is academic, as bow hunting is illegal. It became illegal in the sixties, mainly because it's silent, and therefore perfect for poachers - the law was introduced to benefit big landowners. It's legal in the States, and in many other countries however. And of course there are still tribes living a traditional way of life in some parts of the word, that involves hunting animals with bows. It's something they've done for tens of thousands of years.+As with several other of our topics around animals, our position is that it's a disagreement that we can have amongst ourselves whilst still agreeing on the need to live without damaging ecology. At the moment in the UK the debate is academic, as bow hunting is illegal. It became illegal in the sixties, mainly because it's silent, and therefore perfect for poachers - the law was introduced to benefit big landowners. It's legal in the States, and in many other countries however. And of course there are still tribes living a traditional way of life in some parts of the world, that involves hunting animals with bows. It's something they've done for tens of thousands of years.
  
-Bowhunting requires much more skill and perseverance than hunting with a rifle. A bowhunter needs to get within 20-30 metres of the prey, which is very difficult indeed - a deer's senses are much more finely tuned than a human's. It makes it a much more even contest. Where it's legal, you need a qualification to be able to hunt with a bow, to demonstrate competency in making a clean kill. Qualifications are offered in the UK by the [British Bowhunters' Association](http://www.britishbowhunterassociation.co.uk/), who also campaign for the re-legalisation of bow hunting. You also have to have a minimum level of power (draw weight) in your bow, and a certain weight and type of arrow (a broad-head), again to ensure a clean kill. A good bow hunter will waste nothing, and will use the [skin](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/categories/skins-hides), antlers and bones as well as the meat.+Bowhunting requires much more skill and perseverance than hunting with a rifle. A bowhunter needs to get within 20-30 metres of the prey, which is very difficult indeed - a deer's senses are much more finely tuned than a human's. It makes it a much more even contest. Where it's legal, you need a qualification to be able to hunt with a bow, to demonstrate competency in making a clean kill. Qualifications are offered in the UK by the [British Bowhunters' Association](http://www.britishbowhunterassociation.co.uk/), who also campaign for the re-legalisation of bow hunting. You also have to have a minimum level of power (draw weight) in your bow, and a certain weight and type of arrow (a broad-head), again to ensure a clean kill. A good bow hunter will waste nothing, and will use the [skin](/skin/skins), antlers and bones as well as the meat.
  
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 <caption> <caption>
-Flemish twist in bow string.+_Flemish twist in bow string._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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- +===== What can I do? =====
-## What can I do?+
  
 This section is about making a self bow. Composite bows require a much more specialised form of bowmaking. This section is about making a self bow. Composite bows require a much more specialised form of bowmaking.
  
-First, find a [tree](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/categories/woodland). Many types of wood can be used, including ash, hazel, oak, yew, blackthorn, hawthorn and many more. In fact it's easier to mention the trees that aren't good for bowmaking - mainly willow, poplar, pine and spruce, which don't withstand tension or compression well. Look for as straight a tree as possible, around 10-12cm diameter, and cut a log around 150-180cm long. Then split the log into four and use one of the pieces to make a bow, or use all of them to make four bows. The curved outer edge of the log will be the back of the bow, facing away from the archer (the inside of the finished bow is called the 'belly'). Alternatively, you could make one bow from a sapling.+First, find a [tree](/wodl/woodland_management). Many types of wood can be used, including ash, hazel, oak, yew, blackthorn, hawthorn and many more. In fact it's easier to mention the trees that aren't good for bowmaking - mainly willow, poplar, pine and spruce, which don't withstand tension or compression well. Look for as straight a tree as possible, around 10-12cm diameter, and cut a log around 150-180cm long. Then split the log into four and use one of the pieces to make a bow, or use all of them to make four bows. The curved outer edge of the log will be the back of the bow, facing away from the archer (the inside of the finished bow is called the 'belly'). Alternatively, you could make one bow from a sapling.
  
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 <caption> <caption>
-Bow on a tillering stick to test the evenness of the bend.+_Bow on a tillering stick to test the evenness of the bend._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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 <caption> <caption>
-Making a bow with simple tools and found wood+_Making a bow with simple tools and found wood_
  
 </caption> </caption>
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 <caption> <caption>
-Hand-made arrows.+_Hand-made arrows._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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 <caption> <caption>
-Primitive bow made from a sapling.+_Primitive bow made from a sapling._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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 **Arrows** **Arrows**
  
-You can make your own arrows as well - from almost any kind of wood, or even from bamboo. Arrows are most commonly made from hazel saplings, which can be straightened by heating and bending when green. The arrowheads can be made from metal, bone or [flint](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/topics_flintknapping.html), fixed to the shaft with a linen or sinew wrap. Flight are ideally made from turkey or goose feathers.+You can make your own arrows as well - from almost any kind of wood, or even from bamboo. Arrows are most commonly made from hazel saplings, which can be straightened by heating and bending when green. The arrowheads can be made from metal, bone or [[flin:flintknapping]], fixed to the shaft with a linen or sinew wrap. Flight are ideally made from turkey or goose feathers.
  
 Someone who makes bows professionally is called a bowyer; arrows a fletcher; and string a stringfellow. Someone who makes bows professionally is called a bowyer; arrows a fletcher; and string a stringfellow.
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 <caption> <caption>
-Traditional bow making from start to finish.+_Traditional bow making from start to finish._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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-## Further resources+===== Forum ===== 
 + 
 +This topic belongs to the section [[gt:crafts|Crafts & making]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/crafts). 
 + 
 +It is also in the section [[gt:bushcraft|Bushcraft & Nature]] (Forum: [Bushcraft & Nature](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/bushcraft)). 
 + 
 +===== Further resources ===== 
 + 
 +- [Worshipful Company of Bowyers](https://bowyers.com/) - livery company of bowmakers founded in 1363 
 +- [Craft Guild of Bowyers and Fletchers](https://www.bowyersandfletchersguild.org/) 
 +- [English Field Archery Association](https://efaafieldarcher.com/) 
 +- [National Field Archery Society](https://nfas.net/) 
 +- [Society of Archer Antiquities](https://www.societyofarcher-antiquaries.org/) - furthering the study of the bow and arrow from the earliest times 
 +- [Mother Earth News](https://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/making-cordage-natural-materials-zmaz83jfzraw/) - how to make natural cordage (for bow strings) 
 +- [Wildwood Survival](https://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/hunting/bowandarrow/trm/trm3-1pg08.html) - making a bow & arrow 
 +- [Primitive Ways](https://www.primitiveways.com/bow_and_arrow.html) - article on making a basic bow and arrow 
 +- [Primitive Ways](https://www.primitiveways.com/pig_hunting%20.html) - article on hunting with a primitive bow and arrow 
 +- [British Bowhunters Association](https://www.britishbowhunterassociation.co.uk/) 
  
  
-## Specialist(s)+===== Related topics =====
  
-**Thanks to Matthew Yung of [the Bulworthy Project](http://www.bulworthyproject.org.uk/) for information.**+- [Flintknapping](flin:flintknapping) 
 +- [Craft production](craf:craft) 
 +- [Green Woodworking](grwo:green_woodworking) 
 +- [Game / wild meat](game:game) 
 +- [Bushcraft](bush:bushcraft) 
 +- [Tree/woodland management](wodl:woodland_management)
  
 +===== Specialist curators of this topic =====
  
  
  • bowm/bow_making.1764862518.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2025/12/04 15:35
  • by Dave Darby