Ozbow

I know you've all got one and everyone likes showing off from time time so I'll get the ball rolling
Osage, 57" tip to tip, 2" wide at its widest and 4/8th of an inch at the tips...draws 31#@24, unbacked and chased to a single growth ring

Very nice,like it a lot!

Beautiful looking bow Cam. I will have to try and dig up some photos of my bow later.

Jeff

Cam, my all time favourite bow was one I made back in about 1993 from memory. It was a 66" longbow with a bamboo core and clear glass. The riser was Macassar (Striped) Ebony and it was 66# @ 26.5". I used it until around 2000/1 when it became too heavy for me and I made myself a new one.

The bamboo used in the core was given to me by Enzo Maladovan who was an Aussie Bowyer. Sadly Enzo passed away only about three weeks after sending the bamboo to me. His generosity made it even more special to me. I shot thousands upon thousands of arrows out of it at Trad shoots and while bowhunting. I collected a lot of trophies with it from the Trad shoots and took a lot of game with it. It has accompanied me hunting in Western Queensland, up in the swamps in the NT and the hills of NSW. There was just something special about that bow and I could shoot it exceptionally well. I often still carry it as my backup bow on hunting trips.

Here is a photo of it with a boar I shot. I haven't got any better photos of it on my computer as that was back in film days. If I get a chance I will to go down to my workshop and take it out of its carry bag and get some close up photos of it.

Jeff

I'd like to see more photos of your bow Jeff. do you know if it was tonkin or some other natural 'boo?

I will try and get some photos of the bow. It is rather plain Jane in looks but is very special to shoot.

bigbob wrote:do you know if it was tonkin or some other natural 'boo?

Enzo use to call it 'Chicken Coop' Bamboo. He said the best bamboo came from the Sui River in China but he said he got his bamboo from Japan from a long established team of bamboo workers. He said this particular variety was found to be best for archery bows. It took five years for it to mature and was very straight with long fine tightly bound fibres. It was at least five years old when cut and then air dried for a further year. All that doesn't help much in knowing what variety of bamboo it actually was though sorry. It would have been good to know as it made one very nice shooting bow.

Jeff

'Chicken coop' bamboo???? The mind boggles as to where that came from!

I have 3 Favourites

every ones seen me about with these 2 Brigalow Selfbows, I made the wider Flatbow in 1998 63" ntn 54# at 28" Its my favourite Hunting Bow and the narrow one my favourite Target Bow in 1999 is 42# 76" ntn. They are backed with Snake Skin Pattern Flannelette because Parks and Wildlife take a very dim view of using Native Snakes



Grozer Magyar Bio Composite 45# @28, most challenging Bow I have ever Shot. I contemplated learning to shoot this Bow with a Thumb Ring to try and Tame the Beast, it has the most Cast I have ever seen from a 45# Trad Bow. 11" of unbraced Reflex, absolute Beast to String, I shudder at the thought of Stringing a 80# Magyar Bow





regards Jacko

Perry,
Those 2 Brigalow selfbows are beauties! I'm especially lovin that wider flatbow have you got any more detailed pics of it? Possibly a full draw shot would be ace to. What's brigalow like to work with?

Jeff,
It's always nice to hear about a bow that has a story behind it, does it have some kind of limb sleeves on it?

Only other Pic I have on hand cmoore. That Rawhide Patch is to Hold down a Splinter that lifted 5 Years after I scratched the Back of the Bow on a Barb Wire Fence.



got the Mrs looking to Find a Full Draw Pic that is on a long forgotten Disk.

regards Jacko

Forgot to put this lil zinger up aswell....Sinew backed osage, 45" tip to tip & 45# @ 19"

This bow started as my "Renaissance" style Longbow. Hickory backed Pacific Yew with a bamboo core. It lifted a splinter and threw out the tiller. I then backed the bow in some faux snake belly linen from spotlight,and re tillered. Japan Brown stain finished in tru oil and bees wax. Fitted a leather hand grip and applied some sinew wraps at the stress points. It now shoots alot smoother but has not lost any speed. It is now 48lb @ 28".

some more......

Mick that's a ripper! Looks completely different from the last time I saw it, you definitely worked some magic on the retiller...sinew wraps you say....did you process some of those tendons or use artificial stuff? Lovin that stain and backing to, I bet she's fast to! Top job.....
Ill start working on that bow you gave me to, I been a bit lazy

My favourite is an old red ash bow I made in the formative days as an apprentice bowyer [self taught].

It was shot every weekend for many years and never missed a beat. At present it is getting refurbished and a new leather wrap in the next day or so.

Incidentally the bow was spliced from a short billet.

Daryl.

Love seeing your favourite bows fellas please keep them coming.

Jeff

Mick that bow of yours looks a real beauty. Very nice!

Here's mine...

Cheers Guy...

bigbob wrote:Mick that bow of yours looks a real beauty. Very nice!

Thanks mate.

that's a very nice looking trilam too Guy, very nice.

Check these bows out!

One piece construction, working handle, about 10# at about 18" draw or something like that, polyethylene tape decorations and they have fantastic memories attached for the kids.

The best thing about these bows is they will hopefully inspire my kids to carry on like their old man.

That's why these are my favourite bows...

love them PVC bows!. Did you use schedule 40 PVC? It has a wall thickness of about 5mm & I've heard it works quite well