2009-10-14T04:54:00.001-04:00

Making Bows

This January will begin my fourth year making traditional bows. My first bows were of various woods from my cabinet making endeavors. Drawn in innocently by "The Bowyer's Bible", I was unaware of the differences between white woods, exotics and prime bow woods such as Osage and Yew. The "Bowyer's Bible" is a fine book for beginners, it led me on many adventures.

Sometime later, I attended the Traditional Archery Expo in Kalamazoo where I watched Gary Davis demonstrate the shaping and tillering an Osage self bow. It was Sunday afternoon and Gary stayed late to answer my many questions and the inquiries of several others with seemingly endless patience and great passion. At that same show, Bernard Swank, equally gracious with his time, enthusiastically recommended Dean Torge's book "Hunting the Osage Bow" . I was hooked. I enthusiastically entered the wonderful world of crafting bows and my own archery tackle. I was as excited as a little boy. A fifty five year old kid, on fire with new purpose and adventure. I knew I would change the world with longbows, perhaps archery history.

Humility set in after a few self bows and my first bamboo backed Osage bow. I then decided to try my hand at laminated fiberglass bows. It seemed easier to achieve quick success with glass backed bows and it appealed to my immediate needs.

One fall afternoon, I discovered a hedge row of Osage near my home in Michigan. Using Deans book as reference, I discovered the pure joy of felling Osage trees. I nearly killed myself. Good thing my business partner owns a Military version of a Hummer, we used it to finish pulling out a widow maker I had hung up on the thorny underbrush. I split several trees the next morning, brushed shellac on the ends and put up some staves. I was in business, and met to make serious bows.

The first couple of Osage bows came out pretty good. I still have them, important steps to my for learning, still somewhat amazed that the darn things worked. The ghosts of several squirrels, a couple rabbits and a few deer can attest to that.

After two years of experimenting with bows, I finally had the great pleasure to meet Dean Torges in person at a show in West Virginia. I bartered an old bakers scale for a pressure canner he offered in a phone conversation and brought it to the show. I learned that Dean's mother was a Greek Chef and he had a great knowledge of cooking. I also quickly learned that he was a craftsman par excellence, with few peers. I believe Dean is without question an authority on fine cabinetry, furniture and the best bowyer I've ever met.

Meeting Dean changed everything for me. Making bows with Dean is like studying with a great violin maker. He refuses to compromise quality in any element of craftsmanship, the tools, the materials or the methodology. Hunting with Dean is also a serious affair. No detail is overlooked, he is as fine a woodsman as he is a bowyer. My focus now is to continue a lifelong study making bows. And rather than pursue commerce from ideas shared, to help others learn.

Dan Hugelier

Welcome

2009-10-04T12:08:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the Zero Let Off blog! In this space we'll occasionally be leaving our thoughts and comments on topics of interest to the traditional archery community.

Zero Let Off Blog

Welcome