Making Primitive Bows
A primitive bow can be made with a tree limb and strong string. Almost any kind of tree can supply bow wood, but yew and osage orange are the best suited. If you can’t locate yew, select any decent limb from a hardwood tree. Don’t use pine, cedar or any kind of evergreen. Also, please, only use standing dead wood--most parks have restrictions on cutting trees.
Instructions
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1
Find a dead limb that is not rotten and free of knots. Select a limb that is about 5 feet long and under 2 inches thick. You can use green wood, but it will lack the power of dry wood.
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Carve your bow from the belly, the part that faces you when you hold the bow. Slowly carve strips from the wood until you achieve a smooth, flat surface.
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3
Test the bow as you carve it by bending it. Is it bending in a single arc? A primitive bow has one curve from tip to tip, and bends its entire length.
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4
Trim the ends and place a notch for the string on each end. Place the notches in the sides of the wood, about an inch from the end. The notch will hold the bow string in place and does not have to be deep.
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Tie on your bow string. Use twine, or even several lengths of fishing line twisted together. The string should not be stretchy: the wood gives, not the string. The string should cause the bow to bend about 7 inches from string to handle.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a Timber Hitch to tie your bow string.
