How to Carve a Longbow

Longbows can be carved as wide or thin as desired.

Longbows have been used for hunting and sport for centuries. Though they can be purchased pre-made, some archers desire to construct their own longbows. Previous skill in woodworking and carving may aid crafters in creating their bows, but no previous knowledge of such fields is absolutely necessary. There is no guarantee that longbows made by hand will match up to the quality of store bought merchandise, but some homemade longbows are not only functional, but can outperform pre-made ones.

Things You'll Need

• Carving knife or file
• Pencil or marker
• Sandpaper
• Deer fat or tung oil
• Fire
• Bow string

Instructions

1. Select the wood that you would like to use to make your bow. Ash wood, cedar and other smooth, hardy woods are all possibilities. Draw the shape of your bow, including length and width, onto the block of wood with a marker or pencil.

2. Mark the center of your bow with a marker or pencil and measure 3 inches to the left and 3 inches to the right of the center mark. This 6-inch area will become your hand grip.

3. With a carving knife, thin out the the limbs of the longbow. The limbs are the ends of the bow on either side of the hand grip. You can thin the limbs to your preference, but standard dictates that the limbs be 5/8-inches thick near the hand grip and about 3/8-inches thick near the tips of the longbow.

4. Carve out the hand grip until it matches your preference. The hand grip should fit in your hand comfortably and should allow you to grip the bow firmly. Carve notches into the tips of the longbow so the string can fit there. Smooth the wood of the longbow with sandpaper.

5. Oil the bow with either deer fat or tung oil. If using deer fat, saturate the bow with it and rest it near a fire for a few hours so that the oil from the fat seeps into the wood. Tie the bow string to the notches at the tips of the bow and test the bow.

Tips & Warnings

• Any hand-carved bow may snap when tested and this may not be a result of your craftsmanship; bows can snap due to inconsistencies or flaws in the wood. If it snaps, you may have to repeat the process and make a new bow.

References

• Wildwood Survival; Making the Bow and Arrow; Tom Brown, Jr.