Bowyer Course
As hunters, our ancestors used the bow and arrow for about 12,000 years. The
oldest bow found on earth is a flat bow, discovered in the moor of
Holmegaard in Denmark. This bow was made out of a single, young Elm
tree and it showed perfect design and efficiency. It was a Stone Age
flat bow, a very effective and relatively easy bow to make in the wild. This course will begin with an overview of various bow designs from the world. We will then look at the various factors affecting bow design and look at principles of efficiency in bow making. You will then begin to shape your own seasoned Ash stave, slowly bringing your bow alive and liberating it from the wood. This course is a complete introduction to bow-making - from wood selection, through to arrow making and then how to treat and shoot your new bow.
We will cover:
- An overview of bows of the world.
- Design considerations and efficiency
- Introduction to the Holmegaard bow (Danish Stone Age flat bow)
- Rough shaping with an axe
- Tillering
- Sanding and Finishing Your Bow
- Bow strings; considerations and making
- Stringing & Fine Tillering
- Arrow Making & Fletching
- Shooting Techniques
- Shooting competition
- You will need to bring a Gransfors Bruk Small Forest axe (or similar), and a knife. Tools may be borrowed if necessary (it would be best to have a small whittling knife in addition to a normal bush/training knife).
| "Just a quick e-mail to send you my heartfelt thanks for making the Bowyer course such a memorable experience. Please pass on my thanks to Werner who was such an excellent teacher... very patient, very wise, and he has a very infectious sense of humour. It was a joy to spend some time learning from him." - Andy |
Most people who attend this course often book onto its companion course, the Buckskin and Hide Tanning Course as well.
Heads Up... Whilst not essential, if you are keen on doing a bit of pre-course reading - we would recommend the following book -
The Essentials of Archery by L. Stemmler (free e-book)
Please Note: This course is fully catered. Heads Up... Whilst not essential, if you are keen on doing a bit of pre-course reading - we would recommend the following book - The Essentials of Archery by L. Stemmler (free e-book)
Documents for download
- essentials_of_archery_-_l._stemmler.pdf (22/03/2009)