This lovely little bow is the sister stave to the bow I previously wrote about here: https://southmoorbows.com/yew-sinew-backed-rd-primitive-for-ben-3022-bow-no-21/ Which I built for my son back in the early spring.

This twin stave had many of the same qualities as the previous stave, so I opted to build this one the same way. The Deflex and the sinew backing would cater for the short length by reducing stress at full draw. And the reflex would counter the power loss created by the deflex, plus reduce any stack felt towards the end of the draw cycle.

I kept the tips almost static for the last 4 or 5″ and reduced the width as much as I dared to remove mass and potential vibration post string release. 3″ fades and a 4″ very slightly dished handle maximised the length of working limbs whilst retaining a functionally none working riser with elegant lines which maximised the aesthetics as best as possible.

The rustic sinew effect of the backing was created by painting the whole backing black with my local earth pigment, then sanding the high spots to expose the natural dried bronze sinew colour. I think it looks pretty neat. The edge work is bone dust mixed with shellac applied by hand with a sharpened stick.

Tip overlays are red deer antler. The handle wrap is wild Roe deer bark tanned leather laced up with more of the same wonderful stuff. The arrow shelf/pass is bark tanned hair on red deer shin leather.

The finish is a Danish oil/Shellac caped off after polishing with my own bees wax/linseed oil mixed as a paste wax to give a lovely satin finish.

I had great fun shooting this little bow in over a couple of weeks. To settle her in I used a bunch of 35# spin 380 grain stumping arrows I made up for my sons bow. They shot great and despite the short draw length preventing me from hitting my usual anchor, I had no difficulty hitting my spot almost every time.

She shoots quietly and without any noticeable kick or hand shock and would make for a really beautiful and functional light weight introductory bow to anyone looking to enter into the world of primitive archery.

This bow turned out far too heavy for either of my daughters, so I’ve decided to put this bow up for sale and build them something much lighter instead. So this bow is now for sale in the Southmoor Bows ETSY shop and can be purchased here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1852784488/yew-longbow-3624-sinew-backed-primitive

Hope you like the photos and video below. Here are the stats:

Draw Weight: 36lbs at 24”
Mass: 510 grams
Length NTN: ” (symmetrical limb layout)
Width: 1 5/16″” at widest part
Tips: last 4” semi static reflexed, 1/2” wide
Back: Lightly crowned with undulations. : Pyramidal face profile
Belly Profile: Working limb sections rounded D shaped, transitioning at the tips to a ridged cross section.
Tiller: Eliptical. 1/8” positive
Brace height: 5″