I might have to just buy some cane, always wanted to try that. That's just a hickory self bow, but it's backed with doeskin. Haven't been brave (or patient) enough to try sinew strings yet. 😅 My gpa left behind a chest of bowmaking tools and books, but I never got the lessons.

Today to amberley. It's Home Front weekend so the museum will be dialled back to the 1940s. Could be a reasonable turn out if the weather holds. Tonight and Sunday there's a possibility of single figure temperatures at night so I'm taking plenty of clothes. Tomorrow a bit of bowmaking/repair on some bows that didn't quite get finished on a previous course. Sunday I'll be letting the kids lose with sharp things and *not* buying the Rapier jointer plane. Maybe.

Today to Amberley on the 1pm train. Friday to Sunday we'll be bowmaking. I'm hoping for a dry weekend. The course is a bit over subscribed for the workshop space so I want some people working outside. I have 2 yew bows on the go and I'll be pottering around with them on Monday and doing a bit of leather and woodwork with the kids. The weather looks agreeable with night time temperatures not going below 7°C at night. Back Tuesday.

South Korea has won every Olympic gold medal in women's team archery since 1988. Ten Olympics in a row. In Paris 2024, the Korean team swept all five archery events. The bows used in those Olympics are made of carbon and fibreglass. The Korean traditional bow is called the gakgung. It takes four months to make, using eight natural materials: water buffalo horn, cattle sinew, bamboo, mulberry, oak, cherry bark, silk, and glue made from the air bladder of a croaker fish. Until 1894, it was the standard bow of the Korean military. Japanese soldiers in the 1592 invasion mocked it as a "half bow" — then they were stopped at Haengju partly by it. There are now four living National Heritage holders for the craft. In July 2025, a man named Sung Joo-kyung completed five years of training in Yecheon, the regional center for traditional bowmaking. He was certified as a "successor-in-training" — one rank below master. Yecheon makes about 70 percent of Korea's traditional horn bows.

This is my favourite bowmaking axe. Made to order by Mick Stanton from Normandy, near Guildford. It's a right handed side axe. I drew him the design on a bit of paper. It took six months until I got it but worth waiting for.

Today to Amberley until Tuesday. 3 day bowmaking from Friday to Sunday. Monday fiddling with the yew bow. And maybe a bit of leatherwork with the kids. 5 people. Going to be a busy one.

I sent this to Phil and Sadie on bowmaking about a month ago. They messaged me back about Phil studying bowmaking. He's not just winging it like I would probably do. youtu.be/vhkggNlzK-Y?si=VERW…

I am genuinely so rusty at bowmaking this is just AWFUL😭

Testing my latest yumi. Feeling good 😍🤌💪. #kyudo #archery #bowmaking

I'm just sorting some old photos. These are from 2002. 7 years into my bowmaking journey. I think it is maple. The flat spot on the bottom limb wouldn't pass muster nowadays.

⁦@omotforest⁩ looking good in 2013. Bowmaking with Forestknights

A modern recurve bow with laminated limbs. Hardly traditional medieval bowmaking materials. Oh & what look like plastic nocks on the arrows.

I have a different plan and it involves learning as many skills as I can. Just in case, I have included flint-knapping, arrow making, spearmaking, spear throwing, cord making, bowmaking. I know how to boil water in a leather bag using hot stones (great for sauna as well)

to Carve them off you wont need any. To Carve them off successfully you will need some Butcher Skills, to make Bowstring out of them probably some Bowmaking or Woodworking

Years ago some guy started improving his farm with the idea that a bunch of people could live on it The incredible bowmaking trailblazing sheep shearing crew living there now hosted a huge beautiful huge wedding this weekend He's dead now but i think he'd be happy with @elkenmist

Archery coaching and bowmaking monthly... Forestknights.co.uk

The tension is real... will it bend? will it break? so many questions, only one way to find out! 😬💪 #archery #bowmaking #kyudo #yumi

none of the trees native to Australia were suitable for bowmaking which is why they favored the spear. You can read this yourself

"No officer. I had nothing to do with the bank robery. My alibi is rock solid." #pernambuco #bowmaking #violinbow

need to get on the bowmaking grind again