Tom, great videos! Love your channel! I have a couple of questions though...did ancient bowyers tiller staves to certain draw weights or did they go till it felt right? And how did they match the arrow splines to the bow's draw weight? Or did they just use arrows that shot well out of that bow?
Hi. I'm not shure if you still remember me but I use to join you in Pasedena about 2 years ago. I was the kid you gave an atlatil to. Well I wanted to know if everyone still meats at the same time and place.
@Yeahbro95, the Traditional Bowyer's Bible series (volumes 1 through 4) are great bowmaking books. I have a chapter in volume 4 concerning this "Copper Age Bow." But Volume 1 is probably the best book for someone learning to make bows.
make one from Buffalo horn! thats what buffalo hunters did ! without metal tools!! a horn bow is made in sections with glue made from hooves and sinew is used to bind it. even i dread trying to make one. it wouldnt be the same anyway cause id need to use Cow horn!
@Paleoaleo can you tell me where you got the adze from? i was originally looking for a flint, or any stone adze, but cant find any onling, stone or copper.
Amazing sound. I find it very peaceful and inspiring. I like to have it running in the background when I work on my computer. Would you be willing to send a sound file or post one on your website?
That is beautiful man, im 18 and just getting into archery. I love all the medieval stuff, thank you for the book reccommendation. Any tips if i want to make one? Or is it just experimenting with trial and error?
I made the copper adz using modern tools. I wanted to test copper as a woodworking tool, so I quickly made an adz using some sheet stock I had laying around. I hammered the copper to harden the working edge. I wrote a chapter about it for the Traditional Bowyer's Bible IV. The chapter is called "A Copper Age Bow."
back in the day they didn't concern themselves with waterproofing. they would make a bow for one hunting season. but you can use bees wax.... must be heated before applied. then use a hair dryer to make it soak into the wood
up to 40m or more? whats the kill range on that as the further it flys the less power it will punch when it hits the mark. Bows I make will drive a shaft through 1&1/2" of plywood at 20', halfway through at 30, and may leave a dent in the wood at 40. But when you consider I get within 5 - 10' of what I am shooting at before it spooks (if it does) the short range is excellent...
i actually dun care about if it kills. i tried ones with a broudhead and it penetrated(?) 1 cm plywood at sumthin like 30m i didnt want to try further cuz ma neighbour are always watchin...
what wood works best (in mho) depends on how you make the bow & personal taste. Bows I make are of a truly primitive nature and can be made of pretty much any halfway straight sapling. I have even made rabbit/squirrel bows out of sumac by just bending & stringing. It's more on YOUR idea of what the bow should look like as to how you make it, and that as I said dictates what wood is best for the purpose (if any thing does). I'm doing one for a friend tomorrow out of Maple.
i want to make a bow to keep for a long time but i dont have the money to buy and idk what wood to use or string or how to keep it from breaking when it drys out
Hemp cordage can be bought on the web in various sizes. I use 170lb. test line I reinforce with some pitch glue soaked into it & left to dry strung normally on the bow. It will be a little stiff for awhile, but works great. Only problem is I have to make the knocs on the arrow a bit wider. But I do my own arrows too, so its no big deal there either. hehehe. You can get smaller test cheaper & twine several strands to strengthen the whole. Fishing line works too, shoe strings, etc... Experiment!
why does otiz the icemans bow have no sap wood or did it just dry out over time? and was his bow powerful ?? it must have been,it was a 6 foot piece of yew.
not sure what your asking (never heard of otiz the iceman) but wood drys over time, yes. If its an old bow it will be sapless as it is pretty much dry after a week (at least here in the desert areas of the U.S.). But within a few months anywhere. If this otiz used it for hunting it would be powerful enough as a hunter will not carry one that isn't powerful enough to assure a kill.
what about south american palmwwod bows?..used by amazon tribes..those things are huge,ive read some are up to 60lb..those plant fiber strings must be strong right.the yanomami bow is a 7 foot monster
Never saw one. But I do know the palmetto palm offers everything needed to make a competent small game/bird & target bow & arrow except feather for fletching (& that IS possible to make with some of the leaves). That is just in the branch/leaf part, but if you use the trunk you can carve out a fairly good power bow for big game like mule deer or better.
yeah, but I would not be allowed to hunt whith it, that´s why I use midelage bow whith mmanny layers of wood, and those take at least 3 years of making. bamboo can easely splitt.
Every bow I made was not dark i wanted to have dark brown but they were all light brown...HOW did you get the bow that dark...was that simply a dark wood?
The wood was California Walnut. It was a sapling, and it was light in color. I stained it using red (ocher) earth pigment - otherwise it would have been kind of blond in color. Older walnut, turns dark brown (the heartwood).
Exactly...it was just "earth pigment" or what folks call red ocher. It's a clay that is colored red with iron oxide. Prehistoric people from all over the world used it for pigment to paint things (including themselves at times). Cool stuff.
maple, oak, and hickory. my friend managed to make a pretty good beech bow once however i have had experiences where i have de-barked a piece of beech and the next day it was on the ground in 2 pieces. beech cracks worse than anything.
Thanks dude. Like the bow, I made the music too. I suck at music worse than I suck a bow making! The trick I learned though is to have a good time doing what ever it is you do, even if you're not too good at it.
its Good but NOt as good as the Mongol bow, Its a Proven Fact that no one is better then them at making Bow because they almost took over 1/2 the world with that thing
The wood can be green when you first start. The trick is to get the green/wet wood to near bow dimensions in one session of woodworking, and then let it dry. The thinner the wood, the faster it will dry. If thin enough, it will dry without cracking. It may warp though, so it's best to lash it to a 2x4 or something like that while it dries. You generally dont' want to stress the wood too much by bending it when it is green.
I haven't made my first bow yet. But from my knowledge I would say, yes to an extent. what you really want to do is "cure" the wood. you want to preserve in a point were it has the right amount of moisture. Too dry and it will be brittle.
Cool. Glad you folks like the slide show. Wish I had video of making this bow, but I only have the pics. The music is me using an online recording program - a couple of guitar tracks and N. American flute. Thanks for watching and for the kind words.
Tom, great videos! Love your channel! I have a couple of questions though...did ancient bowyers tiller staves to certain draw weights or did they go till it felt right? And how did they match the arrow splines to the bow's draw weight? Or did they just use arrows that shot well out of that bow?
browneye77 1 month ago
fuck this shit i hate justin bieber so baaaad >:(
jegertobbak123 2 months ago
great vid keep up with the best love it keep doing what you do be safe
sonav1 7 months ago in playlist my own
Am I mistaken, or did he paint that with his own blood?
DanDavis10 9 months ago
aproximately, how strong is that bow?
shusher0099 10 months ago
Paleoaleo-you are awesome, but how do you have the time to do this?
asarta703 11 months ago
Fantastic. Well done. Thanks for sharing. Best wishes from NZ. .... Coote.
kiwicoote 1 year ago
oh wow where is it!!
lbp294 1 year ago
what tipe of wood did you use?
pepperjuggler 1 year ago
Hi. I'm not shure if you still remember me but I use to join you in Pasedena about 2 years ago. I was the kid you gave an atlatil to. Well I wanted to know if everyone still meats at the same time and place.
nativearcher 1 year ago
@nativearcher , yes, we still meet out there on the 3rd Sunday of the month. Hope to see you there! Tom
Paleoaleo 1 year ago
@Paleoaleo hey tom, this were i found out about the pasadena meets...
ybotn 1 year ago
@nativearcher
HE REMEMBERED YOU !!! .... crazy what youtube does huh ...lol
tuttoz 1 year ago
What are some good books on bow and arrow making? Please reply, thanks.
Yeahbro95 1 year ago
@Yeahbro95, the Traditional Bowyer's Bible series (volumes 1 through 4) are great bowmaking books. I have a chapter in volume 4 concerning this "Copper Age Bow." But Volume 1 is probably the best book for someone learning to make bows.
Paleoaleo 1 year ago
make one from Buffalo horn! thats what buffalo hunters did ! without metal tools!! a horn bow is made in sections with glue made from hooves and sinew is used to bind it. even i dread trying to make one. it wouldnt be the same anyway cause id need to use Cow horn!
acerb45666555 1 year ago
Nice video :)
And to new beginners, get the books. They rock.
Got them all, they really help.
gratver 1 year ago
Why put blood on it?
Michel0555 1 year ago
It's not blood. It is red pigment from the stone in the photo - red ocher, earth pigment.
Paleoaleo 1 year ago
@Paleoaleo can you tell me where you got the adze from? i was originally looking for a flint, or any stone adze, but cant find any onling, stone or copper.
blowgunking1994 1 year ago
@Paleoaleo Holy shit. It's a big jump from color red to blood. Wow
carbonlaminate 1 year ago
@Michel0555 .......Ochre also keeps bugs away! natives in south america still paint it on theyre faces etc.
acerb45666555 1 year ago
Can you share with us the name of the musician, song title and CD from this video please?
Tuckerp229 2 years ago
The music is just me messing around with guitar and a home-made flute.
Paleoaleo 2 years ago
Amazing sound. I find it very peaceful and inspiring. I like to have it running in the background when I work on my computer. Would you be willing to send a sound file or post one on your website?
Tuckerp229 2 years ago
@Paleoaleo Dude, I thought it was a professional musician (I guess it is lol)
Jiaxis 1 year ago
this was a very good vid step by step purely hand made what did ya use for arrow heads i seen guys metl down copper pennys for heads and knives
darenun 2 years ago
Thanks. I generally just use steel archery field points on my "everyday" arrows, but I also flintknapp and make my own stone points too.
Paleoaleo 2 years ago
That is beautiful man, im 18 and just getting into archery. I love all the medieval stuff, thank you for the book reccommendation. Any tips if i want to make one? Or is it just experimenting with trial and error?
nolangreen 2 years ago 2
How was the copper adz made?
TheBrownRaven 2 years ago
I made the copper adz using modern tools. I wanted to test copper as a woodworking tool, so I quickly made an adz using some sheet stock I had laying around. I hammered the copper to harden the working edge. I wrote a chapter about it for the Traditional Bowyer's Bible IV. The chapter is called "A Copper Age Bow."
Paleoaleo 2 years ago
oh ok thanks man
TheBrownRaven 2 years ago
so... on topic comment time:
what is the red dye you smear on the bow? it looks like blood but i'm skeptical.
fine work, on all your projects
njhomie23 2 years ago
could be waterproofing? idk
zachatyahoo 2 years ago
back in the day they didn't concern themselves with waterproofing. they would make a bow for one hunting season. but you can use bees wax.... must be heated before applied. then use a hair dryer to make it soak into the wood
boredism07 2 years ago
Lol, i thought it was blood, as well. I was like oohh... that must have hurt. =0. It looks like all he was doing was staining it, though.
FiremageFilms 2 years ago
It is red ocher (earth pigment) from a red/clay stone.
Paleoaleo 2 years ago
up to 40m or more? whats the kill range on that as the further it flys the less power it will punch when it hits the mark. Bows I make will drive a shaft through 1&1/2" of plywood at 20', halfway through at 30, and may leave a dent in the wood at 40. But when you consider I get within 5 - 10' of what I am shooting at before it spooks (if it does) the short range is excellent...
liberatedhumanbeing 2 years ago
i actually dun care about if it kills. i tried ones with a broudhead and it penetrated(?) 1 cm plywood at sumthin like 30m i didnt want to try further cuz ma neighbour are always watchin...
firefighter1333 2 years ago
ahhh, see I hunt to feed my wife & I so only care about hunting possibilities. As for neighbors, can see your point.
liberatedhumanbeing 2 years ago
yew is good i use this cool wood grows in my garden perfect4 bows long straight springy strong
it lloks a bit like yew i think it might be yew
ioan21121221 2 years ago
what wood works best (in mho) depends on how you make the bow & personal taste. Bows I make are of a truly primitive nature and can be made of pretty much any halfway straight sapling. I have even made rabbit/squirrel bows out of sumac by just bending & stringing. It's more on YOUR idea of what the bow should look like as to how you make it, and that as I said dictates what wood is best for the purpose (if any thing does). I'm doing one for a friend tomorrow out of Maple.
liberatedhumanbeing 2 years ago
i want to make a bow to keep for a long time but i dont have the money to buy and idk what wood to use or string or how to keep it from breaking when it drys out
Dumby571 2 years ago
he used walnut inthe vid so...
TheDevilsRubberDucky 2 years ago
ok ty
Dumby571 2 years ago
no problem
TheDevilsRubberDucky 2 years ago
ok thanks
Dumby571 2 years ago
ash is also a wery fine choise of wood for a bow
sohosohigh 2 years ago
idk wat it looks like
Dumby571 2 years ago
just but dacron..hemp and sinew take to long to make and archery shops,will rip u off.
5tonyvvvv 2 years ago
Hemp cordage can be bought on the web in various sizes. I use 170lb. test line I reinforce with some pitch glue soaked into it & left to dry strung normally on the bow. It will be a little stiff for awhile, but works great. Only problem is I have to make the knocs on the arrow a bit wider. But I do my own arrows too, so its no big deal there either. hehehe. You can get smaller test cheaper & twine several strands to strengthen the whole. Fishing line works too, shoe strings, etc... Experiment!
liberatedhumanbeing 2 years ago
why does otiz the icemans bow have no sap wood or did it just dry out over time? and was his bow powerful ?? it must have been,it was a 6 foot piece of yew.
5tonyvvvv 2 years ago
not sure what your asking (never heard of otiz the iceman) but wood drys over time, yes. If its an old bow it will be sapless as it is pretty much dry after a week (at least here in the desert areas of the U.S.). But within a few months anywhere. If this otiz used it for hunting it would be powerful enough as a hunter will not carry one that isn't powerful enough to assure a kill.
liberatedhumanbeing 2 years ago
what about south american palmwwod bows?..used by amazon tribes..those things are huge,ive read some are up to 60lb..those plant fiber strings must be strong right.the yanomami bow is a 7 foot monster
5tonyvvvv 2 years ago
Never saw one. But I do know the palmetto palm offers everything needed to make a competent small game/bird & target bow & arrow except feather for fletching (& that IS possible to make with some of the leaves). That is just in the branch/leaf part, but if you use the trunk you can carve out a fairly good power bow for big game like mule deer or better.
liberatedhumanbeing 2 years ago
sry i ment 60 meters and further... ×D
firefighter1333 2 years ago
just keep it in water
ariadarabi 2 years ago
awesome
Bloodynavallint 2 years ago
These guys are so cool!
goldenscales 2 years ago
where did you get the tools?
krclark987 2 years ago
probably made them..
redeyesthe20th 2 years ago
Yea, I made them
Paleoaleo 2 years ago
NUMBER ONE.
stonebroc 2 years ago
makin BOW is nt that much hard..
makin an ARROW is the most trickiest part..
u can make BOW with bamboo by splitting it into half...
wajahatali911 2 years ago
yeah, but I would not be allowed to hunt whith it, that´s why I use midelage bow whith mmanny layers of wood, and those take at least 3 years of making. bamboo can easely splitt.
SwedishWolf93 2 years ago
a well-made bow takes time
Ouchthathurtslol 2 years ago
is that a copper adze like the one found on the ice man who was a person from the copper age
nezahualcoyotl85 2 years ago
I believe he had a bronze axe, which he might have used, among other things, for bow making, he actualy had a half finished yew bow with him.
raysteer 2 years ago
very nice video, nice tools too
SupraStringing11b 3 years ago
That would be my question:
Every bow I made was not dark i wanted to have dark brown but they were all light brown...HOW did you get the bow that dark...was that simply a dark wood?
TwilightMovieStudios 3 years ago
The wood was California Walnut. It was a sapling, and it was light in color. I stained it using red (ocher) earth pigment - otherwise it would have been kind of blond in color. Older walnut, turns dark brown (the heartwood).
Paleoaleo 2 years ago
was that blood you used to color the bow?
cmd46 3 years ago
In another video I saw it was a clay stone he scraped with a piece of flint to get dust, then just added water and rubbed it into the wood.
nasanction 3 years ago
Exactly...it was just "earth pigment" or what folks call red ocher. It's a clay that is colored red with iron oxide. Prehistoric people from all over the world used it for pigment to paint things (including themselves at times). Cool stuff.
Paleoaleo 2 years ago
Excellent! Do you know of any other Paleo interested people here in Virginia Beach? If so, I would like to contact them.
Thanks
Jim
carlomartinette 3 years ago
Probably the earliest flyswatters were nothing more than some sort of striking surface attached to the end of a long stick.
Smudgefizz 3 years ago
WoW beautiful tools and bow!
abstinencebymarrige1 3 years ago 2
great bow mate ' great books also ' ive just ordered number 4 cant wait ,really good video thanks
johnjayrambo11111 3 years ago
These are some types of wood in my woods Maple,Yellow Poplar,Oak,Hickory,and Beach.Out of these wich do you think would be best for a bow?
sarg156 3 years ago
either oak or maple.
pumkinheads360 3 years ago
maple, oak, and hickory. my friend managed to make a pretty good beech bow once however i have had experiences where i have de-barked a piece of beech and the next day it was on the ground in 2 pieces. beech cracks worse than anything.
impretty321 3 years ago
hickory barnun
forganater 3 years ago
Just stay away from poplar,they get really hard and snap when all the bark is taken off
spleegulence 3 years ago
All will probably work, but I'd go for the hickory and oak first. Then maple.
Paleoaleo 3 years ago
nice all hand made
redtailedboaz1408 3 years ago
Music is extremely sucky, but nice pics.
telesniper2 3 years ago
Thanks dude. Like the bow, I made the music too. I suck at music worse than I suck a bow making! The trick I learned though is to have a good time doing what ever it is you do, even if you're not too good at it.
Paleoaleo 3 years ago
i just recently baught a volumes one and two of the traditional bowyers bible! already learning alot...
lawn0gnome 3 years ago
dont mean to offend you if i do but you spelt "baught" wrong lol its spelt bought
Friends752 3 years ago
its Good but NOt as good as the Mongol bow, Its a Proven Fact that no one is better then them at making Bow because they almost took over 1/2 the world with that thing
Hazarawarrior 3 years ago
How does walnut work for the bow? Any cracks? Also, did you use any backing on it? It appears none, but looks can deceive.
PaulyCracker 3 years ago
No cracks. Walnut works pretty good for bows. I like it. No backing...just wood.
Paleoaleo 3 years ago
what would a copper age war/battle bow be like?
and what would be the difference from that to the hunting bow?
mangadude9 3 years ago
the wood has to be dry?
bloodylover101 3 years ago
The wood can be green when you first start. The trick is to get the green/wet wood to near bow dimensions in one session of woodworking, and then let it dry. The thinner the wood, the faster it will dry. If thin enough, it will dry without cracking. It may warp though, so it's best to lash it to a 2x4 or something like that while it dries. You generally dont' want to stress the wood too much by bending it when it is green.
Paleoaleo 3 years ago
I haven't made my first bow yet. But from my knowledge I would say, yes to an extent. what you really want to do is "cure" the wood. you want to preserve in a point were it has the right amount of moisture. Too dry and it will be brittle.
consistentbass 3 years ago
what kind of string do you use for the bow
ceaser47 3 years ago
Sorry for the delayed reply. the string in this case was made of linen thread.
Paleoaleo 3 years ago
slideshow huh wtf
puugipask12 3 years ago
Sorry. I didn't have a video camera when making this bow.
Paleoaleo 3 years ago
i love making bows and want to do it like you buy i cant find any of these rocks you use
southpark4me 3 years ago
thabnks for sharing your photos, would love to see a vid of you making this bow,
buckledchair 3 years ago
Excellent. Thanks again. I always enjoy your educational and informative videos
Rivieratime 3 years ago
Thanks for taking the time to share. Was a great video
rhokdatroll 3 years ago
You gotta get some more vids of bowmaking up Tom. Your stone age bow series had me checking for new episodes twice a day!
Great work and a great bow. As per usual.
mrmeeno 3 years ago
Cool. Glad you folks like the slide show. Wish I had video of making this bow, but I only have the pics. The music is me using an online recording program - a couple of guitar tracks and N. American flute. Thanks for watching and for the kind words.
Paleoaleo 3 years ago
Beautiful music. You should publish.
cyberianwarlord 3 years ago
Great Video! Many Thanks!
Super soundtrack too. Who played it?
cyberianwarlord 3 years ago
Thanks for posting!
ickycan 3 years ago
The shots at 2:47 are great. The bowbuilder's blood becoming one with the bow.
playdrums 3 years ago
thats not blood. its from the rock.
tkwndo55 3 years ago
The rock is called red ocher. Looks like blood but much less painful to obtain.
Although I've seen Paleoaleo flintknapp and knappers are known for drawing blood. LOL
cyberianwarlord 3 years ago
Very interesting these reconstructions with evidence of use,
For me it is exciting to watch confronted with different experiences.
Video and good teaching,
Congratulations!
Mandi Giuliano Bastiani
giulianopietra 3 years ago
Great video on the bow.
WyattKaldenberg 3 years ago