"Seminars" were a huge deal a while back, nowadays they're called "meetups" or even "trade meetups". Some of the big players still show up.
Weirdly the primitive archery sphere and the pickup artist sphere evolved in about the same time frame in similar ways. I could never make it to any of the meetups (these guys all live in Portland or California, it seems).
That is funny when I think about it, and true. It seems that during the 90s we get a kind of surge of interest regarding both archery and Game. Really the all important books came out in these years.
Could monetize primitive archery by posting leaflets or news articles saying that a local bowyer is hosting a bow-building seminar and you only have to pay ~100$ for materials and instruction. After startup costs and marketing you still probably pocket at least a third of the proceeds. If it's spun towards 'father-son day' or children it could potentially be really lucrative, since white collar parents will spend any amount of money on their kids to get them away from the xbox for a day. I never had the initiative to do that but it is something to think about if you're trying to grow a community from scratch, essentially.
That is a good idea, maybe for some time later when I got the means to do that, i.e. build connections, collect a shitload of staves/saplings, got more and better tools, etc.
I thought the engineering/math applications towards primitive archery was a strong plus since it laid waste a lot of bad ideas about the sport, like recurves being naturally superior. It also set up some new and exciting heuristics like poundage/fps rule, basically if your 50# bow can throw a 500 grain hunting arrow at 150 fps it's at a good level of efficiency, with great being 170+ fps and legendary/mythical being 200+ fps. The chronograph is the true test of archery in many respects and it's done a lot of good things.
I agree with you, but since I don't have chrono or haven't made arrows myself, I never really bothered with that. Also, since bow hunting is prohibited, I don't have interest in making my arrows really perfect. Of course I will try to get them fly as best as I can, but I will not cry if my bow seems slower than these calculated designs.
That sucks man, had no idea bowhunting is illegal over there. I imagine it would be difficult to set up a mail order or internet based archery website with shipping and handling limitations. Take-down style longbows required tools I didn't have lol.
Actually I don't know yet of limitations. First I will try to open an instagram account which will show my work over time and try to get followers there, with maybe trying to get as much followers from Balkans. I will probably make website later, dedicated solely to bow business, but that will come after I get some things in order.
Maybe my browser doesn't work, I'm not sure.
I'd get a planer mostly to make laminates. Inducing reflex through wood lamination is an addiction that's hard to quit once you've tried it. Not to mention I can steam bend reflex/deflex bows all day or put on rawhide or linen backings but nothing really beats hickory backed osage for durability. I have a handful of osage boards that are gradually turning purple that need backings but haven't put any time towards it in awhile.
Shit you are right, there are no pictures anymore. I posted them on "postimage", website that held all my pictures for years on other forums. Very weird. Unfortunately there is no way to get them back online now, sad.
Why do you back osage, I see that it functions pretty well on itself? Never tried rawhide or linen backings since I don't know where to get them here. There are some minor things that are usual on archery forums that I don't have access to. For example, there is nowhere to buy scrapers, aside from ordering from abroad. Also, sinew and snake skins. Butchers don't really have sinew.
It seems not many people post much of anything there anymore. Some old threads are worth printing out though.
Yes, especially those that still show pictures.
I never much cared for pyramid bows, that much physical mass right in the sight plane made shooting them kind of gay, but a lot of people seem to like them. Heat treat and blast the shit out of the belly and you can get away with murder.
They shouldn't be of high mass, don't get what you are saying? Are you saying that you don't like their width at the fades and that it distracts you when you shoot?
That's interesting though that black locust grows in Croatia since I thought BL was a Missouri kind of thing. I imagine you guys have .. ash and beech forests probably? Our type of black walnut is also much different, since European black walnut needs to age for a very long time to have a vintage look while American black walnut has the aged look the day after sawing it.
Black locust is probably one of the most common types of trees. It is an invasive species and people planted it all over the world, so it doesn't really seem weird fact that it is the 2nd most common tree I see in woods.
It has very good bow building potential. You can find them very big and straight so when you cut them, you could get a lot of staves. Recently I cut the one whose whole trunk and root was pulled from ground because of snow 4 years ago and since then it has been laying somewhat couple of feet above the ground. From the length of 15 feet I got about 16 staves.
Since it has been already almost dry, it split very easy. You could just hit the wedge couple of times and crack goes through whole length in a second.
Yes, also beech and ash are very common types of woods. Most common type of forest is beech forest with black locusts and some occasional birch and oak.
Btw, Juglans nigra is native to USA, and we find it rare in Europe, doesn't matter it was introduced here in 17th century. I can't really call it thus European since it is not widespread.
There is a European walnut but that wood is distinctly not suitable for bows. Too soft.
That being said, I found a single black walnut among some shrubs near industrial zone. Now, I was being perplexed as how did it get here, but I think it was put there as a decoration, some 30 years ago or so. I didn't want to cut it because it is a single one of its species around my area.
