Organic Archery
Organic Archery
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Oldest Known Bow Recreated by Professional Bowyer
The Holmegaard bow is the oldest complete bow ever found; dating to roughly 7,000 BC (Mesolithic Period - Middle Stone Age). It was found alongside several other bows recovered from a bog in Denmark in 1963.
The Holmegaard bow is frequently mistaken for and/or used interchangeably with the Mollegabet artifact, but they're quite different. The Holmegaard is a fairly straightforward flatbow with a time-tested, pyramid-like limb profile. The Mollegabet, on the other hand, is kept wide for approximately 60% of its limbs before abruptly tapering to unusually narrow, rigid levers.
The design was trusted by the ancient hunter-gatherers; and remains in widespread use today. A well made Holmegaard is a solid hunting bow, with excellent durability and a quick, smooth cast. If you've never built one, I encourage you to give it a try. If you have, let me know your thoughts on Holmegaard bows in the comments below!
Instagram: @organic.archer
Website: www.organicarchery.com
zhlédnutí: 147 713

Video

Making English Longbows from Common Woods
zhlédnutí 20KPřed 4 měsíci
The question has been asked a million times - "Will wood make an English Longbow?" I'll refer to them instead as D-bows, because the design was quite widespread throughout history and is relied on by several of the remaining hunter-gatherer tribes to this day. Several different trees are used for traditional English longbows most famously Yew but also Ash and Elm which were referred to as the "...
Neolithic Ash Longbow Made w/ Modern Tools
zhlédnutí 14KPřed 5 měsíci
In this video I use modern tools to make an "archer-tall" ash longbow inspired by some of the ancient artifacts from the Neolithic period. Some prehistoric bows were at least as tall as the archer and made with rounded bellies, much like the renowned English longbow and warbow. Regardless of what you call it, it's a widespread design used by both hunters and warriors throughout human history. T...
How To Find & Prepare Bow Wood
zhlédnutí 4,7KPřed 6 měsíci
One of the most challenging parts of a new bowyer's journey is actually finding bow wood; and once you've found some, the work has only just begun! As with all things in woodworking, wood carving, and other lumber trades ~ quality wood must first be sourced, processed, and most importantly dried before it's stable enough to transform into functional and long-lasting products. The same rules app...
Make a Primitive Bow by Feel - No Special Tools
zhlédnutí 61KPřed 7 měsíci
Bow making technology has changed since the ancient times, but the process remains much the same. With no shortage of primitive archery how-tos showcasing the benefits of specialized tools, it's always good to be reminded that bows can be made with nothing more than one or two readily-available implements. If you're not confident in your wood carving skills with a hatchet, practice on scrap woo...
Sharpen a Card Scraper the Easy Way
zhlédnutí 4,6KPřed 7 měsíci
This Bowyer's Bench video covers a simple and effective way to sharpen both rectangular and gooseneck card scrapers, also known as cabinet scrapers or hand scrapers. If you build high-end cabinets or furniture, you might want to make your scrapers razor sharp by stepping down to finer grit sandpaper. For building and tillering wooden bows, 220 grit is plenty sharp. This method works well regard...
Make a Bison Hide Back Quiver
zhlédnutí 4,8KPřed 8 měsíci
In this video I show how to make a simple and effective back quiver from split bison hide. This is the proprietary style I've been making for Organic Archery customers for the several years. I use 4-5 oz split bison hide and a cowhide liner for improved broadhead protection. These quivers can only be used with 2-blade broadheads and are not safe for use with 3-blade. If the straps are made long...
How to Freehand Sharpen a Draw Knife
zhlédnutí 4,1KPřed 9 měsíci
This Bowyer's Bench video covers a quick and easy freehand sharpening method that works for all shapes and sizes of draw knives. What would you like to see covered in future Bowyer's Bench videos? Let me know in the comments! Instagram: @organic.archer Website: www.organicarchery.com
Making an Eastern Woodlands Bow
zhlédnutí 24KPřed 9 měsíci
In this video I make a replica of the Eastern Woodlands bow from the Catawba Tribe found on page 78 of the "Encyclopedia of Native American Bows, Arrows & Quivers - Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest" by Steve Allely and Jim Hamm. The Pre-Columbian Catawba territory consisted mainly of present day North and South Carolina, and they were later considered by early colonists to be one of the most p...
Making Otzi the Iceman's Bow w/ Modern Tools
zhlédnutí 357KPřed 10 měsíci
In this video I build a nearly identical replica of the bow found alongside Otzi the Iceman. Modern steel hand tools were used, and the measurements differ from Otzi's bow by only fractions of an inch as the process unfolds. This happens naturally while working it down to the desired draw weight, which in this case was 65-70 pounds at 26 inches. It's important to remember that every piece of wo...

Komentáře

  • @PromasterHOF
    @PromasterHOF Před 18 hodinami

    I would like to the Boyer build it like they did during the Stone Age using no modern tools

  • @danielwall5914
    @danielwall5914 Před dnem

    Amazing! Good job bro! Subbed

  • @maxgriffin7870
    @maxgriffin7870 Před dnem

    I like to think about the tools they would have used in the day to make them

  • @SStesta90
    @SStesta90 Před dnem

    I love it, it looks so simple and clean. very impressive.

  • @saardean4481
    @saardean4481 Před 2 dny

    I really hope this guy smiles a bit even if its at the end of the video. Nice work till now. Subbed

  • @simonbach3618
    @simonbach3618 Před 2 dny

    Hi from Denmark like that you made something fount here. And the arrow sound is cool i thaught that was a Hollywood thing! ;-)

  • @jkd0114
    @jkd0114 Před 2 dny

    It’s my dream to make a bow from scratch and harvest some game. Please tell me is this conceivable for someone like myself with no prior knowledge? Using this technique? Will you show arrow construction using a similar rudimentary technique? Is this method for someone who has done this before? The string makes me most nervous….can it be ordered? How?

  • @michun72
    @michun72 Před 2 dny

    what wood is used for this bow?

  • @TheWind213
    @TheWind213 Před 2 dny

    You sir are a true master of your craft.

  • @Bob-ur9un
    @Bob-ur9un Před 2 dny

    Very nice 👍 you have inspired me to try and make a bow, cheers 🏹

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 2 dny

    Have you ever made Cherokee or War bows? Sorry, I’m like so into your sh*t. You’ve got so me so obsessed. A stave kinda scares me. Not scares but I find it intimidating. That’s another reason I want to do a board bow first or flat bow, self bow 😂. I’m getting my bows confused. I’m in Canada but thought I’d ask you if there’s a place you’d recommend for tools?

    • @organicarchery
      @organicarchery Před 2 dny

      The bows of the pre-contact Eastern seaboard were all pretty similar. This Catawba bow is nearly identical to the ones used by the Cherokee. Quality bowmaking tools are hard to find at local hardware stores, so I don't have any recommendations for sourcing them other than the internet!

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 2 dny

    Thanks!

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 2 dny

    Thanks!

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 2 dny

    Thanks!

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 2 dny

    I was wondering if you could do a video on making a board bow. That’s what I wanna do as my first. Then progress from there. I just want to go to Home Depot and get a piece of maple. Not sure if red cedar would work. It’s less work and easier for my old body. But the real excitement will be finding a sapling or tree and going from there. Also, it would be awesome if you could do a video on making your own tiller board and maybe explaining how you get a bow to a certain poundage. How the scale works. I mean maybe it’s too elementary for your subscribers but just my own thoughts. Any chance you could add Closed Captions to your videos? It would really help us older dudes out. Thanks for all your videos. Can’t wait for your next video.

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 2 dny

    Nice. Thankyou for another great video

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 2 dny

    Holy sh*t! How fast is that bow? Love the quiver. You make everything look so easy. So much nicer making stuff yourself. More of a sense of pride. The more I watch these videos the more enthusiastic I’m getting. My wife will be calling you. 😂😂

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 2 dny

    I think holding it to your chest would be easier to see, as you said. Where would you recommend a beginner get their tools. I worry that too low of quality would make it harder when just starting yet do I want to invest a lot of money when just learning?

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 2 dny

    Man that looks like a large bow. Wow that shoots fast! Do any of your bows have an arrow rest?

    • @organicarchery
      @organicarchery Před 2 dny

      @@kelroundell6304 it’s a sweet shooter! I don’t put arrow rests on my bows because they’re not historically accurate, and I like the arrow “feel” off the knuckles. Cutting shelves is a pretty new practice that gained traction with fiberglass bows.

    • @kelroundell6304
      @kelroundell6304 Před 2 dny

      @@organicarchery I wondered if it was historically correct. Thanks for responding. The more I learn from you the more my views and decisions change. I love that you do it historically correct. Cool

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 2 dny

    Great video on sharpening the scrapers. I kinda wondered how it was done. Looks fun using the scrapers.

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 2 dny

    Thanks!

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 2 dny

    Love the roughness of it. Amazingly done with barely any tools. That I find exciting!! 12+ hours!

  • @christophermapes5176

    So you never tell us how these 7000 BC bows were made without your modern tools - using likely Stone Age tools. Of course we know of Obsidian. NOT going to watch your whole video because it doesn't provide Education or a Historical context. I'm out.

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 2 dny

    Thanks!

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 2 dny

    Thanks!

    • @organicarchery
      @organicarchery Před 2 dny

      @@kelroundell6304 very much appreciated, Kel! Your donation will invested right back into the channel to help create more and better videos!

  • @artworkbyjeff
    @artworkbyjeff Před 2 dny

    Is that a road just beyond your target ?

  • @wpjohn91
    @wpjohn91 Před 2 dny

    The chicken going bukaw at nearly every shot had me in giggles

  • @louiseburnett5795
    @louiseburnett5795 Před 2 dny

    G R E A T T R A D I T I O N A L W O R K

  • @oliverohnemus5791
    @oliverohnemus5791 Před 2 dny

    That’s beautiful

  • @JH-lo9ut
    @JH-lo9ut Před 2 dny

    There are few things in life that I enjoy more than working with a draw knife. The amount of power and control, and the speed is hard to match with any other hand tool. You need a really solid way to clamp the workpiece though...

  • @MartinHoffmann-of9sz

    Awesome craftsmanship, as a kid i used elm to make primitive bows. I have seen the bow at Holmegård museum. Greetings from Denmark.

  • @dragonsage6909
    @dragonsage6909 Před 3 dny

    Amazing bow build, love it! Thank you for sharing this.. :) The budding Bowyer on yt 🇨🇦

  • @yellowamburine3291
    @yellowamburine3291 Před 3 dny

    And the sounds! holy cow gimme gimme

  • @masterorion812
    @masterorion812 Před 3 dny

    not bad

  • @TheDrewb666
    @TheDrewb666 Před 3 dny

    you should send it to lars anderson and do some collabs

  • @TheDrewb666
    @TheDrewb666 Před 3 dny

    have you ever made an atlatl ?

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 3 dny

    Another great video. Really helpful for a beginner especially. I’d feel secure going out and finding a small tree or sapling. Thanks!

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 3 dny

    I enjoyed this video very much. I like the way you strung it. Learned that. Also, you sure know how to use tools. Love the dying process too. I see I’m late to the party regarding the giveaways. That’s cool of you.

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 3 dny

    Awesome video. This was the first one I watched. Thanks for explaining it so well especially being new to the art.

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 3 dny

    I’m late in joining. That was interesting. How is maple for a bow? My dad loved maple so I’m kinda hoping it works. I used to have a compound but my son got a yew longbow and now I’m addicted. These videos are excellent. On to watching all the others I missed.

  • @kelroundell6304
    @kelroundell6304 Před 3 dny

    I just subscribed. This video was excellent! The way you show everything you do and explain without rambling on and on. I find some people’s videos are good but with too much talking the important info gets lost and I have to rewatch. I thoroughly enjoyed this. Would this bow be considered a “board” bow? Forgive my ignorance, just learning. I’ve had a composite before. I ran across something on Facebook and it got me interested in buying a bow again but like yours and making my own one day once I can afford the tools. dad taught me to love different woods and if he was here, he’d be so into your channel too! Now I don’t have a heat source as you do in this video but the process is still very informative. This is my favourite channel now so I’m on a mission to watch all your videos. Your instruction is a perfect fit for me. Is there a place where I can donate monthly to your channel? I’m not sure how to do that?

  • @babetopaz
    @babetopaz Před 3 dny

    Wow, don't know a thing about Bows, but found this interesting and oddly inspiring, thank you.

  • @otija7017
    @otija7017 Před 3 dny

    What tools where used to build the original bow?

  • @trondsi
    @trondsi Před 4 dny

    That hackberry bow looks elegant and smooth both in shape and action.

  • @whitmckinley266
    @whitmckinley266 Před 4 dny

    What tools would the original creators have used? Flint and stones?

  • @shinyshirt
    @shinyshirt Před 4 dny

    Your vows are sick my man. Beautiful. They also shoot crazy well it looks like😮‍💨

  • @shinyshirt
    @shinyshirt Před 4 dny

    Quick question for anyone who knows, is a bi-fletched arrow better/more accurate for traditional shooting than a tri-fletched arrow? Or do his fly so well because he makes his own quality arrows?

    • @organicarchery
      @organicarchery Před 4 dny

      @@shinyshirt doesn’t matter if it’s a 2, 3, 4, or 6-fletch. It all boils down to total surface area. A 2-fletch must be made long to account for having less feathers. My two-fletches are 6 inches long and have 90 degrees of helix. A 6-fletch arrow, like the ones occasionally used by the Hadza, can have feathers that are very short in both length and height. Two extremes of the spectrum, but you get the point! Use whatever style calls to you and experiment with length and height until they fly well. I prefer a 2 fletch because 1) nock orientation doesn’t matter 2) they lie tightly together in a quiver and 3) they’re quieter, both on the bow’s handle and in flight.

    • @shinyshirt
      @shinyshirt Před 3 dny

      @@organicarchery thanks so much, this is extremely insightful! I’m curious what your perspective is on how to fix the issue of arrows that seem to have the back end kick out upon release (they’re tri-fletched) and how to possibly fix it? Also, when you shoot arrows of the tops of your hand, do you just let it cut you until your hand grows callus or is there a technique you use to prevent this? Thanks so much for your help!!

  • @barry7608
    @barry7608 Před 4 dny

    Nice, it must be very satisfying. I grow 11 species of bamboo and am pretty keen to have a go from one of the larger species, culms get to 100mm OD and very heavy walled. I made 1 only arrow from a very straight but smaller species and it flys really well from a 40# Sage elite. I'm only an amateur. Watching this has put me back into the mood, thanks for sharing.

  • @KelvinNikkel
    @KelvinNikkel Před 4 dny

    Just finished binge watching all your videos and totally love the way you show how you build your bows. Thinking of getting into trying my hand a building my own bow in the very near future. It would be fantastic to have won one of your bows. Keep up the great work. Looking forward to future videos.

  • @KelvinNikkel
    @KelvinNikkel Před 4 dny

    I currently live in Thailand and was just wondering if Teak would make a good bow? I am thinking of trying my hand at making a bow.