Custom Built Bow in Progress

Lester Harper, owner of LH Custom Archery, is fashioning a custom take-down recurve for the staff (that would be me) at GiveEmTheShaft.com and BillHowardOutdoors.com.  Lester can be reached at stonepointak@yahoo.com if you have any questions about a custom bow for yourself.  You can also see some of his other works-in-progress at his website by clicking the photo.

The nice thing about a customer bow is you get to choose the look you want to go along with the draw weight you need.  With traditional bows (longbows and recurves), draw weight is measured at 28" draw length.  If your draw is longer, the weight would be greater.  Conversely, if your draw is shorter, the draw weight will be less than the weight listed.  This is important to know in areas where there is a minimum draw weight.  For instance, here in North Carolina, a minimum of 40lbs of pull can be used for traditional archery equipment when bowhunting.  If you purchase a recurve with 40lbs, but you only have a 26 inch draw, you will be below the requirements of the law.

Below is some pictures of my bow in progress of being built.  You'll see there is a lot of work put forth in the shape, look, and overall fashioning of the bow.  I chose zebra wood for the riser and limbs with a cocobolo accent.  Before it is finished, it will also have a partial copperhead snake skin on the risers.





Form for shaping the limbs.







Limb being placed in form.







Wood blocks to be used in the rise and limbs.





Blocks put together prior to cutting the shape of the riser.





Riser begins to take shape.




Riser and one of the limbs.

 

Here is a short video of some of LH Custom Archery's work featuring the Apostle bow.

Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News and the blog site Bill Howard's Outdoors. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.