Building a Pacific Yew Recurve Self Bow - Start to Finish

Comments · 1.1K

• RA

  @ratamahatta1300 · 2 years ago

  Finally someone using a string to find the centerline. Kept thinking I was doing something wrong :)

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• SI

  @sigma8995 · 3 years ago

  What a bow. The thing is made of the legendary yew wood. Ancient Long bowmen of Britain  cherished them.

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• VI

  @vixwolf2037 · 2 years ago

  Clay thank you for your videos thanks to you I was able to build my first selfbow (it didnt snap), I was able to heat-bend the twisted stave into a much better shape (it had reflex halfway through a limb) backed it with rawhide successfully, it shoots with minimal handshock but the weight is only 25lbs so I'm going to reflex the tips and try to get the weight up. But I couldn't be more thankful for your videos. For anyone thinking you don't have the tools I did it mostly with a straight blade pocket knife. You can do it I wish you all luck!!!

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• LI

  @listeformeg · 4 years ago

  I want to see more of this bow. Maybe an update on it after a while? It is a beauty!

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• JH

  @jhagler9010 · 4 years ago

  As someone living in Idaho this video was much appreciated! Could you do a pacific yew stave harvesting video by chance?

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• CM

  @CMB911 · 3 years ago

  My grandpa used to make bows for people back in the 70s and 80s. He was a competitive archer named Roy Frederick Burch. Sadly he died when I was 6 (in 1987) so I never got to learn from him. I still have a couple of the bows he made though 🙂

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• HA

  @haroldcroy922 · 4 years ago

  Best wood on the earth! I know elders who have bows hundreds of years old

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• RI

  @richardoxford3824 · 2 weeks ago

  Southern Oregon.. Just found some Yew a few days ago. Split it out, sealed the ends, put it up...(September) Next Christmas can't get here fast enough!

• JE

  @jerrysponagle3881 · 3 years ago

  There may be a few of us needing this knowledge in the future to survive.  Good  video.

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• PH

  @philipsutton8921 · 4 years ago

  Wow - there is something so therapeutic and relaxing about watching Clay make a bow.  I've watched all his bow making videos many times.  If one is ever stressed and the mind is overpowered with thoughts and information, this is a fantastic way to unwind.  By the end of one of these babies, I'm as relaxed as a kitten.

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• CH

  @christianschmidt6463 · 4 years ago

  Some say yew is gods gift to the bowyer. I build myself a yew warbow a few years ago, a beast with 110 pounds of draw weight that needs superheavy arrows to reduce the massive handshock. I still have a lot of well dried yew bow staves in my garage, never been thinking about making a yew recurve bow. Thanks for the inspiration.

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• JA

  @japanesemaplepruning · 2 years ago

  Pacific yew is an amazing tree. Most people never know they exist

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