BUNKHOUSE RAMBLINGS

[GunClick Rick]

Them are Gunnies bows..Osage that's what it is  NICE

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

GB, I can see where it would have taken a little time to collect this many specimens, I was always surprised, at how small a lot of the American Indian bows and arrows are/were, some of the arrows I remember seeing in museums  seemed so short, but it was pointed out the the wood they used for there bows were very strong, and because they weren't very long, they packed a pretty good punch, compared to the long bows used in England and Europe, these Indian bows and arrows were at the opposite end in size. for distance it was hard to beat the long bow, the recurve was great in short range or brush, and was/is a very fast shooting bow.

                            Thanks for sharing Pardner

                              tEN wOLVES    

[Kid Terico]

I used to play around but I was only 16 at the time. ;DKT Does that count?

[Gun Butcher]

 TW you are right about the Native American bows being short. Would have been a real pain to shoot a long bow from horseback. they favored the osage because of its strength and they also covered the back of the bow with sinew and sometimes rawhide. The short bow that I show with the stcks is more along those lines being what they call a "flat bow". the others are all in the long bow style.  
The first bow that I ever made would have made you laugh. It looks perfect but a 3 yr old could probably bend it double.   I took a little to much wood off of the belly when I was shaping it. SO, it hangs in the shop to remind me to take a little at a time no matter what I am working on.

Oh, here is my little arrowhead collection.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

  GB, nice collection, and assortment of styles, you're right about the long bow being hard to shoot from horseback, the type of in and out fighting the Indians did, that short bow served him better. My wife's cousin is licenses to shoot a cross bow, he does real well at harvesting game each year with it, shoulder injures like mine don't allow him to shoot his long bow anymore, I have brother in laws that shoot compound bows, I never got into them, but I've been told they are real easy to shoot, and much more user friendly than what I'm used too, my heart is still with the old way.

                              Thanks for sharing Pard

                              tEN wOLVES 

[GunClick Rick]

Niice arrowheads
 Shoulda seen the knife i found today,some old feller had some antique dressers out in his driveway and my cousin and i stopped to check them out,man he had a three car garage turned into an antique store,had a falling block 38 pistol,a 32 degree mason sword,a really nice percussion shotgun english made from england with silver inlay.A great big knife cuaght my eye and it had the pirate blade look with leather scabbard with brass at the top.The brass hilt had a meatal nub on one side and when ya slid the kinfe in the nub lined up with a hole on the hand gaurd and just on one side and about the size of a nail head.I may have to add it to my kife collection if i can talk him down some,he wanted 250 for it.Also had a chest halter for a horse with silver conchos on it,said it was made by the Visalia Saddle Co. but i could'nt find any markings.I thought i knew every dealer in town and turns out he knew my grandfather,He sure had some stuff in there.

You guys ever see a knife like that?

[Ned Buckshot]

Any body in these parts do Scrimshaw?

I am in the design stages of a very important project, I'm leaning towords a little bit on Elephant Ivory. Less than 1 1/2" diameter.

Or does any one know who a go to artist is?

Ned

[Gun Butcher]

Ned, here is a piece I did quite a few years ago and I have done 5 or 6 powder horns.  Its really not hard to do unless you have trouble with your hands then it can be a real bear.
With what I have seen from you it shouldn't be hard for you to figure out.
 As a matter of fact I have a new knife that I just finished that I plan on doing a little scrimshawing on. I will post it under Bunkhouse Ramblins when I get it done.

[Ned Buckshot]

That's very nice Gun Butcher!

I just am not sure I want to spend the time to learn at this point.

Ned

[Gun Butcher]

 Well I get the feeling that a lot of you guys spend some very productive time "learning". I have a tendency to over simplify the learning process and I am sure it shows in my finished product.  
We'll move this one over to the Bunkhouse thread since it really isn't leather related.