Bow Making
Do you want to know how to make a bow & arrow from local wild materials? This class is for you!
Learn the skills of a hunter and gatherer so you can explore with confidence. This course will take you through the process of building a traditional bow, and 2-3 arrows.
New Skills
Our bow making course will take you on a journey to build a complete bow from Osage Orange & starting a stave from local maple or juniper. You will be learning from instructor Kyle Thomson who has over a decade of bow making experience and who also hunts with primitive archery. Students will receive professional instruction and tips and tricks. You'll learn how to select local materials for bows and arrows, as well as a variety of primitive skills to make a bow in the wild.
Embrace Your Primal Side
What's Covered?
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Identify wild materials for bow staves & arrow shafts
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How to build a drying pit
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Heat bending over the fire
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Rawhide bow strings
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How to tiller and make a tillering stick in the wild
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Hide glue & pitch glue
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Bow backings
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Dogwood arrow shafts, points, and fletchings
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Red Ochre paint
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Primitive Fire skills
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Primitive Cordage
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Primitive living skills
Learn Local Materials & Resources
Start your class learning about wild materials and what to look for in materials to make a bow and arrow. This is something not often taught on there courses, but we believe it is vital for anyone looking to learn traditional archery. Not only will you learn local materials, but you'll learn how to choose wild staves, and start processing them into your next bow.
Design & Shape
Once you have an understanding of where to get your bow materials, you will dive into designing and shaping your bow. Students learn how to mark the design onto the stave and how to carve the bow using a variety of tools.
After the bow is floor tillered we will learn how to bend and shape the bow into the proper design.
Tiller & Backing
Students will learn how to make a tillering stick from local materials and begin to tiller their bow. This is where you'll start to see your bow take shape and life comes into the bow. During this step we will add rawhide backing and paint your personal design onto the bow, or leave it as is.
Finishing, Staining, & Arrows
Lastly we will begin fine sanding, dying the wood, & protective coating the bow. Students will add leather handles, make their bow strings. Once the bow is finished we will start on arrows from Red Oiser Dogwood. By the end students will have a finished bow and 2-3 arrows ready to use!
Class Photos
Course Details
Our bow making course is designed to work with your schedule. This course runs from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm. Students go home and return each day.
"Kyle was amazing! I was struggling with trying to build a bow before this course. Now I feel way more confident in not only making a bow, but also finding local materials. Thanks Kyle!
Josh H.
Course Dates
Nephi Utah - October 10th - 13th (9am - 4:30pm)
St George - September- 12th - 15th (9am - 4:30pm)
Or, Schedule Your Own Bow Making Course!
Pricing
Adult
$750
Youth
$450
Private Group 4+
$550 / Per Person