Flemish Twist Bowstrings - Why?

Why use a Flemish Twist Bowstring.  And no it's not just because they look cool.

I've built bows and bowstrings for over 50 years and I'll tell ya straight up why many bowyers prefer the endless string over the Flemish String.  They make the endless string because it's easier and cheaper to build.

Now, they will give you all kinds of reasons, they will even invent reasons to create a buyers market for their string, bottom line, they build them to make money.

The beauty of the Flemish string is in it's purpose.  That is, it gives you the ability to adjust your brace height.

 Brace height

Being able to twist your string, (not reccommended with an endless string) Allows you to fine tune your bow to your shooting style, arrow spine, and bow efficiency and quietness.  With most Flemish strings, 3 twists will alter brace height by 1/4" up or down.

This allows you to have more leeway in the arrows you shoot.  Brace height is the most important element in tuning a traditional bow for quiet and consistent performance.

Remember, marketers want to sell stuff.   Think twice before you believe anything they want to sell, I mean tell you.

I have a string build along on my website for those of you interested in building your own Flemish String.

www.cowichearchery.com

Rudolph, A Christmas Message

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donder and Blitzen., But do you recall? The most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Had a very shiny nose.

And if you ever saw it, You would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names;

They never let poor Rudolph Join in any reindeer games.

 
"Then" one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say,

Rudolph with your nose so bright, Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?

"Then" how the reindeer loved him

As they shouted out with glee, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,

We live in a world that rewards and elevates people based on what can be seen or in some cases “not seen” on the outside.

On a recent television program, I listened as a mother, a very beautiful and glamorous one, spoke to her daughter and said something like this. “We have to work hard to look as beautiful as we can, after all it's the part of us that matters the most; it's much more important than what's on the inside.” Now it was meant to be humorous in it's context but it really made a statement about human wisdom and the reality of modern life in America didn't it?

Now old Rudolph had an aberration. He had a great big red shiny nose. All His life the other reindeer, the “perfect ones” made fun of him. They wouldn't let him join in any of their “games.”

Can you relate to this scenario? Do you know someone who can. Isn't this the reason so many children are bullied at school. Many are overlooked because they have what the “perfect ones” call an aberration.

But as we are told in Psalms 139, “We are all fearfully and wonderfully made!”

The truth is God designed each one of us for something only we are equipped to do. The secret to life is to discover what it is you and I were designed for.

An example, a Lamborghini is a rocket ship on the road, but it doesn't make a very good boat does it?
Or, put a fish on land; it is helpless, put it back in the water and it's genius becomes apparent, doesn't it?

Now, when just the right time and circumstances came and Old Santa realized it was too foggy to drive his sleigh, then Rudolph's unique design became apparent to all!

Then, ah yes, then, How all the other reindeer, (the perfect ones), loved him. (I love it when “Then” comes don't you?)

As a very wise man said to me one time, “Be careful who you slight on the “way up,” you might meet them again on the “way down.”    "The Lord gives and He takes away."

Merry Christmas!

Jesus Loves You!

The Hard Way

 Art Young and his Lion

My love affair with longbows began back in the '50s I had rode an old horse down to my Uncle's place up on Cowiche Creek.  He lived in the mountains by himself all his life.

He had an old longbow made from Yew he had harvested up near Mt. Rainier.  He brought it out to show me.  Strung it up and handed it to me. 

Try as I might, I couldn't draw it.  He told me it drew 100lbs.  He laughed and laughed at my efforts.  Not laughing at me, but just having fun.  That day began my love affair with the longbow. 



I remember when the compound appeared on the scene.  I had just come in from a Mule deer hunt on the breaks of the Columbia river.  In those days it wasn't unusual to see 2-300 deer every day.  I had gotten a 3x4 muley buck and stopped by the archery shop to show him off a bit.  They had  one of the first Jennings compounds.  Didn't know what it was at first.  I thought it was a joke.



Well, that next year, there were 30 of those things being packed around in my hunting area.  Where prior to that, you rarely saw any one hunting with a bow, there were people every where.  They were flinging arrows at deer and elk at more'n a hunderd yards!  They said, this compound is great, now we have a whole nother month added to rifle season to kill something.  Wasn't about getting close, wasn't about the art of hunting, now it was about killing...  Still don't know why they call those things bows!?  Aren't they a machine?

I've always loved archery.  Everything about it!  It's inspired my imagination for over 50 years.

Our sport has changed much.  Most of the change I don't like, and I guess the reason I want to write a book at this stage of my life is with the hopes that somewhere there is a young boy or girl who might see in it the things I have seen and enjoyed all of my life.

You see that's what true Archery is, it's a heritage, a legacy, a connection to the good part of the past.  It tests and challenges you every time you string up and shoulder your quiver.   Just like it did that day so long ago that I tried to pull that 100# Longbow.
It can never be completely mastered!

Modern Archery, compounds are just about bolting on the latest lazer device.  You don't need any skill really.  I see them as being the sign of a lazy person with no real desire to know what they are made of.

Well, maybe it's too late, maybe no one cares about any of that stuff any more.  But maybe there is one somewhere who does. So for that one, I'll write a book for him or her, so that when I'm no longer here, they will know I passed this way.  "The Hard Way."

An Inquiry From a Newbie

Dear Mr. Trimble

At the moment, I have 4 routes to go, and I'm still debating it. :D ha ha!

The Easy and lazy route

1) I'm looking at this bow on amazon The only thing that worries me is the customer rating that mentions the glued-on tip coming off and bruising that person's child.  Yikes!  I may buy that bow at a pro shop anyway because it truly is the one I won't have to push myself too much into buying.

PROS: Fastest to shooting route, Might be cheapest route. Ambidextrous. (I'm a right-handed person, but I'm definitely left-eye dominant. And this one gives me the option to try to find what I feel most comfortable shooting... then again, maybe I'm supposed to force myself to shoot left-hand, as the eye-dominance is more important?)

CONS: Might be a bad bow that can be harmful?  Might move on from this anyhow, and the money could have been better utilized at route #3 below.

The do-it-myself route

2)  I was reading on this site (poorfolkbows.com) about using red oak which I could possibly find at a Home Depot in my area to try and build one myself.  The only thing about this one is I'm not sure I'll be able to make a usable bow. :D hahaha.  I'm pretty meticulous, but then again, this route might test my impatience to really start shooting as soon as possible.  I chose this route thinking it might be the cheapest way to go?  I'm not sure.  I have to call Home Depot.

PROS: Learn something new.  Learn patience.  Be really proud of what my own two hands built.

CONS: Get an unusable bow.  Time it takes to make it, thus prolonging my 

More expensive, can't afford, bow route

3)  There's a pro archery shop very close to where I live (5-10 minutes drive?) that also sells that cheaper fiberglass bow I mentioned in option 1.  It's a PSE Razorback, which I didn't realize was a take-down recurve (when I was in the store... but have learned a bit more since then, research on the Internet about different types of bows).  I'm more of a traditionalist in things I like, so I prefer no-sights, and probably the longbow more-so than a take-down recurve even.

PROS: Might be the better route for a more quality bow.

CONS: Really, I'd be pushing it, to buy something at $129 (at the pro shop; online it's $105+14 shipping).  I don't know if I'll even like archery, and will be an expensive "test bow".

Look at classifieds like craigslist

4) 

PROS: Might get a great deal.  I just missed a deal for a longbow that was $60.

CONS: Might be a long time before any deals show up.  Might as well build my own bow. :D

Sorry.  I wrote a novel for you to read. :D ha ha.  Your input and recommendations, and archery tips are very welcomed, as I am a complete newbie.  Thanks!

My Reply:

Easy /lazy route, no such thing.  Poor equipment is not fun to shoot and is dangerous.  It's like buying the $1.29 steak instead of the three dollar one.  The 1.29 steak is tough, full of steroids and hormones and really has no food value.  Should have just flushed the money down the toilet.
Is that really inexpensive?  Better off not to buy anything, save your money.

Do it yourself route:  My friend, unless you have somebody that knows what needs to be known about bow building to help you, it can take years to build a self bow worth bothering with.  Trust me, I've been building bows for 50 years.  It doesn't come over night.  I have spent thousands of dollars and thousands of hours learning my craft.  If you are willing to put that kind of effort into building a bow, then I say go for it.  If not, don't, I guarantee you, you will give up real fast. 
 

Again, money down the toilet. 
 

Here's a short course in some bow building elements you need to know.  What is stack, what is kinetic energy, How do you achieve appropriate limb mass ratios,  how many thousandths of an inch of limb thickness = 0ne pound of draw weight?  What is tillering?  What kind of grain does a piece of wood require to make a bow that wont break? What does wood mass to wood tensile strength have to do with wood type selection?
I could go on and on with this stuff. 

More expensive, can't afford bow route:
I can't even buy the materials for a bow for $129.00!  If that's what you want to spend, then I would say the Razorback is your best bet.
Just remember this, there's a world of difference between a Ford and a Maserati my friend.

At a Bow Shop the other day a person made the comment, "Custom Longbows are overpriced."

My response:

How much do you make an hour for what you do?  How long did it take you to learn to do what you do? 

How much of your own time and resources did you commit to learning what you do.

Adding up thousands of hours and thousands of dollars to learn, HOW to build a good bow, the cost of good tools ( thousands of dollars), materials, seven days of construction and finishing time, and backing up your work with a good warranty;  How much would you charge for a custom Longbow?

Kids, we live in a slot machine world.  We erroneously believe that if we put a quarter in the slot we will get something of value back.  

www.cowichearchery.com