Building a Pacific Yew Recurve Self Bow - Start to Finish

For this self bow building video I'll be starting with a seasoned log and taking you through the entire process of building a pacific yew recurve self bow. Pacific yew is very similar to the European yew that was historically used to make the classic English Longbow. We'll start by splitting out a good bow stave, removing the bark and cutting the stave o length. One of the great characteristics of this particular wood is the sapwood is very strong in tension and the heartwood is strong in compression. So by leaving a thin layer of sapwood on the back of this selfbow, we end up with a natural backing. This stave has a thick layer of sapwood so I thin this to about 1/8" thick. We then lay out the bow's limbs and handle, remove all excess wood with a draw knife and rasp and start tillering the bow. Tillering is the process or removing wood from stiff areas of the bow while skipping over weaker areas. This allows the limbs to bend evenly from side to side on a nice arc. Finally I cut in an arrow shelf as well as sand, steel wool, and burnish the wood before shooting my new primitive bow.
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[@notcashmoney205]

I've loved archery ever since I was a kid but couldn't pursue it because my parents didn't like it for "safety reasons". Now that I'm older but with a tight budget, this video made me want to go grab a draw knife and get to work :) Amazing video!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Go for it!

[@franke102]

@@clayhayeshunter Not sure how it will work on wood, but as a tile-setter we use hair-spray to make the chalk lines permanent on concrete subfloor. Only fill your chalk line half way up to reduce that residue and keep the line clean.

[@Weaver1812]

Likewise my friend

[@godsorandom5336]

Then do it… find the time and do it bro your only limiter is you

[@user-wj8qm4pp9h]

😊

[@philipsutton8921]

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.

[@byronheisler5416]

I believe the name for the bow vise is known as a "Bodger's Bench".

[@conexionsinaloa2850]

Excelente amigo 👌

[@conexionsinaloa2850]

Saludos amigo clay me encantan tus videos estoy aprendiendo saludos desde Sinaloa México

[@johnperks8620]

@@byronheisler5416 I think you mean " Bowyers Bench ".

[@ManiMani548]

philip, it is even more relaxing for you to make such a bow, and handwork in general has this quality!

[@tamphan6828]

Had the bow set up at a pro shop. It performed just fine kzbin.infoUgkxQEKUoxLWwayEDZR0NKB-5limn4MBU-2L . And I would say this is a good starting now that I could pass down to my son when he is older.But the package was missing the release and a nock was missing from one arrow.Dealing with customer support was terrible. They suggested I buy a new release rather than correct their own quality control issue because it’s to expensive for the. to ship it out from China.Update: manufacturer got back to me and resolved the issue. I retract the above statement.

[@cameronburch3532]

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 🙂

[@BackwardsHatNation]

This was like watching a short documentary on bow building, which I like. The cinematography approach is something I'm striving towards. So if you ever feel inclined to do a video on outdoor film making tips, please do.

[@tradbowtimewithuncledan2686]

Hey brother👍

[@BackwardsHatNation]

@@tradbowtimewithuncledan2686 howdee dan

[@mapuiahmar1421]

V vi

[@mapuiahmar1421]

Pl

[@manuelwebe]

Outstanding bow-making as usual. Thanks for sharing.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thank you too!

[@vixwolf2037]

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!!!

[@notfeedynotlazy]

Man, sooner than 30 seconds inside the video and I can already compliment you for doing a narrated craftmanship video the RIGHT way (craftmanship videos with voiceover have a bad rep because of the huge amount of youtubers doing it the WRONG way). No annoying talking head, no unnecesary yapping, just relevant, useful explanation of what we're actually seeing being done. Well done.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Many thanks

[@Scablands_Scavenger]

Really glad I found this channel. Very inspiring. I have a couple of Yew quarter rounds that have been waiting for me to do something with for years.

[@elsaladoafortunado9566]

Thanks for not letting traditional bow building die keep it up you are doing a great job 👏

[@codybrown2227]

Alright Clay, you've inspired me to try this out for myself. thanks alot. also, for the record, you're one of the few people I could actually stand to watch on Alone. basically skipped all the other people to get to your content. really great stuff !

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks Cody

[@user-kn4lh7ck3d]

بلطبع رائع جدان

[@michaelfunk5951]

I really, really enjoyed this! You covered bow making so thoroughly that you've seriously sparked that, "I can do this now with this knowledge ". Now to find good wood and the tools to put this in action. I caught on to that Three Rivers mention for certain. Pulled it up while this was going on just to have it for later. It's on hold in the background for a bit till this is completely seen. Loved how you put an arrow rest on it. Thank you for a really great video. You're an excellent teacher!

[@PB4204eva]

Very formative. No bs background music. Your demeanor seems very calm. Thank you putting content like this out here. I doubt I'll ever make a bow, but I really enjoyed watching and learning from you. Cheers! I just subcribed!

[@electrominded8372]

Your honest and thorough way of going about the work process is an inspiration for new bow makers, Clay

[@clayhayeshunter]

Many thanks

[@NZCLUB_reals]

never seen this process. another dayum fine bow with impressive draw -absolutely fascinating I just wanna make one now THANKS CLAY ❤️

[@johnathanlivingstonseagull5524]

As a life long wood worker, I even learned a few tricks from you. I'm impressed and grateful.

[@theoregonhistoryhunters2209]

Outstanding video and so inspiring! Thank you for sharing this vital skill and art and for showing the tricks of the trade you use in your build process and for keeping history alive! So needed in these times!

[@listeformeg]

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

[@raymondjohns7617]

All I can say is that is pure beauty! I was brought up on the I call them stick bow's. Thank you very much for sharing your talents! Ray

[@heathr4263]

You've supplied me the fine details I was lacking, big respect and my thanks

[@Keeperofrighteousness]

Beautiful bow seemed to shoot really nice withbeavy arrows to! Thanks for the tips.

[@jhagler9010]

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

[@jimwortham8634]

Wow so glad I clicked old time Archer here remember when recurved first hit the scene many many years ago you are fantastic appreciate

[@traderduke1880]

DANNNNGGGGG...This was the COOLEST BUILD EVER. Wow...Amazing. You've motivated me to go to the range and look into buying an Bow and taking lessons. So cool. Thank you.

[@greenstreet5287]

amazing watching you make that and add the recurve to it.

[@raylamphier9899]

I’ve read your book and watched a lot of your videos. I’ve also been a fan of your work on Alone and was proud to see you win season 8. I have made several bows from vine maple and black locust based on your book but the two bows I’ve tried to make from pacific yew based on this video have both broken in three pieces. The last one I made was looking really good and I never thought it would break but it did on the tillering tree. I will keep trying but I wish I knew what I am doing wrong…

[@jacobmacleod4054]

I'm no expert, but it sounds like they're breaking in tension. (Typical with a 3 piece break) Either you need to leave thicker sapwood (stronger tension) or reduce strain overall (wider and flatter, or longer, or decrease draw weight)

[@haroldcroy922]

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

[@chrisjohnson38]

Awesome, thanks for sharing that. Pacific yew sure does make a nice looking bow.

[@lobopropredatorcontrol]

Beautiful! Great idea with the hot nail, I’m gonna use that on my next! Never made a recurve but after this video I think I might have to give it a go. English long bows are all I’ve made with yew so far. Thanks for the inspiration 👊🔥🔥🔥

[@2Ulive]

great video brother ,i have been making bows for some time and am new to the channel, you have outstanding tips and tricks this has fueled more projects for my bow making and has me considering options i may not have normally tried, i look forward to absorbing more information from binge watching your videos, thank you for the great content look forward to more -mike w NH

[@michaelbiggs7129]

One of the best step by step videos i've watched

[@steved1008]

Great tutorial. Many questions answered about how to work with yew. Also, I needed to hear an expert say « take a chance » to tackle a neat yew stave in my projects pile. Thank you.

[@clayhayeshunter]

And have fun!

[@fishmaniachannel]

Work of art👌❤️

[@mdbryan9525]

I was with Jay Massey at his home in Alaska and Jay was laying out a self bow. He was having trouble establishing the bows center line. I suggested he use the shadow of a bowstring It worked great.

[@robras2850]

Wow your so great you just had to let people know how clever you are, must be a sigh of relief, now people know.

[@mdbryan9525]

Yeah and I didn’t even have to mention that my dad helped start the Pope and Young Club. Thanks for the reply. I totally forgot to mention that.

[@chrisfurry766]

Wow! I have been thinking about building a bow forever. This video really lit a fire. Thanks Clay.

[@jandec6800]

Piękny wyrób ludzkich rąk Brawo

[@jrempp7729]

Another fine video! They just keep getting better and better!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Glad you think so!

[@stevebostic9812]

Fantastic, Clay! Thank you. I picked up some great tips!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Glad it was helpful!

[@christianschmidt6463]

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.

[@samholleman7195]

Appreciate the narration/explanation on this one. It made my understanding a lot better.

[@BD-gy4pz]

Great video and beautiful bow! Nail was a great idea. Also never thought to use a honing steel as a burnisher. If you're looking for quick content one day, a short video on how you care for all your tools and keep them sharp would be cool to see.

[@jj4791]

He has some sharpening videos.

[@paulhomsy2751]

Excellent work ! I didn't realise how much time and effort a self bow required. I also like heavy arrows, mine are cedar and around 600 grains.

[@TheRedhawke]

It looks awesome, so glad to see you building bows again.

[@josephreichart7545]

Mesmerizing process,true craftsman.

[@Gillesgip]

Very nice! Excellent video, thank you for sharing!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thank you very much!

[@lyonmandan]

I’ve been making bows for close to 20 years and for some reason this is the first time I’ve heard that you don’t need to chase a single ring on Pacific yew. This would certainly speed up the process.

[@roberttown2816]

I was thinking the same

[@bonsaivlaamseardennen2269]

I've been making bows since 2019 and I heard it several times from several bowyers. Yew is a lot more forgiving for this, especially the tighter grained.

[@NickWeissMusic]

I do some woodworking, and the sentence about following the growth ring, pretty much turned me off of bow making forever lol. all woodworking takes forever, I just can’t imagine, kudos to you legends who can do it!

[@jazapercival4379]

This was very informative and clear. Helped me out alot in my recurve bow building. Thanks clay

[@moderncavemanselfreliance8656]

I actually met the inventor of one of these benches at the glass buttes Knapp-in back in 2009. Very kind individual more than willing to answer questions and help people learn.

[@martarmis]

Wow this is a piece of art Clay. Good job as always! This rasp seems to be working extremely well (the coarse one you used for the rough out) and the saw you used to shape the string grooves, did tou say it was a "tile saw"? It works really well too. If possible to share the brands and models or any info that could help me acquire them 😊 please.

[@danielgreen3715]

I built an Ash Flat Bow but getting a recurve into it was a bit beyond my skills i think at the time so kept it simple but this is interesting as i would like to build an English War Bow out of Yew..I loved how you heat up and form the recurve! Incredible that you can ' plasticise' it like that! A really interesting video cheers

[@jamesmunden4607]

Hello I'm James. I enjoy watching your videos. I'm a 7'2 bow hunter. I'm looking for a long bow. My compound is 70 # pull with 33" draw.

[@craigvermillion8244]

Incredibly good video! Thanks for putting this together Clay!

[@georgehaydukeiii6396]

Another awesome video. Thanks for your generous sharing of knowledge. That hot nail trick is genius!

[@jeffreyarnold2626]

great idea on the limb twisting tool. will be making one this weekend.

[@thammermarcos5950]

Admiro muito esses trabalhos com arco recurvos tradicionais. Parabéns. Very good. Perfect bow recurve 👏👏🇧🇷

[@PacificNorthwestBowhunting]

I've got a few Pacific Yew staves in various stages. Just the kick the pants I needed to get a couple tillered up! Great stuff, Clay.

[@tomvawter4531]

Great video Clay! I've learned a lot from them. Made my first flemish twist string without a jig from watching one of your videos. It turned out nice and shoots well. I hope to build a longbow soon. 👍

[@davidhuffman9146]

So are you going to make this yew bow your go to bow for hunting now ?? That bow is way better then your old one look and power hope you do it would be a better choice in my opinion but I do like yew and iron wood kinda wood I have wanted to make bows for years now and never had the time I live In washington state and have access the yew and some of this good wood for bow building so watching your videos has thought me alot about building bows thank you for that

[@wjl2068]

What an awesome process. Your the best clay for giving out this info to everyone Question: if your bow broke on alone were you allowed to make another yourself?

[@clayhayeshunter]

Sure, there's no restrictions on making things.

[@jake4194]

Why would they not allow that??

[@wjl2068]

@@jake4194 idk they don't allow alot of stuff lol Plus it's never been done before by any of the bowyers so I thought there might be restrictions on hunting with a bow you don't know the draw weight on

[@jerrysponagle3881]

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

[@donisenhart4123]

Excellent video again! I heard you were on "Alone" so I looked it up and ended up binge watching it all night, all I can say is Conratulations. We were rooting for you from start to finish and you did not let us down, again Congrats and please don't stop making your videos.

[@anthonyolimpio3545]

Hey Clay, amazing video as always! If you feel inclined to, I'd love to hear your thoughts on best wood to make bows with by region. I'm up near the Canadian border and have trouble finding anything other than pine and oak, and I know others I've talked to have said to just buy online. I'd rather make the bow 100% from harvest to stringing so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for all you do!

[@whilomforge3402]

I’m not nearly as experienced as Clay, but I’d say that if you have access to hickory or locust, I’d start with one of them. Those are a fairly common species in most of North America.

[@TheMasonator777]

Use Ash.

[@saigevihle5118]

Red and white oak make pretty good bows, practice on not so good wood and save your good staves like hick or Osage till your skill is better.

[@gregoryfugal4722]

Maple is an excellent bow wood.

[@ssrhythm6923]

Glad to see you post up a yew bow build. I watch a lot of build vids for ideas, but my brain seems to understand the way you communicate better than it understands other folks' instructional vids; I'd say 98% of what I do when I build my bows is based off your instruction. I love my osage bows, but yew has a different type of sexiness and appeal to me, and I will definitely be making one as soon as I can get a stave or get up to Oregon and harvest some, and get them cured out; having this vid will be most helpful. I noticed that you lay your handle out on this bow differently than you have been on your osage builds, You went 2" above and 2" below center which should result in equal limb lengths. Are you doing that on this bow because it is Yew, or is this a move you've transitioned to on Osage also? I still lay my osage out 1 to 1.25 above center and 3 to 2.75 below center to end up with a shorter bottom limb. I've tried to wrap my mind around the necessity for a shorter bottom limb, but I can't seem to understand why the benefits would outweigh the "eye-confusion" (for lack of a better term) that happens to me when tillering a bow with a longer top limb and a shorter, slightly stiffer lower limb. Since your nock and arrow will still be above the center point of the bow, I'm assuming that you still want to achieve a slightly positive tiller (?) when complete. Regardless, it seems like this small change in your handle layout would result in a bow that is easier (less eye confusion) to tiller. Can you please speak to why you chose to lay the handle out in this manner resulting in equal limb lengths and if it would translate well to Osage builds? Thanks for the content dood. You've been a tremendous asset to me over the years.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Good catch. I usually still shift them down a little bit most out of habit. I don’t really see much difference in the bows performing or longevity when laid out symmetrical like this.

[@ssrhythm6923]

That is good to hear. I look forward to trying it on my next build. Looking forward to your Alone assessment; my wife and I were hoping they’d remove them both at the saner one in a med-check, because they were/are both so amazing. Not taking anything away from you and your win, and I know they edit to show what they want, but those two had heart, conviction, and a tremendous positivity that is truly admirable.

[@ssrhythm6923]

At the same time…

[@alexisalliel73]

Ouah, my eyes enjoyed every minute of it! I love yew so much. I have several growing in my backyard in France, and some others are going to get cut soon to build a flat where used to be a neighboring house. I'm waiting to ask the owners get me some beautiful pieces that I would let to dry for a few years before making some English style longbows and for sure some recurves as well. Now I know to go back to this video when the time comes! Thanks again, amazing work!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Awesome

[@thomperkins]

I stumbled across your channel and I applaud you for your artistry, sir. That is a beautiful bow. Gorgeous.

[@nathanphipps2312]

I live in WA and I've been looking for a good local pacific yew stave for my first bow build but I can only find English yew. Have you any experience with English yew, is it pretty must the same? Also why don't you have to follow the growth rings? Thanks!

[@clayhayeshunter]

I've never seen a piece of english yew.

[@borisv.6503]

If you haven't built any bow before go with cheaper species, since most probably you are going to f up first 5 times. In America I know you have hickory, maple or red oak. They will do well but every wood species differs in abilities. Also Taxus baccata or so called English or European yew makes excellent bows since it is best European bow wood. Also you don't have to follow rings on hickory, ashes and elms. But be aware that Elm is hard to work with because of the interconnected grain. If I was you go with hickory.

[@nathanphipps2312]

@@borisv.6503 I make furniture with mostly hand tools for a living so I'm very accustomed to working and shaping wood. I'm also a hard-headed turd who likes to dive head first into things haha.

[@nathanphipps2312]

@@clayhayeshunter We have a lot of black locust in my neck of the woods I could probably get one of those, any wisdom on black locust?

[@Helleuphoria]

Is the Yew Clay is working with here not poisonous then? The way English Yew is? I know you can still work with English Yew, just that you'd have to be careful and in a well ventilated area if you're sanding etc

[@bennyb.1742]

Hey Clay, can you perhaps put out a tracing of the recurve form as a PDF? That'd be pretty cool. Then we could trace it onto a big sandwich of plywood and cut it out.

[@stevensmith2085]

Plywood is not making a bow though lol unless it's just for looks I guess

[@StevenKeery]

@@stevensmith2085 : I assumed he meant to use it as a rough template of some kind, not to make the bow out of plywood.

[@cretudavid8622]

@@StevenKeery still won't work that well you need to follow the grain and twists of the wood. Unless your wood is perfectly aligned with his bow wood you won't be able to make your own using his measures and curves and straights

[@christophweeks7428]

WOW! FANTASTIC! Burned groves and wife’s hair dryer! Tips from a professional

[@driftlesshermit9731]

Beautiful bow. You make everything look too easy. Well done.

[@hillbilly4christ638]

Clay, your video skills have really improved. I thoroughly enjoyed this video and thank you for your efforts.

[@branjosnow6244]

Now that's a proper bow! Beautiful work.

[@GS-kx1ys]

Really enjoyable video. You know what you are doing, that's for sure. Thanks for allowing us to view.

[@krek17]

Another beautifull bow, and very much explains it all, the rest, do it yourself to learn in detail, thx Clay!!

[@jasonscoggins01]

KEEP making Videos forever. Love the sound of a scraper and watching the craftsmanship. Thank you Clay and Team🎉

[@clayhayeshunter]

More to come

[@jasonscoggins01]

@@clayhayeshunter Awesome Rock n Roll Thank you

[@wildsnook]

So satisfying to see those curls come off the scraper

[@sergentnewvegas2553]

absolutely beautiful craftsmanship

[@billmyers3039]

Clay you make it look easy. Great video. Thanks

[@danbasham9207]

Beautiful work. I wish I could have a hands on, in person build with you. That's the only way I could ever do what you make look easy.

[@colb715]

Thanks Clay great video. I have had success making 3 solid oak bows around 50lb but not so with all natural laminates a few blow ups!. I’ve picked up a few handy tips here mate so thanks. Looking forward to getting out and hunting with the oak soon.

[@cupidocacador4995]

Comecei na arqueira vendo seus vídeos, também aprendi fazer arcos, hoje tenho um arco composto caseiro para caça, gratidão...

[@carolerandolph4409]

Fascinating watching you create, as usual!

[@jx3s300]

After watching the first 7 minutes I decided to purchase 4 of your books. 1 for me and 3 for gifts. I really like what your teaching! Good to keep traditional skills alive.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Many thanks

[@mikewolfe6496]

Very nice build. Thanks

[@patrickjohnson2225]

Best bow making tutorial ever!!

[@dwardo1066]

Tile saw! Great idea thanks for sharing.

[@andyfletch455]

Thanks, you answered the one question I was hoping to answer. Reducing sapwood, whether to follow growth rings or not? Great, now I'll have more confidence with the collection of Scottish Yew staves I've had seasoning for the last 7 years. These staves have much more sapwood than my previous attempts, which had a lovely 3mm sap so I only had to remove the bark. Great wood, makes some really punchy bows & the finish you can achieve is awesome!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Good luck

[@ianwoods1384]

Hello Sir. That was fantastic viewing, you are an inspirational genius. Thankyou, and well done.

[@Robert-mn8gc]

Real Nice Work . 👌 Someone has perfected his Art extremely well. 1st Class Workmanship

[@sigma8995]

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

[@bustersbashers2280]

WoW 😮 that’s some great skill in making that bow.. Thanks 👍👍👍🙏🏻

[@dumbassdemonfoxmk2]

I love the wood smoothing glass or mug technique

[@Simon-hf3lw]

Great technic for making a bow specially when you work with wood is so satisfying great job 👍

[@moderncavemanselfreliance8656]

Been making bows for a while, but learned several new things in the first few minutes. I don't follow growth rings in general, at least not intentionally

[@spartacus5025]

Excellent video man. Perfectly instructed and you have a very talented skill if I may add

[@colleenparsons51]

Love your bow making, with little tools you have, and a nicely finished off flat bow, Happy shooting

[@rayarthur586]

This was one of the best videos I've seen. Thanks

[@onebeingeverybody7772]

brilliant. inspiring and well presented. a master at his craft

[@chanhnguyenha54]

Very thanks to this video Clay! Learn more about yew bow 😁😁

[@andyvue2418]

Beautiful bow and arrows

[@ArniesTech]

Absolutely beautiful piece. Stunning! Simplicity is key for me. ❤

[@clayhayeshunter]

Glad you like it

[@fouad218]

this is beautifful , a real peace of art