Building the Hickory Self Bow

Building a hickory self bow is a great way to get into the world of bow building and primitive archery. Hickory is a great bow wood for beginners because it's easy to find, tough as nails, and you don't have to wait for it to dry before starting to work on the bow. In this video we'll be building a short flat bow in the paddle bow design. It will bend through the handle and draw 45lbs at 26 inches. Even if you never plan on bowhunting, knowing how to build a primitive bow is a valuable and fun survival skill. And hickory is a great wood to use in a primitive survival situation.
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[@thehairywoodsman5644]

I apologize brother for posting non related stuff , but people need to know this . Benjamin Luckette 10 years old of Millington Tennessee died yesterday saving his 6 year old sister Abagail from drowning . she fell in a frozen pond and went through the ice , Benjamin sent his brother to get their dad and jumped in the water after his sister. when the dad got there he got Abagail out alive but Benjamin had drown , standing in water deeper than he was tall holding his baby sisters head above the water ! i cannot stop crying for the pain and anguish his family is going through . Benjamin Luckette is a HERO he gave his life to save his little sister ! please everybody pray for the Luckette's . i don't know any of these people , it just seems important that the world know about Benjamin's sacrifice !

[@fishmut]

I feel your story but yes please post these things in appropriate areas , there is enough drama everywhere, we are not here to see this .

[@fake6294]

Your working bench is so cool, I have never seen such a thing before. It's so simple and yet so useful and flexible to use.

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

Awesome build! I like the emphasis on sealing your bow soon after finishing to avoid growing moisture content. Top notch!

[@r.j.marslender7859]

I have started building my own bird bows. First one broke second one I was going for 50 pound and ended up with a 9.2 pound but it is a bow. I also made a flimish twist string. Thank you for all of your encouraging and educational videos.

[@clayhayeshunter]

you're most welcome

[@funkmonkeyfun]

First bow I made snapped after about 200 shots but that was the best 200 shots I have taken because I made it.

[@ruck-stickarcheryandwoodwo7073]

Thank you for all of your hard work and counsel for so many things. Making bows, arrows, tuning, strings, release, and all of it. I have greatly enjoyed watching your work and learning from your craftsmanship. Thank you again.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks much

[@levisweet979]

Clay,PROPS to you for using homemade and old, cheap, easily accessible tools. Your giving hope and confidence to those who cant go out and buy high end stuff. If you havent noticed, theirs alot of freshly homeless people in our country. Bieng thrust into a humbling situation almost always leads to substance abuse and insanity. Im a huge advocate for Jesus Christ, but most people cringe at the truth. Everyone in our day and age has a phone, so showing people that they can use their hands and produce something with scavenged materials is really really important.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks Levi

[@turbotdi5190]

I'm from the UK and just bought your book the traditional bowyers hand book ..looking forward to making my first bow .very very good video .dying art here in UK

[@clayhayeshunter]

Have fun

[@robertcarte95]

Good stuff. I'm in the middle of building my first primitive bow.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Have fun

[@tomislavobrovac3257]

I'm drying a nice hornbeam stave and I'm planning on making a bow just like this one. Except I'm going to heat treat it, also I'm definitely going to make my a little bit longer with non-working handle. So thank you for this video, it gave me some ideas

[@garypage9515]

Seeing all those hickorywood chips coming off of the rough bow, I'm thinking BBQ!!! Hickory, my favorite smoke flavor. It is so amazing watching you turn a round log into a bow. It's like you are the Michelangelo of bows; you have this sense of carving, and you just remove everything that isn't a bow.

[@clayhayeshunter]

😊thanks Gary

[@migalito1955]

Nice craftsmanship! I build the traditional style bow too. I have been primarily making the subclass of selfbow called the American Flatbow. I am not as traditional as you in that I do use rough cut lumber to start with rather than using an actual stave of Hickory. Speaking of Hickory, I just made a 66 inch 35 pound American Flatbow that I placed on EBay to see how well it might sell. I had Birch, White Oak and Hickory to chose from for the wood I used. I started with Hickory and was well on my way twice to a completed bow when each fractured while in the tillering process. My 3rd effort used White Oak and it worked fine. Surprising to me was the issue with the first failures was not grain related. Rather, I had used Hickory heartwood and everything I have since read plus my experience with two failures indicates the heartwood is too brittle or can suffer from what is called Brashness. Too bad, I have a lot of Hickory heartwood but the Birch and White Oak make a nice Self bow, but never leave them strung all day, especially the Birch for it loves bending.... As far as the heartwood; I used one fractured effort as a riser in a Take Down style traditional Self bow and there it just can't fail and it looks great.

[@peterwincklerkrog]

It is a Holmegaad (Denmark) flatbow 9000 years old. Googel it if you ar in doubt:

[@Ozarkwonderer]

A heat treat of the bow and scorching of the belly will step up the ability of just about any hickory self bow and help with the moisture absorbing issues. Great video

[@christinenorriss9675]

Hope you keep your shavings for fire starting Clay, I bag up all my woodwork shavings over summer, brilliant for getting the fire going!!

[@maplehappy]

I love this sport. Simultaneously I see videos posted of bow builds of the most modern compounds available, and getting them setup and tuned and all that, but also I see your videos like this. The old and the new together just in the sake of flingin arrows!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Me too!

[@jennychapman8703]

Me too!

[@Bullseyearchery]

Cool thing about white woods is you can harvest it yourself. Free wood to learn with. Rough it out and once the moisture content is 8 to 10% it's ready to finish. No waiting for years. Elm makes a nice 68" long flat bow. 2" mid limbs and 5/8" at the tips. Nice video.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Absolutely!

[@robertbrandywine]

What is white wood and why can you harvest it yourself?

[@Bullseyearchery]

@robertbrandywine For example Elm, Ash, Hickory. If you have a saw, then harvest it yourself. If you haven't, ask a friend.

[@robertbrandywine]

@@Bullseyearchery But why couldn't you harvest non-white wood trees yourself?

[@Bullseyearchery]

@robertbrandywine I think you are missing the point we are trying to make. White woods are ready for bow building when the moisture content is right, so it is ready in weeks, not years. Harvest whatever takes your fancy. Fill your boots.

[@sjfarish]

I am going to build one myself as soon as I get my shop set up. I have always loved recurve and long bows and I have arthritis that prevents me from pulling back a compound bow.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Have fun

[@jake4194]

Wouldn't a recurve or longbow be worse for your arthritis than a compound??

[@user-mb4se6km5p]

Iv made over ten hard rock maple lumberyard staves same design. These bows shoot awesome.

[@willchoate7072]

I noticed you using a power planner. Would there be anything wrong with using a band saw for removing most of the wood on a hickory bow?

[@clayhayeshunter]

Nope, lots of folks do that.

[@rc3291]

Great video as usual and perfect timing. Answered my question about following a ring on white woods. Wanting to build my first bow and not willing to destroy a piece of osage trying.

[@raycarl7933]

Great content and presentation. At the beginning of this vid I noticed that I could see your breath and thought about how many times over many years I’ve worked in a cod shop. Then at the end you said you were in Florida at the time. Made me chuckle.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Dew point!

[@pystykorva7114]

Some day I wanna build a laminated recurve bow kinda like people in Northern Russia and Finland used! It'll probably be a looooong project :D

[@stevedriscoll2539]

You really move right along when building bows! That is a slick little bow. If you had left the handle thicker so it wouldn't bend, would the bow have more or less set? That bow seems to have very little set.

[@TJackSurvival]

Just bumping into your channel. There’s a deep well of information here. I’ll be buying your DVD’s. Thanks for taking the time!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks much

[@HarleyRiderMC]

Every time i watch one of your videos, Clay, I learn something new. You da man!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thank ya

[@BlueHourProductions]

Do you think you could do a video on static vs working recurve? i.e. siyahs and why leverage works in ones favor even if it is stil the same amount of working limb.

[@patricktatum786]

Do you ever build and sell your bows? Your craftsmanship is wonderful

[@clayhayeshunter]

Not at this time

[@fishmut]

Very nice bow , that would suite me as my draw is 25/26 inches and 45 pounds is all I need , nice work , love it.👍

[@waynepatton689]

Nice job Clay! This stuff beats away the winter doldrums.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks Wayne

[@smplatek]

Great stuff. You inspired me to build my first bow - a simple board bow, man that was fun. Then I built a laminated recurve, which I hunt with. Could you hunt with something like the bow you make here, the hickory flat bow?

[@clayhayeshunter]

Absolutely

[@smplatek]

@@clayhayeshunter Thanks!

[@devindobson8281]

Thank you for a Hickory build

[@jayberts7375]

Great video Clay! When working with Hickory, I've heard you say its acceptable to work the green stave to close to bow shape and then let it dry. How close to bow shape would you go to?

[@clayhayeshunter]

As far as you can without bending it much.

[@jayberts7375]

@@clayhayeshunter thanks a lot. Gonna give it a go!

[@scotthanekamp8641]

@@clayhayeshunter jcb mk

[@woodrowcall3158]

You forgot to demonstrate the hardest aspect of bow making, string making! Nice video!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Ah, I’ve covered that in other videos.

[@iowaselfbow1086]

I enjoyed the video clay. You have got to check out the video put out by Keith Shannon titled “the art and science of the fire hardened white wood bow” it will turn that hickory into something that can quite possibly have better cast than your Osage bows. It’s way beyond heat treating. This is coming from someone with a barn full of cured our Osage staves. Greetings from Iowa! Keep up the good work.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks, I’ll check it out.

[@fake6294]

I'd like to learn now building. I guess since I am a carpenter, I have somewhat skills that are needed for this kind of woodwork. You are working in a very traditional style, I am used to a lot more Power-Machines. I wonder, if you draw your lines, can you not use a saw to get the shape roughly done faster? Or will the surface then make the work with the draw blade harder?

[@stevesoutdoorworld4340]

Thank You Clay!

[@justpassinthrough7]

Very nice i will have to try this

[@ThatNinja1]

These videos are awesome. Can't wait for next Thursday

[@clayhayeshunter]

🏹

[@robertdaugherty2831]

CLAY love the videos . and i like the metal shaving horse any chance you could do a video on making one like that?

[@davidong9424]

I would like to see you build a hornbow someday

[@clayhayeshunter]

I will if I can get my hands on some good horn.

[@davidong9424]

@@clayhayeshunter you can ask some people who make water buffalo horn comb or people who make water buffalo horn sheath or water buffalo horn massage tool where they get their water buffalo horn from or who is their supplier the male ones because are round and the females are not so round but I have seen people using bighorn sheep horn on KZbin sorry to disappoint you but I myself don't know how to make one but I am interested to learn how to make one and tqvm for replying to my comments hopefully this idea can make your viewers increase and the bow allow you to hunt on horseback and make your hunt more successful

[@robsarchery9679]

Thanks bro.Nice great teaching.

[@kato2531]

That shave horse, it’s like the rolls Royce of shave horses. I like to see how you made that or a design of it.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Stavemaster.com

[@donthornton7528]

Shooting 3 fingers under would it be a good idea to keep the bottom limb a little stiffer maybe a lb or more. I'm building my first bow. Thanks great video

[@henkjanbaan]

Hey Clay! Nice work, ive been making a few bows myself. After watching alone i wondered; why did they not make a bow on the show (good project on a rainy day..) and take an extra item instead, for example salt.. Would it be too much work out there?

[@DanielSturge]

Work. Calorie consumption and they would still need to take bow string which would count as an item anyways. Also if they wanted to make string they wood require something like rabbit hide to do so. They could do it but probably not worth it.

[@chipcromer]

how long should the wood season? ideal moisture content? I have plenty of native hickory just wondering when to cut it and how long to let it season.

[@clayhayeshunter]

how long depends on the drying conditions. Ideal moisture content is somewhere between 5 and 10 percent. With hickory you can force dry it. I've got some other videos showing how I've dried it quickly over a fire.

[@fhorst41]

Did you consider taking sigle bevel knife as an item on Alone in case you had to build another bow, to do draw knife work with?

[@willchoate7072]

Hey Clay, I've never seen a shaving horse with a head that's pivoting side to side? Would you do a video on it please?.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Check out stavemaster.com

[@phillipiacobacci1369]

Another great video, full of great info. Do you have a video on the shave horse you use? Or info on the making of it.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Stavemaster.com

[@scott729]

Hello Clay, nice video think you. Quick question. I have about 10 staves that I split out of Black Locus around 6-7 years ago. I left the bark on, but I did seal the ends with a good quality wood glue. Was it a mistake to leave the bark on and let them cure as long as I have? They are suspended in my basement here in Ohio which has higher humidity than the rest of our house. Life got in the way, but hopefully I can still make a go at it this spring. Appreciate your hard work and considering Patreon membership for you.... thanks!

[@clayhayeshunter]

They should be fine. You might want to check the moisture content in them if that humidity is very high.

[@Kristopherkok]

MeatEater/FirstLite should really bring you aboard.

[@christianaragon4565]

Muy bueno, q tipo de madera puedo usar, soy de Argentina, gracias.

[@mikehermann8010]

Could you show a video of how you make the arrows

[@peterblues6402]

Good job...what do you use for a Shaving Horse? Greetings from Germany

[@didjhopkins4135]

Good see another build video mate...talking millimeters huh? You’ve changed 😉 Cheers mate

[@timmooney890]

Great info on Whitewood Clay'''' Im in central Missouri & have access to different types of Hickory & Sassafrass as well,,,, I have found that the ''latter'' reacts much the same as Hickory as to taking a set early on in the tillering process.. Could you tell me at what point in the build would be a good time to Recurve the limbs on White,Wood self bows ??.. Lots of armchair info out there about this''''& my guess would be to recurve them early on as to not lose to much bow weight , by removing to much wood''''' Thank You Sir''' Love your channel..

[@clayhayeshunter]

I usually do it around the mid point of tillering, after the limbs are starting to bend. With whitewood, it’s often necessary to leave the reflexed tips a little thicker than with Osage.

[@chrislnflorida5192]

Very impressive 👍👍 What does a bow like that cost finished out?

[@andynichols213]

Is the top riser longer than the bottom for handle allowance

[@stephangrobler5524]

Howzit. First off I really enjoy the channel and its content. Secondly I have a question: we all know that in bow making one uses hardwood to make a bow. Is there a way of identifying a hardwood and softwood tree in an unkown environment? Scenario: you are travelling on a plane from the US to South Africa. Youre plane crashes over the African continent and you are in an environment that you did not prepare for. You want to make a bow drill and a bow for hunting. How would one identify the types of woods to find what you need?

[@clayhayeshunter]

You’d have to do a little experimentation.

[@Cuisinenomade1]

Now I understand that white woods can be left just as they are taking the outer layer, yet is it also possible to chase a ring if there is one think enough? Or it would be a problem?

[@timmock5152]

In actual time, how long did it take.you to make the bow? From start to final tiller?

[@clayhayeshunter]

I could make a bow like this in probably 3-4 hours if I went easy. If I really hustled, maybe an hour but it'd be rough.

[@JohnDoe-ls2ww]

@@clayhayeshunterthat seems insanely fast and gives me hope that with my super short attention span I may be able to have a great new hobby without having days long building sessions.

[@jennychapman8703]

Clay thanks for an good video on hickory where I live in WV its everywhere so i can get good straight staves easy. Any way I just wanted to say thanks man,u tought me to build bows. Well you and tbb A few books and a lot of shavings and broken bows lol but u are a good teacher bro keep up good work .also where did u get your hatchet did unforge it from a farrier rasp ? Or buy it

[@jennychapman8703]

Also sorry didn't realize i was on my wife's account I'm jeff not Jenny

[@clayhayeshunter]

😆yeah I forged it. There’s video on here about it.

[@FunHobbies225]

dam that brace height is really big lol around 8 inches looks like I try to do no more than 7 inches or 6 1/2 on my self bows .is that about good? i like a little more speed .

[@UncleDanBand64]

You ain't joking Hickory will soak up the moisture!

[@glenn_r_frank_author]

with the size of that stave you had... AFTER you split it.. seems like you could almost split it again and get another bow out of it!

[@kren1101]

I've been interested in building my own bow, but being in CA there's not a lot of hickory. Any idea where I can get a chunk?

[@clayhayeshunter]

There are other bow woods out on the west coast. Service berry, ocean spray, vine maple, yew, etc.

[@vernonvest9927]

Can one mark the end of your Bow and then can one put a level across the string,would that work.

[@shanek6582]

Every hickories bow I made when I was younger all took a lot of limb set, then I discovered Osage and my hickory staves got turned into firewood lol. Good looking bow you made there

[@FunHobbies225]

nothing wrong with hickory not all can afford a $200 piece of wood

[@shanek6582]

@@FunHobbies225 I’ve never bought any Osage, I drove a few hundred miles and spent a couple days cutting and splitting a truckload of it.

[@FunHobbies225]

cause didn't tiller it right

[@FunHobbies225]

hickory is very strong wood

[@FunHobbies225]

@@shanek6582 i can't find any osage have to be lucky and if people give trees to you to cut

[@foxmanghost1822]

I made my 1st a laminated 3' bow out of Hickory wood It turned out OK I'm pretty proud of myself but I think with some time and some practice all get better at it and think about making it probly a little bit longer My next one

[@clayhayeshunter]

You'll get better with every one you make!

[@brianayotte9683]

Hey Clay how much do you charge for your bows ,I would love a 45 lb

[@williamstewart8449]

I noticed you've switched to a saw horse instead of a bench vice. Which do you prefer besides one being portable?

[@clayhayeshunter]

I use both, no real preference.

[@തോൽവി]

teak wood is good for bow making ?

[@nwprimate6416]

Excellent as always my friend. :)

[@clayhayeshunter]

💪

[@FPSWildlifeAngler]

i have seen some people use some pin nocks and the normal groove nocks what is the difference and witch one do you perfer and would pin nocks work better on a D bow ??

[@wadesaunders583]

when tillering, do you pull from exact center? This will change when an arrow is nocked...so will the tiller then be uneven?

[@clayhayeshunter]

I pull from wherever my string hand will be.

[@NelsonCobb]

How long do you usually let Hickory dry? or about what moisture level? Thanks!

[@clayhayeshunter]

You can start it green but I wouldn’t start to bend it until the moisture content is 10% or less.

[@NelsonCobb]

@@clayhayeshunter Perfect thanks! I guess I should of waited till the end of the video before commenting. Thanks for the Quick response!

[@blanketstarry7725]

I'm only starting to get interested in this and I'm looking at as many videos as I can. One question, though...why use a draw knife to get the initial shape instead of a band saw? Does tradition have something to do with that, or are there other factors? Thanks.

[@clayhayeshunter]

I just don't have a bandsaw. It would certainly work.

[@jonathanstout2467]

I just came across your channel, do you sell bows, or do you just teach people how to make them, I'd gladly buy a bow from you, I have made quite a few, but I would like to try something someone else has made.

[@clayhayeshunter]

I teach classes

[@jeffersonanzora3138]

How many pounds does the bow have.what wood is that primitive bow made of l have made one but canadian oak wood do you think is a good wood to build a primitive recurve bow

[@goatvidds1364]

How thick should I make a bow?

[@Hayano.fishing_ch]

I'm Japanese. I'm making a long bow with wood in the same way. But many of them will fail. Please tell me the type of tree that can't be broken.😢

[@World--Of--Nabil-Ahmad]

avesome could you make it for me also

[@bonesstones6584]

Great build Clay, I have a sweet hickory log in my garage, been in there for three years waiting to give birth to a shooter. What part of Florida are you in?

[@clayhayeshunter]

NW Florida, near Pensacola

[@bonesstones6584]

@@clayhayeshunter - Awesome, wifey and I will be visiting Florida in a few months to see if we want to move there.

[@recurvesreign3621]

If you were to make a bow like this, would giving it that like burnt look from using a torch damage the bow?

[@clayhayeshunter]

You could do that on the belly side but not the back.

[@roman_sudneko]

Отличное видео! Спасибо!

[@الموجالهادء-ج1ص]

مشترك من العراق

[@ronnance4866]

Where did you get that carver's bench?

[@clayhayeshunter]

Stavemaster.com

[@JohnDoe-ls2ww]

@ronnance4866 if you are handy, building a stave vise/bench like that should be somewhat easy and way less $$$ using a weight lifting bench that has a “curling” setup.

[@dangerousfreedom4965]

Do you live in FL?

[@clayhayeshunter]

For about 3 months a year.

[@cheyackatustenuggee1836]

What is that tool you are using to hold that bow stave, as you use your draw knife? Is it called horse something, I’m not sure?

[@clayhayeshunter]

Stavemaster.com

[@leefisher5155]

What would you charge for a Osage 55 lb draw

[@gumbydizz7182]

Clay, what was that tool you were using to round off the edges of the limbs?

[@clayhayeshunter]

Card scraper maybe

[@dashapanda3251]

In India in which wood except bamboo we can make a bow? We are unable to find which is ashwood? How to find which is an ash wood? Which is good a bamboo or an ash wood bow?

[@waraguntee6269]

I follow you from thailand want to know Want wood is the bow made of?

[@clayhayeshunter]

It's called Hickory

[@민주복윈]

Korea Born Bow =good

[@WV591]

Only other place more humid than Florida is Houston. Year around heat and humidity over 90. hell on earth.

[@allenshariett5483]

Is white oak a good bow material

[@woodrowcall3158]

It can be an excellent bow material given a proper design for the wood.

[@Rinderart]

Brother.....will you make me a Finished Bow?

[@anthoneywoods6050]

how do you figure string length?

[@staceymain4563]

Do your ever build a bow and sell them

[@russellverdin8339]

Where can I purchase a bench clamp like the one you're using to make this bow?

[@clayhayeshunter]

Stavemaster.com

[@thealonestargazer]

What is your shaving horse made of, would love a guide or link

[@clayhayeshunter]

Stavemaster.com

[@mikeolson5986]

Looks like a Sunbury bow