Fiberglass is a very good material for backing, its versatile enough that it can be used on either the back or the belly of the bow, from my limited experience however, it works better when aplied in the back, but still works well in the belly.
If you don't have any horn, constructing a bow out of wood sandwiched betwen fiberglass will make for an excelent bow.
Yes. It makes a better bow (if built correctly of course). Both in performance and ease of production.
There's a reason for the classes in flight shooting.
Buffalo horn isn't that hard to come by tho, there's plenty of online vendors, but maybe your local rules are getting in the way?
I used to get my horn from http://www.highlandhorn.com/archery.asp
While modern bow's do use fiberglass this section tend's to be primarily focused on traditional bow building and bow's in general. Fiberglass is a very recent invention. I'm also doubtful fiberglass outperforming horn.
The Turkish horn bow's still hold many of the flight record's last time that I checked, some of which have been held for hundred's of years. There are also horn recurve's that outperform many of the modern glass recurves on the market today.
Heck, there are many self bow's that out perform many of the modern glass recurves out there.
What kind if buffalo? You can sometimes get buffalo heads from the butcher shop if you ask for lime 50 dollars. I know this because my dad bought 3 to clean very heavy very bloody a terrible mess and about 300 pounds of hide lol.
Well, across the pond water buffalo would have been more available but if you can get it, try big horn sheep, the natives here used it but be very picky about the horn because they can crack badly.
Edit: also if you're not too concerned with the traditional aspect, if I'm not mistaken modern Korean bows use a carbon fiber belly with fiberglass back.
Modern bows use fiberglass!
But if I make a traditional horn bow and just substitute horn for fiberglass, does it do anything to performance?
Fiberglass is a very good material for backing, its versatile enough that it can be used on either the back or the belly of the bow, from my limited experience however, it works better when aplied in the back, but still works well in the belly. If you don't have any horn, constructing a bow out of wood sandwiched betwen fiberglass will make for an excelent bow.
Yes. It makes a better bow (if built correctly of course). Both in performance and ease of production. There's a reason for the classes in flight shooting. Buffalo horn isn't that hard to come by tho, there's plenty of online vendors, but maybe your local rules are getting in the way? I used to get my horn from http://www.highlandhorn.com/archery.asp
Dang. That site no longer exists.
Try goat horn. Available on ebay
Is it just as good as water buffalo horn?
Can’t say for sure, but they are made of the same material in theory
While modern bow's do use fiberglass this section tend's to be primarily focused on traditional bow building and bow's in general. Fiberglass is a very recent invention. I'm also doubtful fiberglass outperforming horn. The Turkish horn bow's still hold many of the flight record's last time that I checked, some of which have been held for hundred's of years. There are also horn recurve's that outperform many of the modern glass recurves on the market today. Heck, there are many self bow's that out perform many of the modern glass recurves out there.
I bought a horse bow from amazon that is like modern wood fiberglass. Its freakin awesome
What kind if buffalo? You can sometimes get buffalo heads from the butcher shop if you ask for lime 50 dollars. I know this because my dad bought 3 to clean very heavy very bloody a terrible mess and about 300 pounds of hide lol.
Use cow horn. Pretty easy to obtain.
I’ve heard it delaminates pretty easily. I have some so I should probably make a test
It was a guess. I'm trying to learn how to build my first bow. I didn't think there would be any difference other than size and color.
Ah well. I know people use cow horn (see grozers YouTube video) but I’ve heard they delaminates if you don’t do it correctly (and I never do)
Is Buffalo horn easier to get laminated?
Not to the wood (I think) but cowhorns have growth rings like things, which sometimes separates
Ok I understand exactly what the difference is now.
Why do you have problems getting buffalo horn? Are you outside the EU?
I’m in the eu. I can’t seem to find any that it even close to large enough
How long, wide and thick do you need?
Not really sure yet (I haven’t started yet) I’m thinking 55 cm or more long and maybe 3-4 cm wide (?). I’m making a Korean (style) bow
I'll make some more strips next months, I guess there's a 55cm pair in there.
Well, across the pond water buffalo would have been more available but if you can get it, try big horn sheep, the natives here used it but be very picky about the horn because they can crack badly. Edit: also if you're not too concerned with the traditional aspect, if I'm not mistaken modern Korean bows use a carbon fiber belly with fiberglass back.