My Osage Orange Horse Bow in the makin'

[rollingb]

Just got word from Steve Donker in Cheyenne Wyoming (The Wicked Limb), with the latest update of the progress on my new osage orange Horse Bow,....

Rondo

Just wanted to show you the skins I got in the mail friday.  They are western diamond back  rattlers from eldarado KS.  For some reason I was thinking the guy I get these from was in Arizona  but I was mistaken.   Anyway he always has  first rate skins.  They are always in perfect condition and the pattern is really nice.  The more I work on this bow the more excited I get to see the end result.   This whole bow building thing really is an addiction.   

I have also done some rough tillering  and even took a few short draw shots with it this afternoon.   

I'll keep you posted on the progress.   




This bow will be backed with sinew and rattle snake skins. 

[Ohio Joe]

That's looking good Rondo. We've both known Steve for a long time and one thing about the Donker's is if they're doing something for you - it's gonna be done right! I can hardly wait to see it at the Rendezvous this year. 

Heck Rondo, I'm surprised you didn't go down on the Cimarron River and wrestle yourself a couple sidewinders to send Steve...

[rollingb]

That's looking good Rondo. We've both known Steve for a long time and one thing about the Donker's is if they're doing something for you - it's gonna be done right! I can hardly wait to see it at the Rendezvous this year. 

Heck Rondo, I'm surprised you didn't go down on the Cimarron River and wrestle yourself a couple sidewinders to send Steve...

Joe,.... if'n I ever get close enough to a rattle snake to "wrestle" him,.... there ain't gonna be enough left of that slitherin' critter to "back" a toothpick. (I hate snakes)

[ridjrunr]

Thats looking to be a beautiful bow! What poundage are you aiming for? Btw, Eldorado is only 20 miles from me but I didnt know they had rattlers there😳

[rollingb]

Thats looking to be a beautiful bow! What poundage are you aiming for? Btw, Eldorado is only 20 miles from me but I didnt know they had rattlers there😳

Hi Dan,.... Steve is aiming for 45-50 pounds draw weight. 

I've always wanted a "snakey" horse bow, and it looks as though this is going to be good one,.... if nothing unexpected happens. 
I bought an osage orange bow (backed with silk) from Steve last summer, and gave it to my son and he loves it.

My next project is make a couple of early-1800's (western plains and rocky mountain) quivers for both bows, but I'm having trouble finding out EXACTLY how they were made. I have found a few pictures of Apache, Crow, and Sioux, quivers in museums, but not much else.

I want to make the quivers out of brain tanned deer and elk hides. 

[Ohio Joe]

Joe,.... if'n I ever get close enough to a rattle snake to "wrestle" him,.... there ain't gonna be enough left of that slitherin' critter to "back" a toothpick. (I hate snakes)

I hear ya Rondo, but I wouldn't be able to hear ya for long as I'd be a quarter mile down the road...

[rollingb]

Joe,.... if'n I ever get close enough to a rattle snake to "wrestle" him,.... there ain't gonna be enough left of that slitherin' critter to "back" a toothpick. (I hate snakes)

I hear ya Rondo, but I wouldn't be able to hear ya for long as I'd be a quarter mile down the road...

......Joe,... I don't remember if I ever told you the story (while we were *cough, cough* drinkin' coffee around the campfire), 'bout when I was a young'un (a bit younger'n Lucas), and I was swingin' on a limb of an old apple tree my folks had behind their house, when a big ol' snake (20-30 feet long ) dropped down across my neck and shoulders. 

After runnin' a spell, I noticed the snake was GONE, and after my heart slowed down to about 300 beats'a minute, I finally had time to do some thinkin',... and figgured I must'a jiggled that critter loose from a limb higher up above, while he was on his way up to a bird's nest lookin for baby birds. 

I never swung on that apple tree limb agin, without havin' a gun in one hand. 

[Uncle Russ]

That's looking good Rondo. We've both known Steve for a long time and one thing about the Donker's is if they're doing something for you - it's gonna be done right! I can hardly wait to see it at the Rendezvous this year. 

Heck Rondo, I'm surprised you didn't go down on the Cimarron River and wrestle yourself a couple sidewinders to send Steve...

Joe,.... if'n I ever get close enough to a rattle snake to "wrestle" him,.... there ain't gonna be enough left of that slitherin' critter to "back" a toothpick. (I hate snakes)

My goodness, there is hope fer Rondo! 

Ain't never going to be no snakeskin on anything I have to hold in my hand, period....
I realize it's a very popular thing to do, and there's much to be said about doing this, but personally, I would end up killing my own bow before I shot the first arrow.

I hate snakes! Live ones, dead ones, even sticks that look like snakes.
Snakes, much like electricity, seems to always make me hurt myself!
At my age, ya just don't take that chance.

Russ...

[rollingb]

Joe,.... if'n I ever get close enough to a rattle snake to "wrestle" him,.... there ain't gonna be enough left of that slitherin' critter to "back" a toothpick. (I hate snakes)

My goodness, there is hope fer Rondo! 

Ain't never going to be no snakeskin on anything I have to hold in my hand, period....
I realize it's a very popular thing to do, and there's much to be said about doing this, but personally, I would end up killing my own bow before I shot the first arrow.

I hate snakes! Live ones, dead ones, even sticks that look like snakes.
Snakes, much like electricity, seems to always make me hurt myself!
At my age, ya just don't take that chance.

Russ...

  ,...... Russ,... smashin' my bow to death IS one of my concerns. 

I can just picture,.... me'n Joe sittin' around the campfire at night (drinkin' *cough, cough* coffee),.... and after the coffee bottle is empty, I go stumblein'/staggerin' back to my camp and fall into bed,.... and when I wake up the next morning, I see my brand-new bow all "kinked and crooked" on the ground, where I must'a accidently stepped on it when I went to bed,... so I pick it up and place it beside me on the bed, while lovingly and carefully straightin' it all back out.

As the fog in my brain begins to lift, and my vision starts to clear,.... I then,.... notice my wife has already hung my new bow from the tent's ridge pole, where it is safe and out of the way. 

The first thing that usually pops into my hed, under such circumstances, is,...... "hummm,..... I don't 'member buyin' 2 bows."   

[Ohio Joe]

 

I'm a just a prayin'  when it gets dark, and we've been a'drinkin' so much (*cough, cough* coffee) thet weezz don't start a'seein' two of them wooden bow critters.    Why I don't know what would happen with the two of us'ns runnin' through camp in the dark with our jug (I mean coffee pot) and a shootin' our pistol's at the ground behind us... 

[rollingb]

I'm a just a prayin'  when it gets dark, and we've been a'drinkin' so much (*cough, cough* coffee) thet weezz don't start a'seein' two of them wooden bow critters.    Why I don't know what would happen with the two of us'ns runnin' through camp in the dark with our jug (I mean coffee pot) and a shootin' our pistol's at the ground behind us... 

 ,.... I reckon we could tell everbody, that we was doin' the "Hopi Snake Dance".
https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Hopi+Snake+Dance

[Ohio Joe]

Well heck Rondo, I'm in since the rules say;

"nowadays they usually wear underwear and cut their hair short."

But I'm a thinkin' if'n it a comes to snake fleeing - well,,, this old boy may have no choice but to chuck the undies 'cause they might be a bit ripe... 

[Spotted Bull]

I love snakes, personally. They make great pets.

[rollingb]

I love snakes, personally. They make great pets.

Then I should probably give each of my new-found "pets" a proper name,.... since they're going on my bow.  

Maybe somethin' like,..... "Top",.... and,... "Bottom"?   

[Nessmuk]

Awwww, give some class. How about Upper and Lower.