Archery Instinct: recurve

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Bearpaw Mohawk Review

Chris Unger, Bearpaw's head bowyer in Germany set out to design a bow with the perfect grip. The result was the Mohawk, 60 to 62 inch, take-down, Recurve. The bow comes in different lengths depending on the size and strength of the detachable limbs, and is a perfect beginner bow to anyone new to the sport of Traditional Archery

Being a 3 piece take-down has it's obvious advantages, like being easy to cart around with you, but it also gives you an advantage if you are just starting out in the sport of Instinctive archery.

Most new archers will buy a bow that is too heavy for their skill level, just so they can brag about shooting a really heavy bow. With the affordable, Mohawk, newbies can purchase the correct limb strength for their skill level and know that when they are ready for more power, all they need to do, is change the limbs. Bearpaw even has longbow limbs that will fit the Mohawk riser.

The Mohawk riser is made from layered walnut, mycarta and then walnut again. The limbs are bamboo and Bearpaw power glass, with a non-glare matt finish. The tips are also mycarta and can handle any string.

The bow draws smooth all the way through a 32 inch draw. The Mohawk shoots fast and quiet and would make an excellent hunting bow at draw weights over 40 pounds; it's key features include being rugged and dependable under all conditions.

At just over $400, the Mohawk from Bearpaw is an affordable yet expertly crafted arrow launching platform with a handle that nears perfection. Limbs are sold from 20 - 55 lbs. so there is a Mohawk for every archer, and every bow made by Bearpaw is backed by a 30 year warranty!

Hannah Gart of Karma Tales is now offering the Bearpaw Mohawk through her Wellness Adventure Outfitter business at www.KarmaTales.com. Hannah originally caught the attention of Henry Bodnik of Bearpaw when she made a video highlighting the Bearpaw Navajo. Hannah plans on expanding the line of Archery Equipment she offers to her students in Sonoma County California and to the world by highlighting Archery's more feminine qualities.

For more information on how Hannah is approaching one of the sacred arts, see her ArcherYoga video below.

Blog post written by Edward Seaton

www.ArcheryInstinct.com

www.EverSeenProductions.com

www.SonomaCountyWire.com

Monday, January 12, 2015

Long Bow or Recurve?

Recurves and Longbows have changed dramatically in the past 20 years. The playlist below is a collection of 5 videos describing some of the advantages and disadvantages of both the Recurve and the Longbow.

Up first in the series on the Archery Instinct youtube channel comes from Jeff Kavanagh. The man lives deep in backwoods territory and his shooting style and wealth of knowledge reflects his life in the woods. In this video, Jeff runs down some of the basic differences between shooting a recurve and a longbow.

Next in the series is a longer video of Byron Ferguson. The trick shots are slightly tame, especially at 10 paces, but his explanation of why he shoots a longbow over a Recurve is worth the watch, and is in the first few minutes of this video. On Byron's website it reads: Byron was the first American invited to Europe to demonstrate his longbow skills since the legendary Howard Hill toured the continent more than 40 years ago. When Byron performed at the National Game Fair on the grounds of Chambord Castle in France, he was the most popular attraction and earned the title "King of the Show".

Because the Recurve limb can be twisted out of shape, the makers of, Black Widow Bows, felt that it was important you know how to fix a problem if one should arise. With some simple stringing techniques, and different ways to make corrections, this video, in the AI series, walks you through it step by step. Black Widow bows are some of the nicest on the market and aren't cheap. In this video Black Widow lays out some simple rules for limb longevity. You can see more of their bows here.

Once you've decided on wether you want a Recurve over a Longbow, or vice-versa, you'll then need to make sure it's set up correctly, and that means, Brace Height. In the 4th video of the series, Grizzly Jim of Merlin Archery, in England, explains why getting the Brace Height is so important.

Finally in the 5th clip, a very stuffy British accent walks us through a tour of a 1961 Bow manufacturer in Nottinghamshire, near Sherwood forest. In this strangely charming, and very clear video, you can see how a Recurve bow is put together in layers. It is then sanded and tillered on the wall by a man with his sleeves rolled up! Watch as these frightfully white men, and one woman, test out their new archery equipment wearing their Sunday best!