Bow-Building Books and DVDs
and a Few On Arrow-Making

Making the Laminated Warbow DVD
with Steve Stratton

If you are serious about wanting to make your own English-style longbow you gotta have this DVD. Renowned English bowyer, Steve Stratton, demonstrates and explains in great detail his techniques and secrets for making a perfect reproduction English war bow using modern laminating technology.

Making the Laminated Warbow is the first DVD in The Longbow Series, and in it Steve discusses everything from selecting the right wood billet to the tools you will need to the actual woodworking procedures. Then we watch and learn proper tillering and finally the finish, the string and that all-important first shot.

Making the Laminated Warbow is the perfect DVD for the dedicated re enactor who wants the challenge of making a real longbow or who simply doesn't want to shell out a thousand dollars or more for an authentic custom-made reproduction. As a bonus you also get a detailed section on string making with Richard Tonge. Making the Laminated Warbow DVD is over one hour and a half long and every bit of it is a valuable learning experience.

Bows and Arrows of the Native Americans
by Jim Hamm

Step back in time to the beautiful weapons used by Native Americans. Bows and Arrows of the Native Americans is a complete guide includes wooden bows, sinew-backed bows, horn bows, strings, arrows, and quivers.

Lavishly illustrated with drawings photographs showing details of the bows of different nations and tribes with step-by-step instructions on building your own American Indian style bows and arrows.

Billets to Bows
by Glenn St. Charles

Glenn St. Charles is one of the major pioneers of the modern bowhunting and field archery movement. From the 1920's to today Glenn has built a wide variety of extraordinary bows in a variety of designs and sizes.

The 36 chapters of Billets to Bows are packed with nostalgia, history, and a rare kind of knowledge that can only come from years of hands-on experience in the bowyer's trade. For example, in showing us how to make a hard-hitting bow from seasoned yew wood, Glenn St Charles covers every aspect of the construction starting with selecting and cutting a suitable tree to the final testing and shooting of the bow.

Billets to Bows contains hundreds of photos and illustrations in 195 pages. This is a must-have book for anyone contemplating making a self bow and a great read for anyone interested in archery the old way.

The Art of Making Primitive Bows and Arrows
by D. C. Waldorf

Here at NZAP we get several calls a month from folks looking for instructions on making simple bows and arrows, the kind you make from materials you gather on the edge of the back paddock or woodlot.

Well if you are one of these callers, The Art of Making Primitive Bows and Arrows is just what you are looking for. Here you will find well-illustrated step-by-step instructions in exacting detail for making self bows and arrows from scratch with primitive materials. Flat bows, long bows and recurves are all covered and you will also get instructions for making basic quivers.

The Art of Making Primitive Bows and Arrows is a large format (magazine size) soft cover book with 52 pages and 92 illustrations.

Bow Making Poster
by Errett Callahan

Here is the perfect companion to the booklet listed above. This wonderful poster, Bow Making by Errett Callahan, highlights the steps of making an American-Indian style of bow.

The step-by-step illustrations cover everything from cutting and splitting the billet to tillering and finishing the bow and making the string. All of this on one 11-inch by 17-inch (28cm X 43cm) poster.

Each poster is printed on heavy stock and signed by the author. Suitable for framing.

Primitive Bow Making Combo

Here is another of those famous NZAP combo deals.

Buy the Bow Making Poster and the Primitive Bows and Arrows book together as a set and save a little cash.

Carbon Arrow Everything
With Tom Watson

This DVD from Bohning Archery, the world's number-one supplier of arrow making tools and supplies, features Tom Nelson, a well-known American outdoor writer and host of a popular TV show, presenting an in-depth step-by-step guide to advanced arrow building.

Tom takes you through the complete arrow-building process from nock to point. He covers the details of shaft selection, demonstrates how to cut carbon shafts, install inserts, prep shafts, and select the appropriate nock and vane for your new arrows. He also discusses the various adhesive available and arrow wraps. Then Tom goes into great detail on selecting a fletching jig and shows us, step-by-step how to use it effectively. Tom is working for Bohning, of course, so you can expect some company propaganda, such as the Blazer vane convincingly outperforming all the competition in a group test.

Carbon Arrow Everything is a generous hour and twenty-two minutes long with everything to do with arrow making, from the most basic to the most advanced techniques, covered in detail and in clear, easy-to-understand language.

This DVD is a must for anyone interested in learning proper arrow building techniques.

Setting Up Recurves and Shooting Instinctively
Plus Arrow Making with Paul Bruner

Here are two informative films on one DVD. Expert traditional archer and dedicated bowhunter, Paul Bruner, gives you step by step instructions on setting up your new recurve or longbow.

Paul also explains the correct way to trouble shoot your bow for excessive string noise, arrow kick, and other potential problems, and demonstrates correct form, technique, and aiming, for instinctive shooting with longbow and recurve.

In the second film on this DVD, Arrow Making, Paul again shows us how to do it right. Start from scratch and learn how to make your own arrows in both aluminium and wood. In 30 minutes of expert instruction Paul completely covers the details and the proper techniques of dipping shafts, cresting your new arrows, fletching, and feather splicing. Once the arrow is finished, we see a detailed demonstrations of sharpening broadheads, plus heaps more.

Total time of the two films is 60 minutes

Building the Perfect Arrow
with Byron Ferguson and Chance Beaubouef

This DVD was produced by Gateway feathers and features world-famous exhibition archer Byron Ferguson showing how he puts together a hunting arrow with feather fletching.

Next up is Champion target archer and pro shop owner, Chance Beaubouef who shares his knowledge of carbon and aluminum arrows and shows you how to "Build The Perfect Target Arrow" using Gateway Feathers.

In Building the Perfect Arrow you will get expert tips on: Feathers, the different sizes and shapes and when to use them, building hunting and target arrows using carbon and aluminum, correctly installing nocks, inserts, and feathers, understanding how tuning the arrow to your bow and tuning the bow to your arrow are different and learn to do both, and much more. Total running time of this DVD is about 30 minutes