Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Volume 4

These volumes can be expensive... But you get what you pay for, I assure you. The set goes over everything you would need to know. However, you won't fully understand what this book is talking about until you start covering your work space floor with wood shavings. My advice is read the section you want are about to tackle. As you read just know that whatever you don't understand is something you probably won't understand until you get your hands dirty. After you tackle that part of the process, go back and re-read the section. You will have all sorts of little light bulbs going off. This is used more as a reference for bowyering, not a read it once and you are good to go. You will learn something almost every time you read over this. So read it, try it, read it again. These volumes also have extensive sections on different styles of bows and arrows through different era's and cultures. Some of these bows will blow your mind, but also seeing all these different styles helps to build your confidence in making your own bow. There are so many types and styles you feel less likely to screw up, because if your bow doesn't come out the way you wanted it to, it most likely came out in a way that one culture or another used for centuries. If you are serious about wanting to be a bowyer at any level, take the plunge and get the set. You won't regret it.

great product...the whole series has been awesome. From tree to finished bow with a bit of knowledge collected from actual bowyers and native peoples. Must have collection for traditional archery practitioners

Terrific articles and revisiting of some prior topics.

awesome set of books for anyone interested in traditional archery, either shooting, making equipment, or just the study of its history.

Love these books

The four volume set, is an unparalleled source of knowledge for anyone interested in constructing traditional bows and arrows. It is a joy to read. No matter the type of traditional bow that interests you, instruction can be found in this set.

The most important books in bowmaking are book 1 and 4 of the traditional boaters bibles. I read a LOT on forums and blogs but nothing compares to the knowledge in these 2 books.

This is one of the best series for learning about, understanding, and building bows and arrows.

My 16 year old wanted this set for Christmas, so I got it for him. He read them over the winter and then as soon as school was out he made himself a long bow -- that actually worked. He had no prior woodworking experience, so I guess the books must be pretty good.

Nice book to add to my collection .They just keep getting better.

These volumes can be expensive... But you get what you pay for, I assure you. The set goes over everything you would need to know. However, you won't fully understand what this book is talking about until you start covering your work space floor with wood shavings. My advice is read the section you want are about to tackle. As you read just know that whatever you don't understand is something you probably won't understand until you get your hands dirty. After you tackle that part of the process, go back and re-read the section. You will have all sorts of little light bulbs going off. This is used more as a reference for bowyering, not a read it once and you are good to go. You will learn something almost every time you read over this. So read it, try it, read it again. These volumes also have extensive sections on different styles of bows and arrows through different era's and cultures. Some of these bows will blow your mind, but also seeing all these different styles helps to build your confidence in making your own bow. There are so many types and styles you feel less likely to screw up, because if your bow doesn't come out the way you wanted it to, it most likely came out in a way that one culture or another used for centuries. If you are serious about wanting to be a bowyer at any level, take the plunge and get the set. You won't regret it.

great product...the whole series has been awesome. From tree to finished bow with a bit of knowledge collected from actual bowyers and native peoples. Must have collection for traditional archery practitioners

Terrific articles and revisiting of some prior topics.

awesome set of books for anyone interested in traditional archery, either shooting, making equipment, or just the study of its history.

Love these books

The four volume set, is an unparalleled source of knowledge for anyone interested in constructing traditional bows and arrows. It is a joy to read. No matter the type of traditional bow that interests you, instruction can be found in this set.

The most important books in bowmaking are book 1 and 4 of the traditional boaters bibles. I read a LOT on forums and blogs but nothing compares to the knowledge in these 2 books.

This is one of the best series for learning about, understanding, and building bows and arrows.

My 16 year old wanted this set for Christmas, so I got it for him. He read them over the winter and then as soon as school was out he made himself a long bow -- that actually worked. He had no prior woodworking experience, so I guess the books must be pretty good.

Nice book to add to my collection .They just keep getting better.

If you've read any of them, this is just as good. Limited audience so I feel like I'm 'preaching to the choir'. Refinements and new stuff, not just rehash of the earlier ones. Add it to the others if you've got them. Waiting for Vol. 5...

Positively the best series on bows and bow making However you do need the full series, and I do not consider the volumes to be fully stand alone.

Aside from the others three volumes in the collection. I recommend completeing your Tradtional Bowyers collection with this book. If you don't hafl this volume in your collection it is recommended.

I own all four volumes and love each and everyone.

a fair amount of updates to the original three part series.

If you have read the first three volumes of "The Traditional Bowyer's Bible," you will want also to read this fourth volume to continue your education in the history and technology of bow making. Even if you've not read volumes two and three you will find volume four to be informative and at times entertaining. However, do read volume one first so you are able to understand and appreciate what follows in two, three, and four.

much needed info I like to have more information than not enough

A must have for any traditional bowyer. I read this series over and over. Always more to learn.

With the way things are going, information, or knowledge, such as contained in this book, and the series, are proving useful.

Bought all 4 at once, read the first, flipped through the rest and so far exceeds expectations on content. A very in depth review by several different but all passionate authors.

Great book, I have the whole series and really like the section on bow woods and Ishi's equipment in this book.

This is the last of the four "Bibles" and it has, as does the first three alot of great info and history facts that anyone who is interested in making their own bow and or arrows will really enjoy.

buy this to learn

This collection of articles is great for anyone looking to gather more information on making bows. However, the organization could be a little cleaner and more streamlined.

The best

Nice gift.

Great book

As all of the other volumes it is well written and informative.

I had the other 3 volumes so might as well complete the set. Each one has little kernels of wisdom in it regarding bow building, including this one.

A very informative additional volume for bowyers. The previous volumes should be well understood before attempting some techniques from this volume. Well worth the asking price.

buy it…..

But it's still a great addition. The techniques in this volume are for the very advanced bowyers, but are still useful for beginner/intermediate bowyers to know.

really a great book to further your knowledge of wooden bow production i have all four volumes and have read them many times just started to make my first bow of sugar maple

excellent condition

Has a ton of information, but very unorganized. Makes it very hard to find the information you are looking for.

Excelent book

An excellent addition to the series. Full of great info.

Perfect by all means

The entire series of the Bowyer's Bible is exactly that, the bible for bowyers. They are fantastic books for any traditional archer. The archer will read them 4 or 5 times at least.

Excellent Book. It will be perfect with color's pictures and in spanish language. (hehehe)I have a very hard work translating it.

Excellent product and response time by amazon, as usual!! This series of books I would highly recommend to anyone interested in archery. Thanks

I've been a subscriber to Primitive Archer Magazine for many years. I read it from a historical, archaeological perspective for a long time. It's just fascinating. These books were written by a group of regular contributors to the magazine and participants at the lively message board. I bought the first three volumes when I finally decided to make the leap into creating my own wooden bows. It is fabulous. This fourth volume is an excellent update with the latest research. I ordered it as soon as it was released. It has a wonderful overview of various woods and their performance. For a skill that's thousands of years old, we still learn all the time. It's amazing how much we have to re-learn that our ancestors just knew. I've read all four books cover to cover multiple times. I recommend this set for anyone with an interest in a simpler life. One of my life goals is to harvest a deer with gear I made completely myself. Using these books, a person can take a tree, some cane, and a few pieces of rock and create an efficient, deadly weapon. If you want to learn about making wooden bows and other primitive archery gear, this is the set of books to own. Primitive archery is more than a hobby. It's a lifestyle. Try it, and you'll see. It gets in your soul.

This is an excellent update to the original three volumes. Specifically as relates to woods for making bows, real research was done and anecdotal opinions were purged in favor of actual testing. There is a fairly decent listing of various types of wood for making bows, commentary on several of the properties of many of them and specific gravity/density information. Most importantly, is the Mojam bow test data that provides an arrow speed versus normalized draw weight table that also shows string type and several other pieces of information. I've been using this book continuously over the last month as I learn to design and build traditional bows and arrows.

I have the previous editions of the bowyer's bible in print, and this one did not disappoint. Full of good reading and instruction, but I will add one caveat. You really should t least read the first one first, as the format jumps around a bit.

More good information on traditional archery , bow making instructions are clear and easy to follow .

I looked forward to reading these books each evening after work. They are technical yet informative and down to earth.

Illustrations could be clearer

The Bible on the art of bow making. Get all 4. You simply won't be dissapointed. The book is highly detailed and informative written by an author (and co-authors) who clearly understand their work and yet don't assume you do.

OK, so the book was originally intended to be in three parts, with the comprehensive index in the third volume. But, and it is a big but, there is new stuff! With many more man-years of bow-building and -testing, the team have applied an engineering approach to the subject, and produced some soundly-reasoned information on matching design to bow wood and intended performance, and how to build a bow that will a. perform well, to the potential of the materials, b. be comfortable to shoot and c. not explode after three shots. Based on work done since the publishing of Vol 3, with an update on the Design chapter and a comprehensive chapter on heat-treatment, the new information deserves to be in a new volume, rahter than just a revised edition of the earlier volumes.