A few years ago, on a whim, I made a few bows. I made the first one from a set of $5 wood-core garage-sale skis and some hardwood, and the next from a laminate of ipe, purple heart, and bamboo.
I'm no archer, and my knowledge of bowyery is limited, so please excuse my lack of knowledge.
Garage Sale Ski (Wood/Fiberglass Laminate) Recurve
Though this one looks pretty stout, it doesn't require much strength to pull. Wanting to try something with a bit more power, I started making the next one.
Ipe, Purple Heart, and Bamboo Recurve Longbow
This one isn't finished yet, but it sure is pretty! As ipe has great compressive strength and bamboo has great tensile strength, they make a great combination (the purple heart is mostly there for show, and is only in the handle). The wood was chosen to have a straight grain from tip to tip, with no defects in between.
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