Back a Primitive Bow with RAWHIDE!

In this primitive bow building video Clay Hayes explains how to back a primitive wood bow with rawhide and why it might be important to do so. When a longbow, recurve, or selfbow is drawn and shot, the back (part facing away from the archer) is under a tremendous amount of tension. The purpose of a backing is to absorb and withstand that tension. There are many natural materials that can be used as bow backing. Sinew, hickory or bamboo slats are great options but each has it's only requirements. Rawhide is a great bow backing that can conform to the irregularities in a bow's back. Some reasons for backing a bow are if you are: 1. working with a species like eastern red cedar or juniper that can't withstand the tension forces on it's own. 2. working with a stave with thin rings where you may not be able to follow a single growth ring reliably. 3. working with board bows or staves that have been sawn and don't fallow the grain. Rawhide is a very durable primitive bow backing that's easy to use and quick to apply. Rawhide bow backing strips are available at www.twistedstave.com Additional bow building videos covering all aspects of bow building from design to tillering can be found at www.patreon.com/clayhayes Don't forget to subscribe to the channel. We're uploading a new video each week that features one of the following topics: archery, bow hunting, bow building, survival skills, bushcraft, self reliance, primitive skills, primitive bows, hunting, camping, fishing, and a lot more! Big thanks to our partners who help support these videos! https://www.3riversarchery.com/ https://seekoutside.com/dst-tarp/?utm... https://orioncoolers.com https://www.vortexoptics.com You can also connect with me on my other media outlets! Website: https://www.twistedstave.com/ Facebook:   / clayhayeshunter   Instagram:   / clayhayeshunter   Patreon:   / clayhayes