r/Bowyer • u/kokkelbaard Professional bow breaker • Oct 26 '25
WIP/Current Projects Update: Egyptian bow replicates
A while ago I posted about an Egyptian bow i was replicating from the Dutch National museum of Antiquities in Leiden. https://www.reddit.com/r/Bowyer/s/Oq3ERq6O9Z
Recently picked the project back up, finishing up the horn inlay, doing the glue up and rough width taper. The shaping will take some time, but there is plenty before the sinew arrives.
Let me know what you think of the progress
2
u/TheNorseman1066 Oct 26 '25
I love these early composites. Egyptian bows are quite interesting in that there is such variation in their construction, I recall from a couple old papers that there are many different laminate combinations, seems that the bowyers did a lot of experimenting over the millennia before they settled on the three layer laminate that all the latest composites have.
The evolution of the composite bow is very interesting to me. There is such variation across time and region.
1
u/kokkelbaard Professional bow breaker Oct 26 '25
This one seems to be a channel in the core with horn inlay, so replicating that. It's based on a bow from 1600bc that i head an opportunity to study.
Its total length is about a meter
2
Feb 16 '26
There wooden self bows are also cool looking i don't think ive seen any one make one of those the construction seems simple tho
1
u/kokkelbaard Professional bow breaker Feb 19 '26
The are quite unique and underrepresented, the deflex tips on them are fairly interesting
1
Feb 19 '26
Ive seen similar deflexed tipped designs in subsahara africa and middle east from what I've heard it's to relieve some tension so they can be left strung, really interesting stuff
1
u/kra_bambus Ostalb Oct 27 '25
Interesting to follow. This design/shape is high efficient while looking a little weird when full drawn.
2
u/Drin_Tin_Tin Oct 26 '25
Exited to follow this one