Caring for your trad. Bow

[BT]

Never thought to mention it and I will add some other things to this later on.

NEVER!!!...store your trad. bow by standing it up in a corner or in any other manner where the weight of the bow stands on the tip.

The bow should be laid on it's side or laid over something such as wall pegs.

You can hang off a wall peg as I do but whatever you do....do not stand it on it's end for any period of time

[stilllearning]

I thought that but was not sure. Now I am sure that I have been storing the recurve corectly then.

[FlyinCedar]

A little note on stringing your bow.....if you have a stringer, use it!!!...if you don't have one, get one!!! They were made for a reason, and not just to string your bow more easily...

Cranking your bow over your leg is a sire way to twist a limb, rendering your bow useless. When I buy a used bow, I always ask how it was strung....if it was strung without a stringer, I will not buy it. All it takes is for it to be done wrong once, and you can twist a limb..

[BT]

LOL!

I have to agree with that but I am your worst nightmare ;D

There is a way to do it correctly in this fashion , every time and without accidental damage but you have to learn it and know it or you'll blow it

I have always strung my bow through the legs and have never damaged one but if I had done as you suggest FC....My son would not have imagined doing it himself

I would concur and suggest that you not learn the hard way

[FlyinCedar]

Yes, it can be done safely if you know how to do it BT, but too many people don't know how to do it correctly...

BT, I don't wanna hear about it when ya twist a limb either..

[BT]

LMAO!....you really think I'd tell you now !?!

[flatbowMB]

With a longbow, I brace the tip of the lower limb's back against the inside arch of my left foot, pull the handle toward me with my left hand, and slide my right hand up the top limb as I push the string loop up & over the notch. This works very well with longbows, but, always be sure that your head is never in line with that top limb ( in case your hand slips),

and::

NEVER, EVER USE THIS METHOD WITH RECURVES !!!

Especially if you do not want to adopting a nickname like 'patch' or 'oneye' or something similar.

[deadeye]

AMEN to that

I have used that method as well for the longbow but as I posted on another thread, use a stringer. Simple and quick to use and you'll never twist the limb of a recurve using one.

[tautog]

Many trad guys I know state that they do not unstring their bows except at the end of the season. In fact one says that the makers of Black Widow Bows say not to unstring them at all---just store them propely and never never never in a hot place or in direct sunlight. I am unsure of this explanation(excepting that I agre about the heat and sun). I have learned both ways to manually string a bow and can use either with long or recurve bows with no difficulties, but I have used stringers and agree that it makes it much easier and safer.

[BT]

I am only mentioning this because it needs to be mentioned perhaps.

The only bow I ever damaged was a recurve while using a stringer.

The stupid rubber pad slipped and the bow shot to one side and into the floor , chipping the tip beyond repair.

I carefully string my recurves as in the days of old since that time and have never warped a limb by doing so.

Having said that....if someone has not shown you how to do it properly you probably are well advised to use the stringer.