How it all began
I started building bows a few years ago when I was in the
Army. I started because I couldn’t afford to buy the bows I really
wanted raising my large family on a military salary. I bought the
typical how to type books and joined some really awesome
traditional archery forums. After watching these guys create some
real master pieces I had a fellow bowyer on one of the sites tell to
just quit messing around with the idea of building a bow and just
build it. So that’s where it all begins.
I started out building longbows made of red oak, which was cheap and easy to get my hands
on. These were your typical flat bows as most would call them. I quickly learned a phrase that I
would never forget” If you ain’t breakin then you ain’t makin”. This phrase stands true to this day.
One little mess up when picking out the wood to use and snap, all your hard work becomes fire
wood. I made these red oak bows for a while until I felt comfortable with doing more types of bows
and exotic wood bows.
This all started out as a hobby for me but quickly turned into a full on business. Of course
becoming a disabled Veteran kind of pushed me into doing something different as well. I was
getting guys ordering the bows I was making and having fun with it at the same time. I kept
building and advancing into more tools, more types of bows and even glass bows.
I heard it said best by the editor of this magazine Larry. If you are interested in making a
glass take down re-curve bow, the first thing you want to do is open your wallet and take out all
your cash. This is true to many folks out there. Once you build the bow ovens, the forms, and get
all the materials to make your first bow you have invested hundreds of dollars on a project that you
may not even see success at. That’s terrifying to most people. Then there are the rest of us who
grab the bull by the horns and take off. I have found that making a glass bow takes time, money and
patience.
For all of you out there who want to try traditional archery but don’t know where to start or
maybe you just want to learn to build traditional bows, don’t be afraid to try. The most successful
bowyers out there today break a bow and they keep on trucking with a new one. Come on over and
join the traditional archery family and get into building bows with us.
There is nothing to be feared. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions at
Enjoy the outdoors this year with a traditional bow and
some wood arrows. Shoot Straight and God Bless.
Lester Harper
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