Our Decorator Flatbow is inspired by the Comanche selfbow, a simple yet effective bow made from a single piece of wood. Comanches were skilled horsemen, engaging in both the hunt and combat from horseback. Therefore, their bows and those of other Plains tribes were shorter than the European longbow that was shot from a standing position.
- 42 to 46 inches long
- Decorated with painted details, horsehair tassel, and stitched leather handle
- Strung with natural gut bow string
- Antiqued to look authentically old
- Decorator flatbow--NOT FOR SPORT ARCHERY OR HUNTING, even though they have been strung & shot during production
The Osage orange, or bois d’arc tree, native to a small area of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, yields a bright canary yellow wood of uncommon resilience, while the acacia or black locust has a greenish brown wood that is very fast shooting. Both wood species have been prized by bowyers for centuries.
Made of either the traditional Osage or acacia woods, our bows are hand-worked with a drawknife following a single growth ring on the back of the bow. The bow is then decorated with the same muted colors we use for our Plains Style Arrows, a tassel of horsehair, a stitched leather handle, and strung with a twisted multi-strand natural gut bowstring. Like all our Plains replicas, our bows are antiqued to look OLD.
These bows are intended to be used as decorator and collector pieces. All have been strung and shot to test for durability for being strung and unstrung but are not meant for sport shooting.
Note on shipping: Our weaponry replicas unusually ship within 2 weeks, but may require up to 4 weeks to fulfill. Also, we try our best to generate an accurate automated shipping quote, but it’s tricky on items over 30 inches. Both USPS & UPS have different surcharges on long boxes. If a shipping quote seems out of line, please email us at info@nativewayonline.com or use the Contact form to verify shipping. Thanks!