Skip to main content Skip to footer

Outdoor Skills

Bows and Arrows: Crafting the Traditional Long Bow & Arrow Making

Course Overview

This course takes students through the step-by-step process of crafting a wooden longbow, wooden-shafted arrow, and bow string. To facilitate learning about constructing a traditional bow, students start with a rough-cut stave of hickory. Bows are backed with flax-fiber linen.Each arrow includes a field point and feathers. String is made using the traditional Flemish twist technique. Throughout the course participants learn the basics of working wood with a drawknife, carpenter’s scraper, and other traditional hand tools. Class discussion includes design theory, different bow shapes, and the art of tillering a bow (getting it to bend correctly). As time and weather permit, students will practice shooting techniques on campus.

Currently Scheduled Sessions


No sessions currently scheduled for this course.

View more courses in the Outdoor Skills category.