The Backyard Bowyer: The Beginner's Guide to Building Bows

This was a little disappointing in that it is quite basic and the photographs inside are not that clear, being in black and white. It gives the amateur bowyer a starting point but don't expect to be producing high quality English Longbows from the instructions inside. It is really aimed at those wishing to just make a simple bow for pleasure/ recreational use. The best section is that describing how to make a simple bow jig to test the tiller. It does not show you things like fitting horn nocks (though does go into detail on how to make simple hard wood ones), or explain how to go about achieving a given draw weight, it seems a bit hit and miss, but I appreciate these are factors that a more advance bowyer would be interested in and as this is really a book to start you off with the purpose of just ending up with a bow then it does the job.

As the title says, this is a beginners guide to making bows and a good adjunct to videos on youtube, both of which are very helpful. I made my first rudimentary bow today, with my young nephew who was thoroughly engrossed, using all the techniques described. It all seems to work well, although we have yet to finish some arrows to see how straight it shoots, but I think that this alone is some kind of recommendation about the books value to the craft and the ease with which it can be read and followed.

As an Englishman, I felt as if I had travelled back in time after reading this book on bow making. Easy reading and straight to the point, also the pictures and wording were easy to understand. On page 150, 74% I had to press the triangle button on my fire tablet, then open the eBook again to read the bonus section in this ebook. Thanks for writing an excellent book on bow making. I am now looking forward to making my first bow.

I haven't built my own bow as of yet so I can't review the book fully but having read it I am filled with new found confidence to give it a try. The book is a step by step guide with an unbelievable amount of pictures leaving you beyond a doubt what the next move is. Very detailed about wood types you should be looking for, tillering and even making your own tillering tree. It's currently snowing in the UK but once it stops nothing will hold me back from trying to create my own.Worth every penny.

A good book but Mr Tomihama does not include the measurement of the Red Oak lump of wood he purchased to make his bow in the book. Red Oak is not a wood one can buy in England!! He should have chosen a more wide spread and easy to obtain wood like Ash.....

really helpful for those who are trying to get into bow making. gives you a very good starting point.Some of the diagrams are a bit on confussing. Not sure which bit of text goes with which picture sometimes but overall a brilliant beginners guide

Always wanted a long bow so found this book to be full of expert instructions and advice. Just finished making my first flat bow and I am now awaiting delivery of bow string and arrows

This book with its straight forward explanation of the subject will guide you to completing a hand made bow written with humour and a knowledge of the subject this book would kick start a new hobby/obsession only gripe is the use of the term fire a bow when it should be shoot