Since the beginning of archery as a sport in America, archers have looked to easily obtained, quality wooden dowels as a source for arrow shafts. Times have changed, and while the quality of dowels has gone down, their use by beginning and do-it-yourself archers has never been higher. The Dowel Arrow Handbook is for those who wish to make their own arrows for target archery and hunting, while showing how to build arrows that are not only accurate, but safe to use.

Archery is a great sport and many understand the benefits of taking a bow while camping, hiking or traveling. Yet if you need to travel by bus, foot, plane or bike, it can be very difficult to carry a full-sized bow and set of arrows with you.
PVC plumbing pipe, while an unlikely bow material, allows for compact and effective take down bows to be made. With just a few simple techniques, a simple pipe can be transformed into a powerful and compact traditional bow that can easily fit in a pack or bag.
"Take-Down Archery" will show you how to build your own bows, put together take down arrows, make strings and other essential tools for your own portable archery kit.
Take-Down Bows:
Form PVC pipe into effective archery bows that break down to a compact size. These bows can be made to fit easily in a bag or pack, making them great for camping, hiking, travel or just transport without worrying about a large bow.
Take-Down Arrows:
Convert commercial arrows into break-down versions that fit right alongside a take-down bow. Also build a jig for putting feathers and vanes on your own arrows at home or in the field.
Bow Strings:
Build the jigs and tools to help make your own durable and efficient bow strings. Learn to make an endless loop bow string, a basic but efficient and precise string for any traditional bow.
Release Aid:
Make a simple release aid that saves your fingers and increases accuracy with shorter bows.
Arrow Rest:
Shoot both feathers and plastic vanes with a simple flip style arrow rest.

Whether it's out fishing, in the woods, at the range or even in the backyard, the sport of archery in all its forms can be fun and rewarding for all ages. In this day of mass production, the draw of being able to make something with your hands is greater than ever.
PVC plumbing pipe, with its unique blend of qualities, offers both the experienced and beginner archer an opportunity to build their own dependable bows without any previous experience.
Simple PVC Pipe Bows shows you how build a solidly performing bow with little in the way of equipment, work space, time and material cost, whether it's one or hundreds.
Youth Recurve:
A small and light bow at home in the backyard as well as on the range. It's perfect for women and teen archers with its shorter draw and compact size.
While geared for young archers, this bow can hold its own as a short pack bow or training bow for an archer of any age.
Horse Bow:
This reflexed bow reminiscent of the short bow of the nomads of Central Asia and Eastern Europe is ideal for learning the art of mounted archery.
With a smooth draw and compact size, this bow is a sweet shooter on foot as well.
Snakey Recurve:
Designed after wooden bows which work with the natural contours of gnarled wood, the snakey recurve is an ideal bow for the hunter or fisherman looking to craft his own equipment.
Its serpentine curve brings the string in line with the center and tilts the handle making for a bow that is more accurate and comfortable to shoot.

"Almost all of the projects in this book are based off of the simple cobra knot. In the first chapter, we'll go over how to do the cobra knot and a few other basic things.

All of these braiding projects are fairly easy to do, and the materials are fairly easy to come by. Old backpacks and laptop/camera cases are great places to scrounge side-release buckles and other metal findings. Some craft and general supply stores also sell items like buckles, key rings, clasps, and other assorted items.

This book contains only a few possible things you can do with paracord, it is truly a versatile material. Once you get the hang of it, there is really no limit to what you can come up with."
-Excerpt from Introduction

Developed during World War II, paracord is one of the most famous types of cordage used by the military even today. It is strong, light, and can be used for thousands of different tasks, from the practical to the fashionable.

Heavy on pictures, Adventures in Paracord will guide you through the basics of paracord weaving and its uses every step of the way. Learn to make survival bracelets that contain up to 20 feet of paracord for emergencies, stylish bracelets for both men and women, rugged and durable watch bands, keychains, lanyards, handle wraps, and even more
-Additional Features of the Black and White Edition-

- Black and white photographs

- Larger, 8.5x11 format for easy reading

- Larger photographs in high resolution for ease of use and visibility

"Almost all of the projects in this book are based off of the simple cobra knot. In the first chapter, we'll go over how to do the cobra knot and a few other basic things.

All of these braiding projects are fairly easy to do, and the materials are fairly easy to come by. Old backpacks and laptop/camera cases are great places to scrounge side-release buckles and other metal findings. Some craft and general supply stores also sell items like buckles, key rings, clasps, and other assorted items.

This book contains only a few possible things you can do with paracord, it is truly a versatile material. Once you get the hang of it, there is really no limit to what you can come up with."
-Excerpt from Introduction

Developed during World War II, paracord is one of the most famous types of cordage used by the military even today. It is strong, light, and can be used for thousands of different tasks, from the practical to the fashionable.

Heavy on pictures, Adventures in Paracord will guide you through the basics of paracord weaving and its uses every step of the way. Learn to make survival bracelets that contain up to 20 feet of paracord for emergencies, stylish bracelets for both men and women, rugged and durable watch bands, keychains, lanyards, handle wraps, and even more
-Additional Features of the Full Color Edition-

- Full-color photographs

- Larger, 8.5x11 format for easy reading

- Larger photographs in high resolution for ease of use and visibility

Archery is almost as old as mankind itself, manifesting in almost every culture and on almost every continent. It is in many ways our link to the past and the stepping stone into another age. It is one of the few ancient pastimes that are still relevant today. Yet nowadays, getting into the ancient sport of archery can be daunting for the average person with no experience or previous exposure to the subject. For many, the hefty price tags on modern bows or the seemingly impossible task of building a bow can be a surefire deterrent. Many do not want to pay the price of a decent bow to try their hand at the bow and arrow, simply to see if they enjoy it or not. If only there was a way to make a bow good enough for a beginner without expending or gambling an immense amount of time or money on it.

What if you were told that there was such a bow? That hidden in the ground, in the heart of buildings, on the shelves of most hardware stores, and perhaps even in your home, there was a material that made it all possible? Would you believe it? Well it is true, and that material is PVC pipe, the white or gray plastic pipe that can be found virtually everywhere. It is possible with only a minimal investment and an hour of labor to make a fine bow for target archery that performs just as well as bows worth more than ten times as much. A bow that, if given a little more time and effort, can be made into an efficient hunting tool or serious target shooter.

The Impossible Bow shows you how to construct your own PVC pipe bow, with bows ranging from the incredibly simple to the incredibly complex. Learn to build simple bows that require a minimum of tools and little time, more complex bows that can be modified to fit the target archer as well as the experienced hunter looking for more of a challenge, and finally a bow that accurately replicates the weapons of war of the steppe nomads. The best part is that even the most complex bow should cost no more than 10 dollars and be completed in a day, yet can hold up to the rigors of daily use.

Don't let anything hold you back from enjoying one of man's oldest and most noble of sports. Join the backyard archery revolution with your very own bow that will defy everything you know and will baffle anyone who sees it. Join me in building an impossible bow.
Author's Notes:

The bows in this book are great for kids of all ages, from the young to the young at heart. Because of the ability of these bows to mimic many historical bow designs, this book is great for re-enactment archery as well as for the target archer. If made well, one design in particular works well for hunting, and can be modified to work just as well as many primitive hunting bows. This book covers how to make the generic PVC pipe bow that has been the mainstay of do-it-yourself archery for some time now, as well as a couple designs which bring out the hidden performance of PVC as a bow material.

These bows also work well for survival situations and can be made small and can be kept virtually anywhere out of the sun. In the trunk of a car, in a boat, in a hunting cabin, your basement, your attic, the list goes on and on. This book goes over how to make smooth shooting bows from 30 to 70 pounds of pull that can perform well if taken care of. While they aren't top performing bows, they can certainly be used for hunting, fishing, and target archery.

With over 300 step-by-step pictures, the Backyard Bowyer is geared for the beginning bowyer, backyard hobbyist, and anyone who has ever pondered building a wooden bow. Easy to read and follow steps go down to even the smallest detail in the design and construction of basic archery bows. Learn to craft fine wooden bows without huge investment in equipment and materials, and without being bound by location and limited workspace. Learn to construct: A classic target flat bow, an English Longbow suitable for hunting, and even your own strings and arrows for traditional and primitive archery.

Developed during World War II, paracord is one of the most famous types of cordage used by the military even today. It is strong, light, and can be used for thousands of different tasks, from the practical to the fashionable. Heavy on pictures, Adventures in Paracord will guide you through the basics of paracord weaving and its uses every step of the way. Learn to make survival bracelets that contain up to 20 feet of paracord for emergencies, stylish bracelets for both men and women, rugged and durable watch bands, keychains, lanyards, handle wraps, and even more