Hi everybody.

As you know, Luna snapped in half and nearly killed me so she's being recycled and im going to use the limbs to attempt a Magyar style bow.

I have a question about the handle section aimed mainly at ^HUN^ as you are in the know with this style!

How is the handle spliced into the limbs in a bow of this design? Are they merely V spliced into a handle piece and then bound? as i wouldnt have thought that could take the forces involved at the limb base.

Do you have any illustrated examples perhaps that you know of?

Thanks in advance!

The Moschevaya Balka bow find featured, of all things, a mortice joint beneath bone strengthening plates! Others have been one piece designs. The V spliced handle into limb, limb into siyah examples are mainly Turkish bows and believe it or not, the joint is capable of tolerating the stresses applied, some bows being well over 100# draw weight. The mating faces are grooved beforehand and you should remember, these cores are covered later with horn and sinew.
Most examples I've seen of Magyar type reconstructions have had handles glued to the belly or to the back of a steam bent, single section. The only spliced sections have been the siyah to limb. I think your main consideration should be handle to limb junction and achieving a gradual fade with the core becoming thinner nearer mid limb so the working part is away from the handle.
In short, I think you're better off using a one piece core.

Interesting reading. I have plenty of supplies inbound from Flybow at the moment, enough to make 2 bows so one was going to be a new flatbow to replace Luna, and i'll have rock maple core and 80" maple strips left over i can look at using.

Will want to chat to you then on Wednesday about bow construction, i'll bring some paper and a pencil with me as well as finding somewhere to draw examples at the club is difficult!