Forrester Wood Shafts

[Abel]

#6400

Thanks out to Kevin, turned out some sweet looking Red Balua shafts for me. Got them today and noticed there were more than I ordered. He threw in some mahogany shafts for me to test out as well. Thanks man, can’t wait to get them tuned and thumpin stumps.

[David Petersen]

#52933

Indeed, Kevin is an arrow-shaft artist. I have examined, handled and shot a variety of his shafts. Alas, if I’m going to shoot woods, they must be tapered, and at this point, last I checked, he sells only parallel. That’s the only thing keeping me away, and it’s a purely personal preference. I’ve been hoping he would add tapers to his offerings, at which point I’ll be on board.

So far as the carbon-vs.-wood argument … it’s an analogy for human intelligence, of which there are also two basic types or categories: technical intellect, aka “cleverness,” which has provided the world of comforts and computers we now live in; cleverness puts people on the moon and brings them home alive. The other type of intellect can be called “wisdom,” which carries our humility and self-restraint and “heart.” Tragically, our cleverness has so far outstripped our wisdom that the future isn’t looking bright.

Take this back around to arrows shafts, and it comes down to carbons being “clever” and functionally unbeatable. Yet carbons lack the wisdom of wood, that is, they have no soul. Yet when it comes to killing animals I respect and love, I want lethality, which equates to humanity, aka heart and soul.

I doubt this argument will ever go away, nor should it.

Sorry to get so far away from your appreciation of Kevin as a businessman, with which in my experience I absolutely agree. He also assures me that all his “exotic” woods are commercially grown and no rain forest deforestation is involved. That’s a crucial issue.

[smiley1]

#53005

Kevin’s a great guy to deal with. I ordered a half dozen assorted samples and received 8 shafts. Then I placed an order for a dozen maple shafts and a dozen teak shafts. Four days later I received 15 maple shafts with a note saying the teak shafts weren’t ready for shipment yet but he will send them asap with free shipping. A few days later I received 13 teak shafts. That’s six shafts I got for free and free shipping on one dozen!!!!! Anyone interested in quality hardwood shafting should contact Kevin.

Steve

[Stephen Graf]

#56823

David Petersen wrote: Indeed, Kevin is an arrow-shaft artist. I have examined, handled and shot a variety of his shafts. Alas, if I’m going to shoot woods, they must be tapered, and at this point, last I checked, he sells only parallel. That’s the only thing keeping me away, and it’s a purely personal preference. I’ve been hoping he would add tapers to his offerings, at which point I’ll be on board…

Tapering the shafts yourself is a piece of cake. All you need is a simple jig which you can make if you own a board and a drill.

If this is the only thing standing in your way, you are home free now.

Two4hooking has a blog on which he shows how he tapers arrows:

http://traditionalknowhow.blogspot.com/2014/03/tail-tapering-wood-arrows.html (for myself, I use only one jig with 60 grit paper. The arrows get plenty smooth.

Here’s another page that shows a simple tapering jig and has links to build your own:

http://poorfolkbows.com/arrow3.htm

I added a little feature to my jig. I added a stop to the end so that when I push the arrows through, they all stop at the same depth.

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