How to Make an Apache Bow
- 1). Locate a tree near water. The mulberry tree is recommended. If mulberry is not available, use oak.
- 2). Saw a limb off of the tree. The limb must be green, straight and at least one inch thick with no knots or breaks. The limb should not have any smaller branches attached to it and the length of it should run from your chest to the ground.
- 3). Peel the bark off of the limb with your hands.
- 4). Bend the limb about 3 to 4 inches. Hang it to dry for at least five days.
- 5). Carve notches on either side of the ends of the bow with your knife. The notches are for the sinew strings, so the notches need to be wide enough to accommodate the string, but not wide enough to allow movement.
- 6). Dry the sinew strands. After they are dry, wet the ends and start twisting the the strands together to make one long string.
- 7). Fold the long sinew string in half.
- 8). Twist the string together by placing the stick in between the two halves of it. When you twist the stick, the string will twist together tightly.
- 9). Tie the ends of twisted sinew loosely onto the ends of the dry bow. Allow it to dry.
- 10
Tie the sinew tighter to the bow ends. Allow it to dry again. Repeat this step two more times.
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