FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If you have any doubts about our bows, please, take a look at the topics below, before contacting us… If you still have questions, please don’t be afraid to ask me directly.
Basic Recurve Bow Terminology:
- Arrow rest – Where the arrow rests during draw.
- Back (of bow) – The face of the bow on the opposite side to the string. The side of the bow facing the target.
- Belly (of bow) – The face of the bow on the same side as the string. The side of the bow facing the archer.
- Brace height – The distance between the deepest part of the grip and the string
- Deflex – Any curved or angular bending of the bow limbs towards the belly side.
- Grip – The part of the bow held by the bow hand
- Limbs – The upper and lower working parts of the bow, which come in a variety of different poundages
- Mushama – Removable leather wrapping for the handle typical in Asiatic Horn Bows. Protective from sweat and wear besides building it up.
- Nocking point – The place on the bowstring where the nock (end) of an arrow is fitted
- Reflex – Any curved or angular bending of the bow limbs towards the back side
- Riser – The rigid centre section of a bow to which the limbs are attached
- String – The cord that attaches to both limb tips and transforms stored energy from the limbs into kinetic energy in the arrow
- Thumb Ring – A protection for the thumb that draws the string in the Thumb Release style of shooting
- Tiller – The difference between the limb-string distances measured where the limbs are attached to the riser. Usually the upper distance is slightly more than the bottom one, resulting in a positive tiller. Reflects the power-balance between both limbs.
1. I ALWAYS ASSOCIATED SHORT BOWS WITH FINGER PINCH. WHY SHOULD YOUR BOWS BE DIFFERENT?
The reason you experience almost none or minor finger pinch with these bows is because of the limb design and the way the string travels in relation to bow limbs during the draw.
2. WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDED MINIMUM BRACE HEIGHT?
The proper way to measure the brace height is from the throat of the bow, just below the shelf where the web of your skin between the thumb and index finger rests, but not from the actual overlay, rather from the belly fiberglass strip to the string as seen in the picture below.
Scythian 52” : 6.5”- 7”
Scythian 58” : 6.5”- 7”
Scythian 60” : 6.5” – 7”
Genghis 58”: 6.5” – 7”
Genghis 60”: 6.5”-7”
Genghis 64”: 7”
Turk 48”: 6.5”- 7”
Turk 52”: 7”
Turk 54”: 7”
Ibex 58”: 6.5”-7”
Ibex 60”: 7”
Damascus 52”, 54”: 6.5″
3. WHERE DO I INSTALL THE NOCKING POINT?
Some of our shorter bows, should be nocked a little higher than usual. For example the 52” Scythian, and the 52” and 54” Turk bows.
4. WHAT KIND OF ARROW SHOULD I SHOOT WITH MY SALUKI?
You can shoot any kind : wood, aluminum or carbon arrows.
5. HOW DO I SILENCE MY SALUKI FOR HUNTING?
The best way to silence a bow is to move the silencer up and down the string, until you find the proper position. Usually
higher on the string, in the case of our bows.
6. CAN I USE MY HORSE BOW FOR TARGET ARCHERY, OR HUNTING?
Yes, of course. Just because it doesn’t have a shelf, some people call it “horse bow”. But that does not mean that it cannot be used for these other purposes.
7. CAN I SHOOT MY SALUKI THREE FINGERS (MEDITERRANEAN STYLE) OR ONLY WITH A THUMB RING?
Each bow is built according to customers specifications. You can have a shelf put on the left side of the bow for right handed 3 finger shooting. Or you can have a shelf put on the right side of the bow for right handed thumb release. Another option is dual shelf or no shelf at all. In this case you will be able to shoot in whichever way you desire: left handed, right handed, 3-finger or thumb release.
For the proper use of the Thumb Ring see the pictures below:
8. WHY DO I HAVE TO WAIT SO LONG TO GET MY SALUKI BOW?
Yes, I agree that there is no instant gratification when it comes to ordering custom made bows. Generally you will have to wait around 8 months or even a whole year to get your bow delivered, specially in the case of a Horn Bow. Since all Saluki Bows are made according to customers specifications, it takes a lot of time to carefully handcrafted each one of them myself.
9. HOW CAN I MAINTAIN MY SALUKI?
Your bow does require some care from time to time. Here are a few tips:
1. Regardless of what anybody tells you, your bow is not meant to be strung indefinitely. It will perhaps not hurt the fiberglass, but the wood in the middle of the limb is undergoing stresses as well and because it is a material that will tire, it will also need some rest from time to time to keep your bow vibrant. If you want to leave the bow strung for several days that is perfectly all right, but give it some rest from time to time.
2. Keep the bow in a dry, well ventilated area resting on a bow rack or shelve. Never store a bow upright leaning up against the wall in the corner. You can hang the bow by its string, that is OK. Never forget your bow inside the car, attic or in a damp place like basement, porch or garage. The extreme humidity or heat could cause damage to the bow.
3. Never dry fire your bow. Shooting without an arrow can damage your bow limbs and string.
4. In order to prevent accidents, always inspect your bow, string and arrows before a shooting session.
5. Take-Downs are not meant to be disassembled after each shooting session. Disassemble your take down only if strictly necessary for transport, shipping, etc
6. Clean the bow from time to time and treat with respect in the field. Do not use it for a walking stick .
7. Never string a recurve bow with the push and pull technique.
8. Remember that your bow is not a toy, but a deadly weapon! Children should be supervised by an adult when shooting.
10. HOW SHOULD I STRING MY SALUKI BOW ?
There are a few ways of stringing a bow. I will give some insight into three of them. As you have noticed Saluki bows have more reflex in their limbs then your average bow, therefore you have to take more caution during stringing. Never use push and pull method for our recurve bows.
10.1 Using a stringer :
Use only a stringer for recurves, either with the rubber button for the upper limb or the one with a more substantial pocket for keeping the tip of the lower limb from twisting. Either one will do. Refer to Picture 1. Normally you would use just one hand as you pull up on the bow, but in our case we will employ both hands. First grip the bow with your right hand by the handle and use the left hand to grip the bow below the static tip, as seen in picture 1. Now, make sure your upper string loop is at the ready over the upper bow limb above your thumb and index finger while you’re holding that limb below the static tip as seen in picture 1. Now, pull up on the bow by the handle with your right hand, having a good grip on the bow, and at the same time hold the upper limb with your left hand below the tip just as steady and tight. As you go up , hold firmly with both hands. Once you are past the brace height of the bow, you can safely let go of the upper limb with you left hand and slide the loop into a nock of the bow. Before you let go of the bow, check the lower limb making sure the string is correctly seated in the lower limb. For unstringing, just reverse the process.
10.2 Step-through method:
This method if done correctly it is a quick and superb technique and everybody should be familiar with it. Yes, it is a little bit tricky and sometimes scary for those who are not used to it, but with a little practice and patience anybody can learn. Some of my bows actually require this method more then using the stringer because it is actually safer. This method is also used for stringing the horn composites.
Now, step through the bow and seat the part of the lower limb just where it reflexes into the static tip over your shin bone and above the ankle, far enough, so that when you flex the bow, the tip will not dig in to the ground damaging it, refer to picture no.1 and 2. Also, make sure the loop of the string is seated in the nock. To make sure that it is, you can put bow tip protector over it or simply wrap a rubber band around the tip and the string to prevent it from coming out of a nock. Hold the upper part of the string in your right hand by the loop outside of the bow maintaining a little bit of tension on it. The handle of the bow should be resting on the back of your thigh about half way up between the knee and your buttock. You should have a medium wide stance. Now the tough part comes, you have to flex the bow to be able to string it. Use your whole upper body and not just your arm in fact you should lock your arm with the elbow against the side of your body. Now twist forward and at the same time bring the string you have been holding in your right hand toward the tip of the bow, trying to meet both ends, the tip of the bow and the string loop. Make sure you keep the string slightly taught while you do that. Once the two ends meet just slip the loop of the string over the tip of the bow and in to the nock. Before you let entirely go look down at the lower limb making sure the string is firmly seated in the nock and on the limb, not off to the side. Only then release the tension and step out of the bow.
10.3 Two man technique for stringing :
This method is by far the safest method of all, but it does require an assistance of another person. Sit on a chair. Put the bow across you knees. Make sure the parts of the limbs, just past the fade outs on the riser, are resting on your knees. With your hands hold the limbs just below the tips to have enough comfortable leverage. If you noticed, the lower part of the string is in the nock already, safely held by your hand in position, so that it does not come out of nock during stringing. The rest of the string is laying across your upper legs and held on the other side by your helper as illustrated. Now bend the limbs towards your body , make sure the helper does not try to help you by trying to pull on the string as you bend the bow. Simply have him wait until you bring the upper limb to him when you bend the bow across your knees. Then, he can safely bring the loop of the string over the tip and seat it in to the nock. To unstring, simply reverse the process. This method is suitable for stringing horn bows as well.
11. After stringing: Aligning the limbs of horn and fiberglass bows.
Checking for proper alignment : look over the back of the bow at the tip. Make sure the tip is at a right angle to the flat plane of the limb. Follow the pictures to see how it is done, if you have a twist in the limb. Correct by twisting in the opposite direction and hold for a little bit. You may have to repeat this several times to achieve proper results. Make sure that during twisting, to correct the tip, you do not go too far and move the string of the limb, accidentally unstringing the bow. If the twist is severe, you may have to exaggerate the correction or even use heat. Such twists usually come from neglect or abuse of the equipment. However, it is better, in this case, to contact the bowyer.
12. After stringing: correcting tiller of Horn Bows.
In case you have to correct the tiller of a horn bow, see the picture above. The direction of the correction will be indicated by an arrow below each tip in the bridge area. Keep in mind that each horn bow is different and the instruction for the correction will vary for each bow, specifically which limb to correct tiller on and which direction the tips have to be twisted to align them correctly.
12. How to wrap a Mushama
