About

BARN member: $135 (4 sessions)
Non-member: $165 (4 sessions)
Plus materials fee of $185, payable at 1st class

Wednesdays, August 10, 17, 24 & 31, 1 pm to 4 pm

Registration deadline: August 3

Make a traditional laminated longbow from start to finish using hand tools and a few power tools to speed up the process. You will also learn about bow history and get resources that will help you build future bows of different styles.

In the first session, you will shape layers of wood, glue them together with epoxy, and clamp them into a form that will shape the bow. The laminated parts will be put into a specialized oven and heated to set the epoxy before the second session. Then you will give the parts a final shaping and outfit the bow with string. By the end of the third session, the bow should be ready to use. Bainbridge Island Sportsmen's Club has an archery range and offers safety training during range hours.

Because of the need to order supplies, registration for this class will end a week before the first session. The materials fee covers all the parts required to complete a functional longbow, as well as written instructions and blueprints, information needed to build other bows on your own, and a list of suppliers.

Instructor: Jesse Torrez has been a bowyer for many years. An avid outdoorsman, he has worked as a hunting and fishing guide in Alaska and other states. While running several outdoor businesses, he has made more than 150 longbows, as well as traditional English war bows, laminated English war bows, traditional recurve bows, self-bows, and many sets of limbs for cross bows. He worked in sales and as a professional archer for two archery equipment manufacturers, Hoyt Archery and Easton Archery. He has competed as an archer and taught archery skills.

Questions? Call Jesse Torrez at (360) 440-5748