Learn the craft

Bow making workshop, build your own in a weekend

A bow making workshop here is two days at the shave horse under the pavilion. You arrive to a split stave and leave with a shooting bow you made yourself.

All tools provided, and no experience needed. Groups are kept small — four to six people. This ensures lots time with each participant. Guest instructors are may also be present. 

Workshops run through the season on Salt Spring Island, and the shop is a short walk from the ferry side of the island. Bring lunch, closed shoes and something you do not mind covering in shavings.

Ask about the next datesWorkshops run through the season↗

The weekend

Inside a bow making workshop

Day one is rough work. You pick a stave, learn to read its back, and take it down to a floor tiller with a drawknife and a rasp — far more wood comes off than anyone expects, and almost all of the day is spent learning where not to take it from.

Day two is tillering and finishing. The bow goes on the tree, comes off, gets scraped, goes back on, and slowly the limbs start to bend evenly. Once it draws clean to your own draw length you cut the nocks, string it, and shoot the first arrow off it in the field behind the shop.

You take the bow home with a string, a rough handle wrap and a list of what to do next. It will not be the prettiest bow you ever own. It will be the one you understand.

If you are travelling in for the weekend, the Salt Spring Island Chamber of Commerce lists ferries, lodging and everything else you will need to plan around.

Before you book

Do I need any experience?

Do I need any experience with wood or archery?
No. Most people who come have never used a drawknife and have never shot a traditional bow. Everything is taught from the stave up, and all tools are provided.
Will I really finish a bow in two days?
Yes — a shooting bow, tillered to your draw length, that you take home and shoot. It goes home with a rough handle wrap and a short list of finishing work you can do at your own pace.
How many people are in a workshop?
Four to six. Tillering has to be taught over your shoulder while the bow is on the tree, so the group stays small enough that everyone gets that time.
What does the weekend cost, and what is included?
The fee covers the stave, the use of every tool, the string and the instruction across both days. Get in touch for current pricing and the next available dates.

Next dates

Come and make one

Workshops fill by word of mouth. Send Christopher a note and he will tell you what is running and what is left.

Ask about a workshopDates, pricing and what to bring↗See the bows on the rackWhat a finished one looks like↗