Sinew backed bows of the Americas and Primitive world bows.

Heartwood Bows is the result of a more than 30 year passion of the research, replication and testing of the sinew backed and self wood  bows of North America and around the world. All my bows have been meticulously researched. The materials methods and construction create a finished bow/arrows that are a fully functioning exact replica of a 150 + year old weapon.

 I also make bows that take the best of all these designs to create a superior hunting or target bow for the hunter who wants to take game with a traditional North American inspired bow. Taking full advantage of the wood/sinew combo, these bows can be made shorter, and make excellent tree stand, or ambush bows, as well as ease of movement in thick vegetation. I currently hold 4 world records in the Primitive class(all natural materials) of flight shooting with bows and arrows I made and shot. The 70# primitive self bow record at 332 yards with a hickory recurved bow with a heat treated belly. That same bow also holds the broadhead flight record an 246.7 yards. The 70# primitive simple composite at 343 yards with a Ishi style reflexed sinew backed juniper. And the 70# simple composite broadhead arrow division at 262 yards with the same sinew backed juniper bow. 
   I have researched Plains and Great Basin Native American bighorn sheep bows to the point where I have seen nearly every bow left and read everything published on the subject. So far in my life I have made 41. These bows take about a year to complete and the bighorn sheep mounts used to make them are rare and expensive. The price for these starts at $2500. These bows do have the power to kill buffalo and shoot 200 yards. I used one 37" bighorn sheep bow to shoot a flight arrow 310 yards in a flight shoot. If properly cared for they can last generations. 
  In the same price range as the bighorn sheep bows are the Asian composite bows. They are also horn and sinew, but unlike Native American horn bows have a wood core. There is a tremendous amount of history around these bows. They are what the Mongols used to conquer more land than any army in history. Before that they were used by the Egyptians in the time of pyramids, then Scythians and Sarmatians. They were the weapons of the Huns, Ottoman's, Indo Persians, Seljuks in the time of the Crusades, Mamluks, Manchus, and many other famous armies over a few thousand year time period. In the last few hundred years they remained popular in much of Asia and the middle east for war, hunting, sport and flight shooting.  These bows can be made shorter that any other natural material bow and still have a long draw of over 30" if desired. 

 I can only take a limited number of special orders from people who want an exact type of bow, from a specific tribe/area etc.  If you are unhappy with the finished product you may decline the purchase and have your deposit refunded. I make all my bows as if they were for me. I also offer a 6 month guarantee on all my bows. They are not just to be admired. They are superior reproductions and hunting weapons made for use, that I base my reputation on.

 Please see my gallery of some of my sold bows from the past and reproduction pages for bows on hand. It lists the background and history of the bow, as well as stats on the performance and shooting of the bow.

 Thanks for visiting

   Chuck Loeffler

Contact me at chuck@heartwoodbows.com or,  phone 650-208-9275