SandSquid

Luckily in the past 20 years the sport of archery has come a LONG way... but as a (NFAA and USA Archery certified) Coach, I have heard this same story _-literally-_ thousands of times, and the be frank, it angers me greatly that it is still going on today, mostly at the hands of ignorant gym class teachers and summer camp counselors. Ignorance is curable by education, and this is exactly why the US Olympic Coach has started the National Training System, so that everybody is teaching the same proper basic form, regardless of the students intention, be it sitting in a tree stand or standing on a competitive shooting line.

Again, improper coaching teaching poor form. The shoot string should ALWAYS lay on the outside of the breast. NEVER should your breast be behind the string in any way. example: Actually the "Chest Protectors" have absolutely NOTHING to do with protecting ones breast, and were never designed for that purpose. Their sole purpose is to prevent your clothing from coming in contact with the string... to keep the fabric of the clothing from imparting any effect upon the string and secondly to keep the string from soiling your clothing. If any "coach" tells you any different the are full of excrement and need to be beaten about the head neck and chest with an old hickory pick-axe handle.

Specifically the M1911A1.

Sadly I'm 150 Miles & 2.5 hours from my nearest Tandy or I'd just buy one. I'll try etsy.

I'm a avid (ok rabid) archer3x state champion and Certified USA Archery and NFAA Level 3 Coach. Indeed Cordovan is highly prized for its qualities in finger tabs... I've gone through this many many times on archery forums with folks trying to save a few dollars, The Horse Butt that most folks sell is NOT to be remotely confused with genuine Shell Cordovan. Genuine Shell Cordovan made from the fibrous flat muscle ("shell") _beneath_ the hide on the butt of the horse. But it is much much more than just where it comes from, it is also the process it goes through... But I'll leave that to the leather experts to explain.

Great thinking, but we just don't have the "free" time... Between teaching 3-5 Archery & Leather classes a day and a planed departure in two weeks, if it comes down to it, I'd just order online.

Indeed. Springfield Leather stocks them http://springfieldleather.com/29508/Strap-Cutter%2CThe-Original/

Correct. Precisely! Anything within that range would work... I'm not too particular in this regard Thanks, but I have a cheap set of the round punches, I need the oblong one.

Doing a project for camp to help organize the leather-working tools (upon my departure in two weeks) in the craft hut, \ I plan to make a wall hanging organizer utilizing a loop/strap system such as employed for the bullet loop ammo/shell carrier... (Punching two round holes and cutting lines between them is proving to be a Royal-PITA and not giving me the results I want.) I can adapt the design to utilize any size punch between 3/8" to 3/4". Does not have to be pretty just serviceable. I have $24.06 in my paypal account.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tapatalk is awesome!

For the "big" classes I've been combining Archery and leather-working, so the group can break down into two smaller groups and switch off between the two, and for the most part it has worked out well.... BUT last night was by far the WORST class yet. Those obnoxious little sh!ts were totally out of control, pounding stamps into the picnic table or even into the concrete slabs (sans leather)....Grabbing at all the things I told them NOT to touch like the swivel knives, head knife, stitching awls, etc... Next door, on the archery range they were shooting arrows directly into the concrete floor "just to see the sparks they made". Despite our best efforts neither I, nor counselors that were there, were able to get them back under control so I pulled the plug on the entire session and sent them back to their cabin. It's a good thing this is a "Church Camp" or I would have gone straight into "Drill Instructor Mode", but I'm not allowed to yell, use profanity or physical exercise (my favorites are "front leaning rest" position or the "dying cockroach" ) to counsel the kids. But today is a new day, lets hope.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/jun/28/the-hunger-games-and-brave-spark-interest-in/ Since "The Hunger Games" opened in March and "Brave" hit screens this month — both movies about young female archers — the interest in archery has increased among young people. First introduced as a trilogy of books by author Suzanne Collins, "The Hunger Games" features protagonist Katniss Everdeen, who uses a bow and arrow against opponents attempting to kill her as part of a series of games administered by the government. Nationally, many archery facilities have noticed a flurry of eager students signing up for summer classes. Teresa Iaconi, director of marketing and public relations for USA Archery, the official organization for the U.S. Olympic archery team, said the films are "bringing the sport to the forefront of pop culture." Ty Davis, owner of Everything Archery in Raleigh, said the archery range hasn't seen such a large interest from students since the release of Kevin Costner's film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" in 1991. "I'm quite happy with the increase. The future of archery is in the young people," Davis said. The Georgia native has owned the archery range for roughly 20 years and has practiced archery since age 13. Many register for archery lessons to prepare for the hunting season in August, Davis said, but the majority of the new students don't intend to use their new skills for hunting game, even though Katniss Everdeen does hunt birds in the movie. While the ratio of male and female students has been balanced, Davis said girls are usually easier to teach. "Young men usually want to do this as a macho thing," Davis said. "Ladies tend to want to do this for sport, and they're willing to learn. They're easier to teach because they listen." Everything Archery offers individual classes and weekly Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) classes on Friday nights for youths ages 9 to 18. Students learn the basics of the sport based upon the Olympic training system. Each student starts with a standard introductory bow used in target and recreational archery. Compound bows, which use cables and pulleys to shoot arrows, are generally used for hunting. "It all starts with the stance," Davis said. "And then it's all right here in the head," he said. While it builds upper-body strength and improves one's posture, Davis said archery influences the mind as well. "The development of the form requires positive thinking," Davis said. "That, I think, benefits the young people." Claire Lee, 10, developed an interest in archery when she read "The Hunger Games" books in January. The fifth-grader, who also practices ballet, is part of the Junior Olympic Archery Development classes and enjoys seeing female archers portrayed in popular films. "I guess I like the shooting. I plan on going to the Olympics when I'm 16," she said. But 12-year-old archer Elizabeth Gunterman is not as intrigued by the female archers in movies. "I think it's cool that girls are in the movies," Elizabeth said, "but I know some of them (female archers in movies) are just acting. They're not archers in real life." Practicing Saturday at Everything Archery, she wore her hair braided to the side, the same style Katniss Everdeen wears in the movie. Elizabeth said her role model is a friend and fellow archer. The two coach each other when practicing and support each other's progress. Elizabeth holds the title as Tennessee State Champion in the indoor archery division and placed fifth in the National Field Archery Association competition in Kentucky. She said she plans to continue her progress in the sport and eventually compete in the Olympics. "That's been my goal since I started," she said. Her mother, Karen Gunterman, said she has seen a tremendous change in her daughter since she started practicing archery. "I'm proud of her. She really likes it, and she definitely has the potential to go to the Olympics," Gunterman said. Karen Gunterman is now a second-class instructor at Everything Archery, assisting in the Friday and Saturday classes. She said since "The Hunger Games" was released, Davis has ordered four extra batches of the standard training bows. But Davis thinks most of the new students will place their new equipment on the wall after a few months of lessons. "With this spike, it might be, you know, a fad more than a trend," Davis said. "Fads come and go. Trends remain." © 2012 Memphis Commercial Appeal. All rights res Her hair in a side ponytail like heroine Katniss Everdeen in the recent film "The Hunger Games," Elizabeth Gunterman, 11, lines up her shot during a recent practice at Everything Archery in Raleigh. Elizabeth competes in state and national archery competitions. Elizabeth Gunterman sports a hot pink quiver to hold her arrows during a practice at Everything Archery Saturday afternoon.

That is great! Did you use a commercial pattern or just the "trace,flip trace" technique? I've been working up the courage to make a scabbard for my Winchester 1894 lever action (.44Mag).

Here at summer camp for the kiddies I'm using these 12" pavers faced with a 12" Vinyl Composition Tile. Works just swell.

I would never claim I'm from Memphis, I just live there now.

On the 1/2 mile walk between my cabin/archery range and the "main camp" I spotted 9, yes _NINE_ deer in five minutes. first this little 4 pointed and doe: Then these three tasty morsels just sttod there and gawked at me: A one armed, blind, deaf, mute could make this < 20 foot shot!

this stuff is awesome www.brettunsvillage.com/leather/thread.htm Waxed Poly Sewing thread 60" pre-tapered ends $12/Gross

very clean and professional looking!

The first thing I do when opening a new can of Barge is cut off the brush that is under-neath the cap. $1.00 / 12 plastic watercolor brushes from walmart/Michaels/etc. are "disposable" and much easier to control.

You are not _too_ far from Memphis, TN for a day trip....

Yippie, "Primary" Camp = 200(+/-) Pre-Elementray age campers shooting arrows, scary!

GREAT! I'll get some pictures posted and ragged edges trimmed when I get back to town....

Already read that, sounds easy enough, and tracks along with what luke showed me yesterday, but I'd still prefer an actual pattern to work off of for my first attempt.

Got some extra headstones that I got for summer camp that just too danged heavy for our picnic tables in the craft hut to support all the weight. They are massive (at least 12"x24"x4")and HEAVY I(150#' ish), but I can probably cut them into smaller chunks once I get a diamond masonry blade. Cost: make a nominal donation to my Church Youth Group Available for pick-up the first and second week of August.