Members Sheilajeanne Posted September 11, 2022 Members Report Posted September 11, 2022 (edited) I haven't shot for quite a few years, but always preferred a glove. Since I was a leftie, my husband had a hard time finding one. Here it is: FredK: OUCH!! I used to use a cut-off section of a lady's dress glove, which, of course, was very thin leather. When I moved to a bow that was heavier than a 20 lb.pull, my poor fingers needed something thicker. The leather on this is about 3-4 oz. for the finger tabs. The closure is velcro, and the black part is elastic. The suede part that covers the back of the hand also extends down the middle of each finger, and attaches to the heavier leather just about over top of where your fingernails would start. The sides of the heavier leather fold up in a U shape, and are sewn to the suede. There's a tab of the heavier leather that goes down the middle of the U to attach to the end of the suede piece. Ugh. If you can't figure it out from my description, I will take another photo that shows it more plainly! Edited September 11, 2022 by Sheilajeanne Quote
Members Sheilajeanne Posted September 11, 2022 Members Report Posted September 11, 2022 (edited) Okay, third picture: Hope this helps! The furry bits you see at the end of the fingers are pieces of thread that were obviously cut rather than burned the way a decent leather crafter would do it! I have just been looking more carefully at the glove to see what makes it left-handed rather than right-handed. It's the shape of the finger stalls. The part of the stall that faces up when your hand is in the shooting position comes just to the base of the second finger joint. The other side of the stall is slightly longer. You can see that in my first photo above. And, of course, the closing strap has to be on the other side of the glove. Took me 3 tries to close it when I tried it on my right hand! There's a LOT more to fitting it properly than I can show in the photos. You will need to do some experimenting, and possibly borrow a glove or two from the other archers in her club. The elastic is a good idea. It allows the glove to stretch when I bend my hand into the shooting position. The finger stalls are too stiff to bend, so this gives the glove the flexibility it needs. The finger stalls all look to be identical in size. The only difference is the piece of suede going down the middle of the stall has to be longer to fit the middle finger. The suede extends pretty much to the tip of each finger. Edited September 11, 2022 by Sheilajeanne Quote
Contributing Member fredk Posted September 11, 2022 Author Contributing Member Report Posted September 11, 2022 Thanks, that is brilliant. I think that is the sort of thing No.1 dottir is wanting. I neglected to mention that although she is right handed she shoots left handed Quote Al speling misteaks aer all mi own werk..
Members Sheilajeanne Posted September 11, 2022 Members Report Posted September 11, 2022 (edited) Wow! That's a surprise! The biggest problem with being a leftie is finding a left-handed bow! My husband had one custom made for me. Up until then, I used a fiberglass cheapie with a rubber handle that allowed you to rest the arrow on either side. I had a guitar teacher who was left handed, but he played right handed. If you've ever played a guitar or other stringed instrument, you'll know the left hand does 90% of the work, so what he said made sense to me: "I can't do much of anything with my right hand!" Made me wonder why right handed people don't finger the frets with their RIGHT hands! Anyhoo, happy to be of help! If you have any questions, feel free to bug me! I really like the glove, and can't think of anything I'd change about it. Sometimes I have to slip the tabs off my fingers to pull arrows out of the target, and the elastic gives me the flexibility to do that without undoing the wrist strap. Edited September 11, 2022 by Sheilajeanne Quote
Contributing Member fredk Posted September 11, 2022 Author Contributing Member Report Posted September 11, 2022 Most of us in my family are slightly ambidextrous. I used to fence both right and left handed. I used to change hands at the end of every touché. That really threw the opponent off their stool. I can shoot pistols with either hand - I'm a rotten shot with either though! I'm now thinking, because of what you've said, about not getting a leftie glove, that is why No.1 dottir wants me to make one for her Are bows handed? my long bows aren't. I can shoot just as badly with either left or right hand with them Quote Al speling misteaks aer all mi own werk..
Members Sheilajeanne Posted September 12, 2022 Members Report Posted September 12, 2022 Fred, for a left handed archer, the arrow rest should be on the right side, as when they loose the string, it tend to throw the arrow to the left. This would make it go off target if the rest were on the right. Does your bow not have an arrow rest? Quote
Contributing Member fredk Posted September 12, 2022 Author Contributing Member Report Posted September 12, 2022 No long bow I know has an arrow rest. You rest the arrow on your hand, on the last knuckle of your thumb actually Quote Al speling misteaks aer all mi own werk..
CFM chuck123wapati Posted September 12, 2022 CFM Report Posted September 12, 2022 6 hours ago, fredk said: No long bow I know has an arrow rest. You rest the arrow on your hand, on the last knuckle of your thumb actually lol an american made one does i have one it was made by PSE 50# Quote Worked in a prison for 30 years if I aint shiny every time I comment its no big deal, I just don't wave pompoms. “I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.” THE DUKE!
CFM chuck123wapati Posted September 12, 2022 CFM Report Posted September 12, 2022 8 hours ago, Sheilajeanne said: Fred, for a left handed archer, the arrow rest should be on the right side, as when they loose the string, it tend to throw the arrow to the left. This would make it go off target if the rest were on the right. Does your bow not have an arrow rest? traditional English longbows dont have a rest as Fred said, the left or right problem is taken care of by holding the bow at an angle so the arrow is cast up instead of left or right. Even bows with a rest will shoot left or right because the arrow is still off center a bit if held straight up. I am left eye dominant so i shoot left but i'm right handed. Learned to shoot with a right handed recurve bow but when i bought my first compound it was a lefty I found i was much more accurate left but can shoot either. Always wanted to try a thumb ring i saw yesterday they make some out of leather i may just make one. Quote Worked in a prison for 30 years if I aint shiny every time I comment its no big deal, I just don't wave pompoms. “I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.” THE DUKE!
Members Sheilajeanne Posted September 12, 2022 Members Report Posted September 12, 2022 (edited) What's the purpose of a thumb ring, Chuck? Yeah, I knew that about the traditional longbows. I have a book about the history of the longbow, and it covers what they found on the Mary Rose in depth. Actor Robert Hardy was the author - I didn't know up until then that he was an avid archer and historian! I just knew him as Siegfried on All Creatures Great and Small. https://www.amazon.ca/Longbow-Military-History-Robert-Hardy/dp/0750943912 Edit: VERY glad I bought the book when it first came out, and only cost $20!! Wow! My bow looks like a broomstick type medieval longbow, but it's actually laminated wood, and has an arrow rest. Edited September 12, 2022 by Sheilajeanne Quote
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