u/TurtleClubOwner

I'm relatively new to archery (traditional) and have progressively felt more and more drawn to the longbow. I'm at a point where I want to buy my first bow, but... I've encountered a little bit of a conundrum. (TL;DR version at the end.)

A few old timers at my range who shoot traditional longbow have mentioned the Black Hunter as a fantastic first bow for its price point and versatility, and until this past week, I was pretty sure I'd just grab one of those. But... this weekend I met three relatively new archers (who I hadn't overlapped with before) who all had virtually identical Black Hunter longbows.

I hate to admit it, but I... just don't really like the idea of having the same bow as all the other beginners. Between the risk of someone accidentally grabbing my bow and a little vanity on my part, I just want something else. So I found the Southwest Archery Ghost takedown longbow, which looks like exactly what I want... but I can't find it currently for sale anywhere with the right length, poundage, or orientation. For reference, I'm a 5'4", right-handed, with a 26.5" draw length and looking for a 35# draw weight.

Even looking away from the Ghost, I'm really struggling to find a takedown longbow with all the specs I'm looking for. Ideally, I'm looking for a 62" right-hand takedown longbow at 35# for $250 or less. Even going up to 64" doesn't change the issue, and I'm not sure if that's ideal for my shorter draw length anyway. I've enjoyed the 64" SAS Gravity longbow my club owns, but I thought going down a couple inches might suit me more.

TL;DR: Trying to buy my first longbow and struggling to find one that is a takedown, right-handed, 62", and 35#. SWA Ghost looks like just the thing I want, but for whatever reason it's sold out or not available anywhere with the specs I'm looking for.

Thank you for any advice/input!

I'm pretty new to archery, and another hobby of mine is leathercraft. Finding areas where my interests intersect is a huge source of excitement for me, so I've decided I want to make my first finger tab with my own hands.

I shoot traditional, three under, without string walking. So I've been looking at making something along the lines of this Safari Tuff or this Omnivore tab. Using my hand measurements to come up with the shape of it seems simple enough; my question has more to do with materials and some specs. Looking for advice from anyone who has either made their own or just happens to know!

In no particular order:

I've seen tabs with a single layer of leather and others with two layers. Is one 'better' than the other?
What is the ideal leather thickness for the layer(s)?
I understand Cordovan leather is considered the ideal material for the flap, so I'm looking for suppliers to buy a small panel or sample, since I won't need much. If I make it with two layers, do both need to be Cordovan, or should the back layer be a different kind of leather?
I've seen tabs with a single loop (often a cord with a tension lock) for the middle finger and others with two loops (often a flat elastic band) to go over the index and then the middle and ring fingers. Is one 'better' than the other?

Some of this may just be preference, but I know a lot of tiny variables can have an impact on accuracy and consistency. And since I'm making it myself, I want to ensure I'm not screwing up on some small detail that a more experienced archer would know about.

If there's anything else I should be thinking about, I'm all ears! Thanks in advance for any tips or insight.

First bow conundrum