Arrow Building Forum

With Jim Shanks

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About Jim Shanks

I had never heard of Jim prior to the 1996 PBS Biennial Gathering. There was an arrow building competition there, and later, the arrows were auctioned off. I kept bidding on three arrows - absolutely remarkable. They were pure works of art - multi-spliced with various woods, straight, and finished to perfection. Of the three arrows, two were made by Jim Shanks. I bid on those arrows, and finally had to give up when the bidding on his arrows went above the two hundred dollar mark!

It wasn't until sometime later that I began to see Jim's name pop up on the Bowsite Bulletin Board and I got an idea. So I sent Jim an E-mail and the rest is history. Very few people I know can do things with arrows like he can, and I'm sure glad he has agreed to share his knowledge with us here at The Stickbow.

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I have bowhunted for the last 25 years, but have only been making wood arrows for the past 15 years. Since I live in Western Colorado, I probably have more knowledge about suppliers and fletchers in the west. If I mention specific suppliers or manufacturers I do not mean to slight anyone, it is just that these are people who I am familiar with. I don't claim to be all-knowing in this field and I expect that I will learn quite a bit from others and will update the articles accordingly.......Jim Shanks.

Look for the following future topics here in the arrow building section:

Staining Arrows Various Paints and finishes Footing wood arrows Cutting and burning your own feathers Arrow making equipment Making your arrows heavier Tapered vs. Barreled shafts Buying wood arrows All about helicals More topics ...