Latest / Salish Wolf / #75 Zdenek Lences on Project Quiver

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#75 Zdenek Lences on Project Quiver · Salish Wolf

0:06
Welcome to Project Quiver, a father daughter journey across
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the globe to capture the artistry and spirit of the
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world's finest traditional bow carvers.
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I'm Todd, the father. Ella is my daughter.
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Together we're on a mission to create a stunning coffee table
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book that profiles more than a dozen master bow years and their
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unparalleled skill. For each chapter, we travel to
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the Bow Years workshop. Carve a bow under his guidance,
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photograph his woodcraft in detail, and share his story here
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on the Salish Wolf Podcast. The book is called Quiver the
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Art of Life. Through Bowcraft and this
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journey, our living story is Project Quiver.
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Danyak, welcome to the podcast. Yeah, thank you.
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Thank you for the inventation. I was looking forward.
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That's my pleasure. Where are you?
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I'm in Czech Republic. OK.
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In like the central region, you know, the bohemian part and.
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Here we have building forests. I'm not going to disclose my
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location fully because it's small town, but like it's near
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Pilsen. Yeah, it's one of the nicest
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areas to live in if you are a. Boiler because we have very big.
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Forests. And so it's very wooded here.
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And like you, I have so many kinds of trees, you know, here.
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It's amazing. Beautiful.
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When my daughter and I had traveled for Project Quiver, we
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spent a few days in Prague, and then we went by train from
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Prague down to northern Austria, where we're meeting with Eric
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Strikes, Beer Sparrow Bows, and we stopped in a smaller city of
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Chesapeake, Buddedoviche. Yeah, just OK.
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Yeah, we spent an afternoon there, found this really cool,
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like an authentic Chinese tea house.
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And it was raining outside so we got really wet walking around
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seeing things. And we found this tea house and
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we went in and just had a great experience with I think we got a
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big pot of oolong tea and some Chai tea and it was really cool.
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And then when we were at Erics place, he lives literally right
2:19
on the border. And so one evening that he and
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his wife took us out for dinner back in Czech Republic.
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I don't remember the town that we drove to, but beautiful
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little town that we went to and probably had.
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No, not probably. It was the best meal of our
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entire trip in Europe that we had in this little pub.
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It was just like a charcuterie, delicious bread and cheeses and
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meats, and it was really incredible experience.
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Yeah, that's amazing. I think that was in the Shumava
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region. It's like very you gets to the
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to the borders. With Austria and yeah, there are
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so many towns and like, I have many good experiences from that.
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Yeah, so you've lived there your whole life?
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Yeah, I have. Lived in Czech Republic my whole
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life. And are you alone or among only
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a few Bowers? Or is there a lot?
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Are there a lot of Bowers in the country?
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It's hard to. Say, because I you know.
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I have lived secluded for like 5 years.
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And then I have started to meet people and like from my
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understanding there is. Like a little very.
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Little community employers and most of them like, you know,
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it's. Hard for us to find each other
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either we find ourselves like. In groups like Primitive
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Bookmaking on Facebook. Or like our slash border.
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From you know Dan Santana who might that read it forum.
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But yeah, there is like a very. Little chance for we could meet
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and yeah, so from my understanding and point.
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Of view there is like. Around 100 boyers at Max, maybe
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even less. And how do you pronounce the
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name of your your bow making brand?
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Varengen Boyer. Barringen and.
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You know the Varengians for? Like there were the Boyers of by
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the. Byzantine Empire they were
4:28
mercenaries like for the emperor of Byzantine Greek and.
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Yeah, it's. I don't know how it came to my
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mind. I think by then I thought it was
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a good name. I would like to rebrand soon
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because I want to. Associated.
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More with me and less with, you know, some kind of mercenary
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class of people. Because that.
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Kind of, you know, makes people think that it's more like.
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Bows for. Larping and.
5:02
All that stuff. Yeah, so right, right.
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How long have you been doing this?
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Back. When I was at math.
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Support your podcast. I said it.
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It was. 70 it was five years. So it should be like.
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Around 7 years this summer, so pretty long time.
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But I have got a couple. Pauses in, you know, the time
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span that I have been making both and.
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Like my first good Bo was. When I was like 20.
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So yeah, that was like 5 years ago.
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OK. And is this a your main
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occupation or is this something you do as a hobby?
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I would like to do it as. A main occupation, but the
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market is so small that I have kept it more.
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As like a side chalk. I do like courses for schools,
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so I introduce young kids to school, kids to boyery.
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And making bows, you know, and. All of that stuff, all the
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history. And shooting bows also so.
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I would like to say that it's. A more or less like not a hobby,
6:19
but. It's like a sideshow that.
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Makes me some money at least. Yeah.
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How do you connect with the kids?
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Is that in person or do you do that online?
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I do it. In person I do like.
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Archery courses with like. Talking, you know, and yeah, I
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think about both and you know, it's it will.
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Be hard. To do it online because like
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from my understanding, most of the kids are not even interested
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in in the mother, you know, and the hard thing is when I came to
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1 school and like we were having a course where we were making
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both and like only like. 4. Kids out of the 20 kids were
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interested genuinely. And yeah, that's kind of, you
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know, broke me a little. I.
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Was a little upset but. Yeah, I had a good time there
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too and it was a good money that I made.
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Yeah. Did do the kids get a chance to
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learn how to shoot as well? Yeah, they often do now.
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I wasn't inclined to. Do it at first because.
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I would do you know if I have? How do you say that?
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I would say, you know, be in charge of the gates and like be.
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Responsible for like their acts. Kind of a way.
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So if they broke anything, you know, it would be my bow, it
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would be my arrows that they they are shooting basically and.
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I would, yeah. I would be responsible.
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So I have, you know. Just thought about it for.
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Quite a some time and I have come to the conclusion that I
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only do that in open. Areas for the kids.
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Cannot obviously, you know, break something and like cause
8:05
harm to anybody. So yeah, they can shoot now.
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Right. How did you get into the art of
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bow making? So it was.
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Like 2019 COVID was starting and.
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I wanted to practice archery. And back then the bow saying
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Czech Republic has. Have cost like $200.
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And, you know, I didn't have that money.
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So I knew that there are certain, certain trees growing
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in the forest and that I could harvest them.
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And my first attempts were a failure, you know, but.
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That was because of the wood I chose.
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It was. Rotten branches from the forest
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floor and that doesn't do good in box, you know.
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But after that I found out that there.
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Was a freshly fallen. Cherry Tree and that was my
9:04
first successful bowl. And like, it was super.
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Ugly, but it did shoot. It did.
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Draw 20 lbs. Then I found out.
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That there is. A ton of Elm trees growing on
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the mountain. That's what I that's.
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You know, what started my interest is that we had to reach
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home on the mountain in my home village.
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But you know, as you might know when you came along to many of
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the European boilers, it's one of the.
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Best white woods of. Them all and.
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Yeah, so I tried to make which on bow it's failed but.
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Like my? First bow, that was.
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Rowan Bow of the Rowan Wood. You know the tree with little.
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Orange berries and that was nice little bow shooting and it did
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shoot and it did shoot quite nicely and.
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So after that. I made my first successful which
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humble and. They did draw.
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Like 35 lbs and. Yeah, it was good.
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I he treated it it. Served me and it.
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I still have it. Hanging.
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It still worked but. I don't use it anymore.
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Because I have. You know, gone to like higher
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drawing bows and yeah, from from all of.
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Like it it did get. Better, you know.
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In those five years, so. I made even more like fast bows
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and yeah, but then I. Started to like.
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You know, be. Exhausted by all of the.
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Elm I was getting basically from the mountain dedicated cat and
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like it started to get boring. I just couldn't imagine like,
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you know, many American lawyers just use so much Osage and
11:10
Hickory and and of course. So much Pacific.
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Pacific. You in the Pacific Northwest?
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But I just couldn't imagine. I would be so bored to use only
11:22
one kind of boat, you know? So I started to experiment with
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everything that was drawing near me.
11:30
So I started to cut. Down black foreign slums and
11:34
yeah, so my interest. Was very spiked.
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And so I have made many bows, including this black foreign
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Longbow that I have behind me on the background.
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Photo on the background OK. And.
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Sorry, what's that made out of? Black.
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Thorn. Blackthorn OK.
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Yeah. And.
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I have discovered that those. Lesser known woods make so nice
12:03
pose and you know, obviously not many people like know about them
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and. So I tried to.
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Experimenting with a couple more.
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I have. Found that buckforn grows near.
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Us too. So I did cut it down mistakenly
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because I thought it was a. Plum.
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They have. Quite a similar bark, so yeah.
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And leaves too. So I have discovered only after
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the cut that it's buckforn, but yeah.
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Sorry, are you saying buckthorn or blackthorn?
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Buckforn with BELBUCK? OK, Yeah, All right.
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OK. I've not, I'm just looking this
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up. So it's I'm just trying to find
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the Latin for it. OK, it's the species Ramnas
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ramnasia. OK, I'm not not really familiar
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with it. Yeah, if you know, see Buckforn.
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Yes, I do know Orange. Breeds and.
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It's it's quite the same. Tree basically.
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Same thing. OK, cool.
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But it has different wood. Yeah.
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It's very flexible. And very strong and also then so
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it makes quite a nice bow. But I still have it.
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You know, hidden in the corner because my.
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I don't know my. Kind of hyperactive behavior.
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In a sense that I produce so many of blank bows and yeah, so
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I didn't get to it because. I have loads of work.
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You know, on the bow. Because it's like very defects.
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And so yeah, it will be a mess teaming.
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OK, what other types of strange or unfamiliar woods are you
14:00
working with? I did work with.
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Gosh, I forgot how far that was a.
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Nice boat that I made for one customer and like many times.
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Hawthorn has like a very short fibers but this was.
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Like one of the different Hawthorns that I did cut and.
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It did have like. Very nice long fibers and just
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didn't have any like inclusions from the box because Hawthorns.
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Do. Get attacked by many bucks so
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they make you know the the holes in it and.
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The pathways across the. Wood and the half furnace
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Amazing cadets in. That it's very Hardy and it.
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Grows around those those and. Yeah, it's it.
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Just makes a total mess when you are tailoring a bow and it
15:02
explodes on the bag. Right now, was it hard to find a
15:05
piece of of Hawthorne because I have a bunch on my farm.
15:09
I've tried to find a straight enough piece, which maybe I
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have. I haven't taken it down yet
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because the thorns are just brutal too.
15:16
Yeah, they are nasty. Yeah.
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How do you how do you work with that?
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So because we have very like high roofed forests.
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We tend to get very nice sales here, but I have encountered
15:32
some problems. With that, it's very snaky.
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And often the wood. As I said, has so.
15:40
Many bug holes and. Pathways of of the.
15:44
Bugs. You know so.
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It's not good, but. Occasionally I can find a young
15:52
enough piece that is around like 2 inches in the diameter and
15:58
long enough with not enough, you know, snakiness.
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So I can work with it and then it makes an ice bowl.
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But it's a total mess for work, and you know I do it because I'm
16:11
crazy. Crazy can be a good thing, yeah.
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What other strange or unfamiliar trees are you working with?
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I did cut a. Spindle tree.
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It's very light. Wood it was used to make.
16:36
I don't know. What was that?
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But like, it polishes nicely, so it's.
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I think it was made into beads, you know?
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I did work with black. Foreign plum Plum is nice.
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Then I worked with. I'm trying to find the names.
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Of the tree, like it's it's a cherry basically, but it's like
17:05
slightly softer. It is also poisonous.
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The root and the bark is poisonous.
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And what is fruit bearing? Yeah, it's fruit bearing and the
17:16
fruits are edible, I think. And yeah, I did work.
17:19
With Apple, but that's quite. Common in the fruit.
17:21
Trees because it's like one of the best.
17:24
Boats from fruit trees. Also power I.
17:29
Haven't seen a. Loads like loads of power wood
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bows. Yeah, I interviewed someone
17:35
recently who tried to make one with power and he said it
17:37
didn't. I think it didn't work or wasn't
17:39
good, but yeah. Have you?
17:41
Often it fails at the garden, you know, grown.
17:45
Woods because they have like. Different properties than the
17:50
wild grown varieties and yeah. So that's quite a problem.
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So in the area where you live, is it a a small village that
18:01
you're in? Oh yeah, it is.
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A small village. OK.
18:05
And are there restrictions for you going out and finding staves
18:10
and cutting trees? How do you harvest them?
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Do you have places where you go where it's OK to do that or?
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Yeah, you know what eyes. Don't see, they don't see.
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But but basically, if you don't have like a friend, a forester
18:26
or something, you obviously don't have a chance cutting down
18:32
something without stealing it. So it's quite a.
18:35
Problem because there are restrictions.
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But I did get. Quite some luck with you and I
18:44
found many. Of like, how do you say?
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That you know, I found people selling you on some forums here
18:53
in Czech Republic. It's guarding you, but it can
18:56
do. But often you know the like the
19:02
equivalent of city services in the.
19:04
Village do cut down below. Power lines and everything you
19:10
know. So I did harvest quite.
19:12
Some like form from that. Because they just leave it to.
19:16
Rot and the major doesn't care enough.
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You know if I, you know. Just take it so I.
19:23
Called him and. Yeah, I did take.
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Some staves. I did find some.
19:27
Parrot also. And yeah, so there are many
19:32
restrictions we. Have like a protected wildlife
19:37
area South of me so. You cannot got anything there.
19:43
But it's like full of. Spruce and birches and pine
19:49
trees. So it isn't useful per SE.
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You know, like in. Yeah, so it sounds like you got
19:58
into making bows because you couldn't afford to buy a bow,
20:02
and I presume you wanted a bow so you could do some archery.
20:05
So what was the reason you wanted to get into archery?
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What was your inspiration? I think it was just an interest
20:13
that just came around from nowhere, you know?
20:16
So it was like. On a whim that I.
20:19
Decided, you know, I was. Interested in axis in X making
20:24
like of of the handles. And so I did know some trees but
20:31
not enough. But no, I was like, you know, I
20:35
have some too knowledge and I can use that, but I could make
20:39
it and yeah. I just.
20:40
Fall on my mouth many times. After I started.
20:44
Basically, and I think then it did get me into that point.
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I wasn't any more interested in the archery thing and like, I
20:53
was interested more in making the bows, you know?
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That happens, doesn't it? Yeah.
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And I'm right now I'm just pondering this, basically what
21:05
you just described in that archery just felt like something
21:08
you needed to do. I'm finishing up writing the
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book that my daughter and I were were traveling to do, and I'm
21:15
just rewriting an introduction for it.
21:17
And right now I'm writing about how archery came into my life.
21:20
And yeah, it was just one of those things.
21:22
And I think that happens to a lot of us where it's, I think
21:25
it's because archery is literally in our DNA from our
21:29
ancestors that I think it's just something that something at a
21:34
various time awakens that within a few of us.
21:37
And when it's awake, awakened, it's, it's such a strong
21:40
feeling. Like I knew I would, I'm writing
21:43
right now about like the moment that I started thinking about
21:47
archery and it became very all consuming.
21:49
Like I said, I remembered these details a decade ago when I
21:53
decided I wanted to get a bow. And like it's, it was such a
21:57
powerful moment and I had never experienced anything like it
22:00
before. And I knew nothing about archery
22:02
and I had never done archery. I had no influence for archery.
22:05
There was no reason why it would become something that I wanted
22:08
to pursue. But like in a moment, I remember
22:11
the day when I was like, oh, I want to get a bow, I want to do
22:14
archery. And I knew I wanted to get like
22:17
a primitive bow, although I didn't know that's what it was
22:19
called at the time. I just, I knew I didn't want
22:21
some high tech bow and it's something that, yeah, for it
22:24
stirred within me. It sounds like it did the same
22:26
within you. And I, I think that is something
22:28
because it's, it's most likely our ancestors have done it.
22:32
And if not shot bows, they've shaped bows or they've been
22:36
around bows. So yeah, I'm just finding that
22:39
very interesting. And a lot of bow years that were
22:41
we have interviewed for the book have similar stories too.
22:44
And it was just agreeing that, yeah, it's really powerful.
22:49
Yeah, I think it is because, you know, we as a human race, we
22:54
have been connected to the ground and to earth like for
22:57
millions of years, you know, from.
22:59
The age we were like. Paranthropus and.
23:02
We started to develop basic. Tools and so I think like the
23:08
recent 150 years cannot remove anything from us now one knows
23:14
what what will you know come with the brain chips and.
23:17
All of that stuff, but but but yeah, I.
23:23
You know, I developed quite. I always had it quite distaste.
23:28
For modern things and like many of those modern things like
23:33
being convenient and you know. That we are just.
23:37
Too comfortable so I started to go into forest and.
23:41
Started to be. Uncomfortable, you know, and.
23:45
I just like that. Feeling of the challenge and I
23:47
think that's what stuck with me and like in my journey as a
23:51
Boyer and as a man of. Course so.
23:55
Yeah, I'm just trying to essentially make my life harder,
23:58
you know? Yeah, well, it's I do know.
24:00
And it's, it's a beautiful way to do it, bring some challenge
24:03
into the life. Are you basing your bow designs
24:07
off of any sort of historical bows?
24:10
Do you have any favorite styles that you're working?
24:12
On yeah I do. I quite like flat bow of.
24:17
You know, the homegarth type. But I of course try to just
24:22
switch it up. Often times just so I can make.
24:25
It work for the wood. And many times out of my own
24:28
interest in the science of bow making so I can get the most
24:33
out. Of the bow, but recently I
24:38
started to like. The design from the book.
24:44
Well, it's called. It's.
24:46
From Sexton Pope. Yeah, is that I was just writing
24:50
about that too. Something bow and arrow, Yeah.
24:55
Yeah, yeah. The bow and arrow, Yeah, yeah, a
24:57
hunting with bow and arrow. Yes, hunting the bow and arrow.
25:00
And he has the perfect hunting boulder.
25:05
And I have found that it does have some, you know, some
25:11
problems. It cannot work.
25:13
For every stave but it. Works like a charm on most days,
25:19
but it makes a nice pool. I like it.
25:24
Even though it's not historical, it's very recent, but I think
25:29
it's one of the nicest bow designs out there.
25:33
OK. And then do you put anything on
25:36
your bows as far as like leather work or horn overlays, arrow
25:43
passing sets, anything like that?
25:45
You know, I try to. Always if.
25:48
It's it's like make to. Order I.
25:51
Just try to meet the needs of the customer mostly.
25:55
I do like. Horn overlays because I have
25:58
found that that way I can make the tips thinner and like the
26:02
outer limbs can be way thinner so it makes a faster bow.
26:06
You know, I'm not into the snake backing thing because I think so
26:12
many people now just try to make a luxury bow and you know, I
26:19
personally. Just.
26:22
I like the snakeskin look. But I.
26:25
Think it's it's, you know, everywhere, but it's not so
26:30
special anymore. Like I remember seeing Waylon
26:33
Olive's pose and, you know, he's the man for snakeskin bag.
26:39
They're one of the nicest, but I kind of view it that way, that
26:43
many people have just seen Waylon's pose and.
26:46
They try to copy. Him and.
26:48
Provide the luxury for. Their customers and they they're
26:53
in I kind of think that you can make an ice bow without any of
26:58
the snakeskin stuff and it can be just simple elegance.
27:02
You know when like a simple Longbow and yeah, that's why I
27:06
started to make more longbows recently.
27:10
But I also did make a very nice Malaga.
27:13
But that was my. First, very successful.
27:17
And it depends through the handle by my mistake.
27:20
Because I tried. To make you know the glute
27:24
handle because I didn't have just that much wood.
27:29
Right. So I tried.
27:31
To make it stiff handle, but after that it ended at a, you
27:37
know, bending handle bow with a cork handle.
27:40
And so it's, you know, gains some thickness in the hand and
27:44
that it's comfortable to hold. I'm looking at your Instagram
27:51
right now, looking at some of your bows.
27:53
What sort of horn overlays do you use?
27:56
The cow or. I use Mufron.
28:00
Sorry. I use Mufron.
28:02
It's like the bighorn to wild sheep, OK?
28:08
Yeah, it's very nice because. It has it has like streaks of
28:14
like clear. And also like White Horn.
28:17
So it's like very nicely. Colored and like yeah I find it
28:26
that it's way harder than Cal Horn.
28:28
So it provides enough security for like fast fight but.
28:34
So does, you know, cowhorn, But I think it's way nicer.
28:39
And also, I'm sorry jumping around because I'm looking at
28:43
your Instagram. You have a post of your logo.
28:46
Can you describe what your logo is?
28:48
I know you said you might re brown but I'm curious of the
28:50
image. It's interesting.
28:52
It's like. Bint bind the room.
28:57
That one. Friend made for me and I don't
29:01
know the meaning, you know? It's obviously just some.
29:05
Rooms connected together but. OK.
29:10
So I haven't thought about the meaning of my logo and.
29:14
OK, fair enough. It did just.
29:18
Gets made on a whim basically because my customer and a friend
29:24
did get a both from me and he was like oh man, I'm going to
29:27
make you a logo. For like this price and so I I
29:32
was like OK I. Agree, because back then it was
29:35
a Falcon with two antlers and it was like a.
29:41
Very. Amateur mate logo so it wasn't
29:44
nice and I find this way nicer so.
29:48
Yeah, I, I, you know, said yes. So is anyone else in your family
29:54
interested in boat making or archery?
29:56
No, no, no, no. I don't think so.
30:00
Only my sister-in-law is like into.
30:03
Those natural things, but. I don't have anybody in the
30:10
family who's interested in, you know, wood making and.
30:14
That stuff. Do you have a background?
30:17
And you said you have a background in using tools, is
30:19
that like in woodwork or? Yeah, I I did.
30:22
Made to make, you know, egg sandals.
30:24
And I was interested. In to like do.
30:32
Renovation so I renovate many chisels.
30:35
I often do sales and. Like that that.
30:40
Keeps my family fat. Yeah, that's one of the.
30:43
Hobbies that. I kind of started my interest in
30:46
woods. It was the tool renovation.
30:48
Because I tried to source cheap. Tools for myself.
30:52
And it then just turned into, pardon me, into like some sort
31:01
of small business thing, you know.
31:03
So that was a nice thing. I still do it.
31:06
It's. One of the ways that keeps me
31:09
running basically it it. Ease up the.
31:13
Interest into bows. Quite a bit.
31:16
How do people find out about you and your bow work I.
31:20
Often show up at festivals. Here in Czech Republic, I
31:24
haven't gone outside, you know, into, into.
31:27
Other countries like into. Germany and.
31:30
Of course to the. Famous festivals in France, but.
31:36
Like they. Often find me on.
31:38
Facebook because I try to propagate my work there.
31:42
And also on Instagram, but mostly from.
31:45
Like the Czech people's perspective, they find.
31:48
Me on the festivals. So what are these festivals
31:50
like? There are basically shows where
31:54
people sell. You know, nice and also.
31:57
Like it? Could be like medieval markets.
32:01
Often so. Yeah, I didn't have a lot of
32:06
time to get to so many. Festivals lately, but I did.
32:12
Get to a famous knife. Festival in Hebron so.
32:18
That was quite nice, but. Yeah, it helps.
32:21
Me quite a bit into reaching out into the public.
32:25
Yeah, it seems like those medieval type of festivals are
32:29
quite commonplace across Europe. And it's, it's really cool.
32:33
We don't, I don't think North America has too many things like
32:37
that. And we might have some craft
32:40
fairs, but I don't think any I, I think what you guys have in
32:43
Europe is it's far more robust and more specific towards this
32:48
kind of time period of tools and things.
32:51
And that's, that's really cool. But I think you in in Northern
32:56
America. You're quite lucky you have.
32:58
Jamboree sent. A lot of that stuff.
33:01
Connected are some artery Jamboree.
33:02
Yeah, yeah, I haven't been to any yet.
33:06
Next year, my daughter and I plan on traveling to a few of
33:09
them once our book is released. Yeah, we don't have data here,
33:12
you know, sadly. Yeah, but it it.
33:15
Would be nice too because you know, the US and Canada is you
33:21
know it it. Is way.
33:22
Bigger than Europe and like Europe doesn't have any Jamboree
33:27
or you know that I know of so. When we pass through, we were in
33:32
Slovenia and we went through Lake Blat and Slovenia.
33:36
And we part of the reason we went there is there was a,
33:39
there's a museum and it said it had an archery collection.
33:43
And we later found that the archery collection had had been
33:46
removed. But I think it was in February
33:49
of this past year, they had an archery exhibition because they
33:53
had some sort of big archery, primitive archery event at the
33:56
castle there. And so there were, there was an
33:59
archery contest with primitive bows and one of the bowyers had
34:03
his bows featured in the museum. So I know that's not the same as
34:06
the Jamboree's, but it sounded like a pretty fun event and and.
34:10
That's nice. Yeah, there's probably, I'm sure
34:13
there's others like that around. You guys have all the beautiful
34:16
castles, so a great great setting for having the events.
34:20
Yeah, I think, you know, we have like the modern history of, you
34:26
know. All the countries across
34:28
Eurasia. And I think you kind of.
34:32
Have more of the privilege. In like the North America so
34:36
that you have more free grounds and.
34:38
Basically public forests. And.
34:41
Yeah. That wasn't the thing here.
34:44
Like from the time we we established kingdoms and also
34:49
like tribal monarchies and. All that stuff, but.
34:53
Yeah. So I think you.
34:55
Quite, you know, do good. On that, like the US and Canada
35:01
is quite, quite the young states, you know, and you aren't
35:06
so corrupted. By all of.
35:08
Those many things we have here and you know, the castles may be
35:12
nice, but you know there are. Still a lot of people.
35:15
Who know who own the forests and like we essentially don't have
35:22
any public drowns here so. Yeah.
35:26
So you said you restore a tool, so I assume you have a lot of
35:29
personal tools that you use. What are your favorite tools for
35:33
bowl carving? I like British make made bows
35:36
and made tools, but I think my own favorite.
35:41
Is straight draw knife that? Was made by Sorby in England and
35:47
Sheffield. OK.
35:50
And then I have a. Favorite curved?
35:53
Draw knife from the first. Republic of Czechoslovakia age
35:58
to. 1920s roughly and that's one of the nicest tools I have Then
36:05
I have so many chisels and many gouches and sauce from Sheffield
36:12
to like marbles. All of those many famous brands
36:16
and like those are my. B Loft tools so.
36:21
Yeah, they are one of the nicest, I think.
36:23
I did collect. So much stuff you know in in
36:26
the. Past years I have collected.
36:28
Several sewing machines for leather and also like home
36:34
sewing machines and loads of that stuff.
36:38
Where do you find these things? On eBay, OK, mostly.
36:43
Yeah. And are you using any modern
36:45
tools at all or all the tool, all the hand tools you're using
36:48
are refurbished that you found? I use like oscillation center.
36:57
And. Like that's that's.
36:59
Nice to have because when you have a rough.
37:02
Spot. That you need to get.
37:06
You know, send it out with 8th grade.
37:10
It quite helps you the to ease the.
37:12
Pain of of the wrist and of the fingers.
37:14
So you you don't have to send. It for two hours but.
37:18
But yeah, I mostly use. The.
37:21
Modern machines for sharpening. I have a.
37:24
Belt center and also like a wet Trinder.
37:30
If. For sharpening.
37:32
Yep. And are you using card scrapers?
37:36
Are there any what? What are your go to tools?
37:41
Any rasps? I like my Shinto rasp.
37:44
Yeah. For the long bows mainly I don't
37:47
like it as much. For flat bows because I.
37:50
I find myself digging. Just through a lot of wood.
37:54
Too quickly, you know, didn't I like?
37:57
Car scrapers, as you said. I like the goose neck and.
38:01
Also the just the straight. Ones because I can grind them
38:07
down and, you know, make them just conform to many angles and
38:12
shapes and I like. Files also because they help.
38:18
Me to just, you know, file something roughly so I can ease
38:23
up the work on sending later on and.
38:30
Yeah, I do. Have assortment of sent papers
38:33
also. That's one of the.
38:35
Things I have to use? For, you know, the horn overlays
38:40
and all that stuff. So yeah, that's like most of it.
38:44
I think I have also assortment of rasps now.
38:50
Chain chainsaw files also for like the gross.
38:56
Yeah. Now, is there anything in the
38:59
art of bow making that you still struggle with, or that you're
39:04
trying to perfect? I think I struggle.
39:09
With finishes. At the moment, the most.
39:14
Because I just. Cannot find the most amazing
39:18
finish you know. So that it would last.
39:20
And you know, I see that shiny bow is a kind of a byproduct.
39:28
You don't want to have a survival situation you it's to
39:33
have more of a matte finish but further looks and like.
39:39
Of. What many people like you know I
39:42
would like for my. Bows to keep as.
39:45
Shiny as as they can, because. Mostly it goes to target.
39:49
Shooters and you know to compress the grain so.
39:54
Greatly that it will be. Shiny forever is a hard thing to
39:58
do and I struggle with that and it.
40:02
Also protects the bow slightly. From any aberration.
40:06
Yeah. Some of the bowyers I worked
40:08
with use like a various rounded like stone, very smooth stone to
40:16
compress the grain and use that on the entire surface of the bow
40:19
like rubbing it on it. Yeah, I have a moose horn until,
40:23
I mean, that kind of works now, but I want to.
40:27
Progress. To something else because I.
40:29
Find it somewhat hard to get. Around some of the curves and
40:33
some of those nasty. Bows with character.
40:36
And. What type of finish do you
40:40
normally use? Now.
40:42
I use normally like beeswax and linseed oil paste, but I also.
40:50
Like a mix of tango. Oil with sunflower oil.
40:56
And then shellac is was. My go to but it is hydroscopic
41:02
so it's. Doesn't stop any water going in
41:05
and it's. Turns to jello, basically.
41:08
Right. Have you had any teachers along
41:11
the way or any books or resources that have been really
41:16
valuable to you? I did like.
41:19
And I still like and value Dan Santana's Bose videos and his
41:24
knowledge. I did read a couple.
41:27
Books. One of them most.
41:29
Of course, the Boyer Bibles. And also the book about
41:34
bookmaking. By Clay Hayes.
41:36
Yeah, that did help me quite. A bit I did read.
41:40
It on one go in two hours so that that was like the only time
41:44
I did. Read a book.
41:45
In one day. No, no, stop, you know, and it
41:49
was amazing. I highly recommend that.
41:52
And yeah, I think I, you know, just try to learn as much from
41:58
my. Failures.
41:59
So like the failure rate? Was my biggest, you know,
42:05
teacher and also like the discovery in nature and you when
42:11
you think when you walk in like a forest and you.
42:16
Think about like what did. Go wrong on the last built and.
42:23
You just go through your. Mind and you just, you know, you
42:29
know both. Cope with it, but you.
42:31
Tend to think it through and you just can learn from it so much
42:37
and from raiding the crane and, you know, discovering other
42:41
species. And I think that's what many
42:44
people get stuck in. Is that they try to.
42:47
Have a favorite and then they just don't have the knowledge of
42:53
every other species and it kind of shows them into the ignorance
42:58
of, you know, the. Other woods properties and yeah,
43:03
it's. It's a complicated matter.
43:06
Do you have a workshop in your home?
43:08
I currently live in apartment complex, so currently no.
43:13
But I have a workshop. At my parents house.
43:17
So yeah, that's one thing saving me from like the boredom of
43:22
living in an apartment, but. And do they live nearby?
43:28
Yeah, that's that's quite good. They live.
43:32
Nearby it's just 9 kilometers. So.
43:35
I have it near so I can anytime I have free time, I just go into
43:42
forest or I go into the, I go into the workshop, you know, and
43:49
I just make bows or anything else.
43:52
And do you hunt at all? You can hunt.
43:55
Legally with bows here. From my.
43:59
Perspective. It isn't too.
44:03
Good to hunt here because you know.
44:05
For the past maybe 100 heaters we have.
44:09
Over haunted. Like almost.
44:11
Every species that is here. And like also like many of the
44:18
aggressive. Bird species get protected.
44:21
And you tend to have so much less small game.
44:26
Also to hunt, so it's like not possible at the moment suddenly.
44:32
So how often are you doing archery practice, if at all,
44:35
anymore? I try to.
44:37
It's hard to say how much. It's tends to be very.
44:40
Sporadic and so it's like. On a whim.
44:45
When I just decide to. You know, get my bow and just
44:49
shoot. Couple arrows.
44:51
Through a target and or into the distance and that's what I like
44:56
the most. The flight archery.
44:58
And. Yeah, it's like couple.
45:00
Times a month at most. What type of boat do you use for
45:05
flight archery? I like long bows.
45:08
For flight I have a. Perfect hunting boat that I have
45:13
made recently from you and it shoots amazingly.
45:19
It's I think one of the best boats also and you know, for.
45:29
Flight I did like. A Longbow made out of horn beam,
45:34
and it's also one of the interesting species of wood that
45:38
I don't see often. It's.
45:42
Very fast. It's a European horn beam.
45:46
It's like it is basically a relative of Birch, but it's.
45:55
Hard on the cast. So it shoots.
45:58
Nicely into the distance. And I did shoot. 180 yards with
46:05
with my bow from horn beam, so that was quite nice.
46:09
And what draw weight is that? 64 lbs at 30.
46:14
OK. All right, very cool.
46:18
Well, it's been really nice to get to know you a bit and learn
46:21
about your craft and how you got into it.
46:24
Anything that you're currently working on in the near future,
46:28
Anything archery related that's. I want to do.
46:32
A couple of bowls that. I I did announce.
46:37
They that they. Would have been made in 2025 but
46:43
I didn't have enough time and it.
46:45
Was the both of the series that I called.
46:52
Yeah, now I. Forgot what I called the series
46:54
but I think it was Czech. Highlander Bose and it was
47:04
basically interesting designs from Uncommon Woods.
47:09
So I want to do that. I want to also.
47:14
Buy a house to. Finally have my own space to
47:18
work in and like to produce some content to YouTube and those
47:26
sites. And so I just make it more
47:30
public and that's one of the things I have on my checklist
47:33
now. And yeah, that's basically it's
47:37
it's. Big goals, basically.
47:39
Yeah. All good for you.
47:41
Where can people find out more about you and see your work?
47:45
They can see me on Instagram and I will be making my website
47:52
working finally also on my. Website will be like order.
47:57
Thing yeah, pardon me so they can order you know Bose and
48:08
also. Did that's I will put some of
48:12
those old tools that I spoke. About on the website SO.
48:17
It will it. Will work in both ways for me,
48:20
so it should. Be somewhat nicer and more
48:25
sophisticated. And are you shipping bows and
48:28
tools around the world or just in Europe?
48:31
I. Try to do it only in Europe,
48:32
because. The shipping and the duties to
48:36
the US. And to North America basically
48:38
and like. Yeah.
48:40
Even into Asia and in Southern America, it's just as expensive.
48:47
Yeah, it's hard. I don't know how Simon from
48:50
Sweden. Does that because they have.
48:54
Some. Like they have different prices
48:58
for post to post a glory to like the US and it's just like. 90%
49:08
less. So it's, you know, good for him
49:11
because I think it's because Switzerland has.
49:15
Has Simon you said Sweden? Switzerland.
49:17
Simon Kel. And Switzerland, Yeah.
49:20
With Simon Kell of South Bow. That's elbows.
49:23
That's. Chapter Yeah, yeah, yeah.
49:26
He has quite a market for his bows.
49:28
So I don't know, I don't, I don't know how he does that side
49:31
of it, but. Yeah, I think we have.
49:34
Spoken about that and he told me basically that the shipping
49:39
basically costs. Pennies compared to us.
49:42
Because like if you were to order.
49:44
A bowl from me to the. US it will be like shipping of
49:49
like 400. Dollars through UPS and FedEx so
49:53
it's crazy and he just makes it. For like. $2020.00 or something
50:00
like that. Yeah, it's, it's amazing.
50:03
I don't know how. It will be with with the
50:07
current. Situation.
50:08
Maybe it will be even more. But.
50:12
I ship, I shipped about, well I shipped 7 bows back from Europe
50:16
and they were all fairly expensive.
50:19
I would say probably between 140 and 200.
50:24
I don't remember whether that was dollars or EUR, but it it
50:27
wasn't cheap. Yeah, that's that's.
50:31
One of the best things about shipping from Europe, and I
50:34
think it's because I of, you know, the US and European Union.
50:41
Relationships and also like the. Things that European Union just
50:49
does to, I don't know it, it just lessens the export for,
50:55
for, you know, just small business owners.
50:57
Yeah, it's more set up for the big corporations and than the
51:01
little artisans. All right, well, thank you,
51:03
Daniel, for taking the time to do this.
51:05
It's really nice to get to know you and keep up the good work.
51:09
Keep posting some beautiful bows on your website and Instagram.
51:13
Good luck with everything. Thank you it.
51:16
Was nice time meeting you. Thanks for listening to Project
51:28
Quiver on Salish Wolf. Follow our journey on Instagram
51:32
at Project Quiver as we seek out the world's most extraordinary
51:35
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51:42
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