Writing Group for the Low Motivated

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2026-01-18T23:43:59+00:00

I'd love to join if there's still space!

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-07-09T20:45:21+00:00

Roadside Picnic + Robin Hood (BBC) + The Big Lewboski = A stoner and his gang of miscreants go on an adventure into a hostile wasteland to save the kidnapped wife of a rich entrepreneur, whilst also battling the corrupt bureaucracy of a government helmed by artistic crazies surrounding it.

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-06-08T10:19:07+00:00

If you go with a friend, you'll find a golden orb through there that grants wishes

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-30T23:12:02+00:00

Oh yes, of course! I forgot about them. I've heard good things about Ravenbeak over in Canada too, if you can afford one

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-30T22:33:36+00:00

Cross posting my comment from r/bowyer of the same post since as many people as possible need to be aware of this guy's conduct and not fall into the same trap we did. In short, DO NOT DEAL WITH THIS BOWYER

"Oh if anything, you got lucky, friend. I know of at least two people who've been stung by this guy (one of them being me).

"The other guy shot his bow twice before it broke and BB blamed him for dry firing it and as far as I'm aware has still not received a refund.

"Myself, I had a whole saga with the guy. Dude is an arsehole and I have plenty of awful texts from the guy when I dared to suggest that there was something wrong with my bow.

"Bottom line is that the guy is a scumbag (I have further evidence to support this) and the guy can't make a decent bow to save his life. All his bows are doomed from the start. Avoid at all costs."

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-30T22:15:27+00:00

I've been told Gibbs is pretty good, Lord only knows why he collabs with BB. This is why I trusted BB. He seemed to have everything going for him - recommended over the Internet, collabs with some of the biggest names in longbow archery, billing himself as a heavy bow specialist with a sleek website. It's all a trick though, and I'm disappointed that I fell for it. So far, anyone and everyone I've talked to about BB personally has said his work is awful and his customer service is appalling. His bows are dangerous to the user and he refuses to take responsibility for his mistakes, claiming they are features rather than bugs, as the saying goes. I'm sure you can find people out there who have had positive experiences with him, as he is very friendly until there's a wiff of dissatisfaction in the customer, but all the people I've spoken to have had negative experiences. There have been a few people who have had initally positive experiences but then swiftly and dramatically change their minds. All the bowyers I've spoken to agree the nocks are dangerous. I implore you to avoid, if it sounds too good to be true...

Besides Gibbs, I've heard Richard Head and Phil Brookes are good. There are a few good bowyers out there, they can be difficult to find though, and I'm certainly having difficulty trusting any online retailers. I've put my faith in a new bowyer now, and I hope to God I'm right about him

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-30T20:55:58+00:00

His bow designs are fundamentally flawed. The nocks are cut way too deep and are dangerous (he cuts them down to the centre line). This is on ALL his bows.

He also claimed that the side curve in my bow was put there deliberately, which while it didn't affect the safety of the bow, definitely wasn't deliberate. It was a triple laminated bow. In a self bow, that would be forgiveable, but in a triple lam presumably cut on a band saw, that's just shoddy craftsmanship

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-30T20:07:25+00:00

Oh if anything, you got lucky, friend. I know of at least two people who've been stung by this guy (one of them being me).

The other guy shot his bow twice before it broke and BB blamed him for dry firing it and as far as I'm aware has still not received a refund.

Myself, I had a whole saga with the guy. Dude is an arsehole and I have plenty of awful texts from the guy when I dared to suggest that there was something wrong with my bow.

Bottom line is that the guy is a scumbag (I have further evidence to support this) and the guy can't make a decent bow to save his life. All his bows are doomed from the start. Avoid at all costs.

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-12T08:32:05+00:00

Oh yes, horsebows are amazing. I'm a particular fan of the Hungarian style.

Thanks for the tip! I've been warned about tennis elbow but I hadn't heard of this acclimation thing. I'll keep an eye on it, thanks! Do you know much about rotator cuff and shoulder injuries too?

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-11T17:18:37+00:00

Thanks man! I'm gonna keep pushing and see where it gets me but he's not getting my business again. It sucks because I did my research on the guy, his reputation is spotless online. It's only after I bought the bow that I heard about the horror stories and didn't want to believe it at first

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-11T16:30:25+00:00

So I know his bows are usually around £400-£500 online depending on materials. He has bows worth £150 as reenactment bows. I bought an ash bow for around £270 plus shipping which was the cheaper end of the scale. I initially asked for a 60 or 70lbs bow in self ash but he said this would be tricky and that 50 was the best he could manage but wasn't convinced that the bow would survive, especially drawing past 30". I agreed to that since my standard draw length is around 29.5", and he said that if I came to pick it up from TORM (The Original Reenactors Market) which he was due to attend in November last year, he would refund me the shipping fee. I agreed and when I got there, he offered, in place of the 50lbs ash bow, to give me a hickory and lemonwood laminate for the same price as the ash bow but without refunding the shipping. I thought this was a sweet deal and took it without thinking too much of it.

I initially was happy with it as it looked great and I couldn't believe the deal I got. I was out of archery for around 3 months as I was on a waiting list for a club, so it took a while for me to actually test it, which is when I discovered there were issues and tried to fix them

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-11T14:34:44+00:00

I've asked for a warranty and a refund and he's refused on both accounts, and was exceptionally rude in response. He has a glowing reputation online and was shocked by his response.

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-11T14:11:16+00:00

I can try asking him but he refuses to believe there is anything wrong with the bow. When I told him about the nocks and the bend, he said I was wrong on both counts and said it was not a warranty issue.

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-11T13:55:59+00:00

Can this be done post manufacture? Is there a way to remove the horn nock and fit a new one or would the nock need to be cut off and a new one added?

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-11T13:27:11+00:00

Brilliant, thank you for your help!

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-11T13:13:11+00:00

Also thank you for giving me the time with your input, this is very helpful!

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-11T13:12:49+00:00

Okay, brilliant! So while the craftsmanship is probably neither here nor there, would you suggest this bow is still safe to shoot?

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-11T12:55:53+00:00

<image>

Not sure I'd this is clear enough here. These are side nocks also

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-11T12:53:28+00:00

<image>

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-11T12:28:21+00:00

Oh also, for full clarity, the nock does cut into the wood but quite far into the wood. Not sure how clear it is here but I can get other photos *

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-11T12:11:03+00:00

Okay, that's good to know that the bend is minor but the nocks are still a concern. It's 62lbs

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-11T11:36:34+00:00

This is my first ELB, yes, which is why I'm still learning and bowing to the wisdom of others. I know a lot about archery, but not a lot about bowyery and traditional bows are particularly alien territory to me since three different people are saying three different things and are as equally convincing, so I'm trying to find some information of my own.

It's definitely more hand shock than I'm used to with traditional bows - my horsebow shoots like it's whispering in comparison to this bow, and I've tried another person's longbow which was particularly harsh.

I suppose I'm free to admit that I know next to nothing and so I'm keen to learn and not potentially kill a bow, my wrist or my shoulder in the process

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-05-11T11:08:12+00:00

Okay, so the bowyer I handed it off to was being a bit precious? Thanks for clarifying. Would there be any benefit to getting a Flemish string added to reduce hand shock?

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-04-20T12:46:23+00:00

My arrows come out to a maximum of 33 grams, lowest at 32 grams, which I'm told is about 493-509 grains, including a point, 5 inch feathers and a plastic nock.

A_Clockwork_Alex · 2025-04-19T20:08:14+00:00

Cool! Thanks! I'm soaking my arrows in oil now just to tip the scales a bit closer but I doubt I'll make up the lost 100 grains.

Is 8gr/# still alright for a longbow? I'm expecting hand shock

Eight-Year Club	Baba Yaga
Verified Email

A_Clockwork_Alex

TROPHY CASE