Project Quiver in Canada!
After a very successful 3-stop journey to visit incredible bowyers in the USA, Project Quiver is now in Canada!
We have 4 bowyers - yes, we have added a 4th! - to visit in Canada, all who will be part of what will be the most gorgeous book of primitive archery available.
Recently we visited Ryan Gauthier of Stormcrow Archery in Nanaimo, British Columbia, a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island. Ryan, a native Westcoaster, ferries to and from the city of Vancouver nearly daily during the week for his regular job, always bringing along his flintknapping kit for the 90-minute boat ride. With the rest of his time, he prefers to spend it with his family and in his cozy backyard workshop (pictured above) carving exceptional bows.
While with Ryan, I carved a beautiful and powerful yew bow while Ela captured his craft through her stunning photography. The bow is a 66” reflex-deflex flatbow with bighorn sheep horn nocks, a deerskin-wrapped handle, and a draw weight of 54 pounds at 28 inches.
The final product of Project Quiver will be a stunning coffee table book known as Quiver: The Art of Life through Bowcraft. This book will feature in-depth and intimate profiles of the world’s 15 best bowyers, showcasing the artistry of each through captivating narratives and beautiful imagery. Follow our journey to 10 countries on 4 continents on Instagram @projectquiver!
Fourth bow of Project Quiver: (L to R) Reflex-deflex yew flatbow, deerskin-wrapped handle section, and bighorn sheep horn nocks.
Our Bowyers.
Pete Woodland, Canada
Jamie MacDonald, Canada
Ryan Gauthier, Canada
Jake Fenwick, Canada
Weylin Olive, USA
Correy Hawk, USA
Chuck Loeffler, USA
Nacho Marco, Spain
Stefan Tim, the Netherlands
Erich Streichsbier, Austria
Per Frieden, Sweden
Simon Kehl, Switzerland
Enrico Maraggi, Italy
Johnny Snyman, South Africa
Jiri Tengri, Kyrgyzstan
Gratitude.
We want to extend our most sincere gratitude to our friends in Pennsylvania and Maryland for inviting us to see their contributions to primitive archery. In July we visited Portersville, Pennsylvania, home of Jon Houk and Jeremy Webber of @selfbows_at_waters_edge, and we were spoiled by the hospitality of Gwen @the_lodge_at_waters_edge. Afterward, we visited archaeologist Roy Brown in Cumberland, Maryland, who used only stone tools to carve a replica of the Sudbury bow that was taken from a Wampanoag warrior by a settler who shot him in Sudbury, Massachusetts, in 1660.
Next.
We travel to Powell River, British Columbia, where I carved my first ever bow under the tutelage of Jamie MacDonald at Ravenbeak Woodworks. Once again I will carve a yew English longbow with @ravenbeakbows.
A couple days later, we walk from my farm on southern Vancouver Island down the road to the home of Pete Woodland and Heritage Bows. Pete will guide me in carving a Coast Salish-inspired Scandinavian flatbow with a belly ridge. Check out his bows @heritagebows.
Finally, we close out August and Canada with our newest Project Quiver bowyer…
Newest Bowyer.
We are thrilled to announce that Jake Fenwick of Fenwick Bows in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada, is the newest bowyer to join Project Quiver. In a spontaneous decision, we have rerouted our tripe to Europe to touch down for 4 days on the east coast of Canada so we can build a yew warbow with Jake in his unbelievable centuries-old home and workshop. See Jake’s work @fenwickbows.
Salish Wolf Podcast.
#54 Pete Woodland
Pete Woodland is an incredible bowyer based on Vancouver Island in British Columbia where he carves and teaches under the name of Heritage Bows. In addition to his passion for bow carving and archery, Pete is obsessed with bonsai, the Japanese art of growing miniature trees, and has dozens of bonsai trees growing on his property.
#55 Jamie MacDonald
Jamie MacDonald is a world-renowned bowyer who carves primitive bows primarily from Pacific yew. He is most known for his English longbows, which he and his wife Jenna meticulously craft under the brand name of Ravenbeak Natureworks in Powell River, British Columbia.
#56 Stefan Tim
Stefan Tim has been hand carving traditional bows for two decades in Arnhem, the Netherlands. Under his brand, Bamboo Bows, he crafts and sells traditional Japanese Yumi bows and stunning horn bows that combine bamboo, wood, and horn. Stefan is also passionate about history and teaches history at a local high school.
About us.
At 15 years of age, Ela Harper has chosen to pursue passions such as photography, Brazilian Jiujitsu, and drama instead of conventional schooling. When not working on Project Quiver, she is employed part-time at her former school in Nosara, Costa Rica, as a photographer, web designer, and social media coordinator and does freelance photography in the community.
Todd Howard is a traditional archery instructor and an acupuncturist living in Nosara, Costa Rica. Traditional archery came into his life a decade ago through his dedicated practice of Qigong. Soon after, he began carving bows with 2 renowned teachers (who are featured in Project Quiver), and feels honored to be carving bows under the tutelage of all the bowyers of Project Quiver.
