The Final Bow of Project Quiver!
Our incredible travels to document the world’s finest primitive bowyers has come to a conclusion. After visiting with 3 more European bowyers - Per Friden of Nordic Selfbows in Sweden, Phil Rockhauser of Rockhauser Archery in Austria, and Enrico Maraggi of Arcaica Bows in Italy - we journeyed east to Turkey for our only Asian stop after losing our Kyrgyzstani bowyer to injury.
In Turkey, the land of the Turkish bow, we visited the Istanbul Harbiye Military Museum. There we saw dozens of antique bows and other archery gear such as arrows and quivers.
From Istanbul we flew to South Africa for the 14th stop of Project Quiver. Unfortunately, our bowyer there gave us a very unexpected and last minute notice of his withdrawal from the project. So instead of carving a bow, we took in the wildlife and beauty of the central planes of South Africa, staying at a game reserve lodge and going on a safari.
From there we flew to Barcelona to spend a few days touring the beautiful city. The Gothic Quarter lived up to the hype and the food was excellent. We then took a train down the coast to Valencia for one final day of exploring before our next bowyer.
In Teruel, Spain, we stayed with the lovely family of Nacho Marco of @arqueriaconmarco, who is now the 14th and final bowyer of Project Quiver. Over the next 5 days we carved a stunning black locust flatbow with reflexed tips. It is 67” nock to nock, has a goat leather handle, and water buffalo tip overlays. It draws 57 pounds at 29”.
We finished off the journey of Project Quiver with a few days in France: seeing the sights of Paris, the cliffs of the Normandy coast, and Rouen, the resting place of Joan of Arc.
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 14 best primitive bowyers, showcasing the artistry of each through captivating narratives and beautiful imagery. Follow our journey on 4 continents on Instagram @projectquiver!
Top photo: Albarracin, Spain.
14th bow of Project Quiver: (L to R) goat leather handle,
black locust flatbow with reflexed tips, water buffalo tip overlays.
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
Phil Rockhauser, Austria
Next.
Now that the travels are finished and 14 bows completed, we are turning our focus to the book, Quiver: The Art of Life through Bowcraft. Each chapter will feature a different bowyer and his craft, and the final section of the book will include photos and details of the 14 bows that we have carved on this incredible journey. Our target release date is Fall 2026.
In the meantime, we will continue posting on our social media and interviewing bowyers for the Salish Wolf Podcast, so please keep listening!
Above photos: (L to R) South Africa, Paris, Normandy coast of France.
Salish Wolf Podcast.
#63 Nacho Marco
Nacho Marco is a full-time bowyer based in Teruel, Spain. He is the creator and owner of Arcol, a traditional bow making school that blends craftsmanship and ancestral wisdom. He also carves custom primitive bows primarily of black locust, elm, and ash for an international customer base.
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.
