5 Best Handmade Recurve Bows

Old fashion archers like myself can easily tell the difference between a handmade recurve bow and a mass-produced recurve bow.

The sad reality is most recurve bows available online and in archery shops today are produced in the same factory in China. They just change the logo and call it a different bow.

If you’ve ever been shopping around for recurve bows, ever wonder why many of them look exactly the same. That’s because they are.

Getting your recurve bow handmade adds a personal creative touch that you can admire. More importantly than that, handmade bows are the closest thing we have to what our ancestors used hundreds and thousands of years ago.

Just by holding a handmade bow, you can tell it was not whipped up in a factory but made with care. Put a production recurve bow and a handmade recurve bow side by side and there is no mistaking the difference. Production bows are all exactly the same.

Best Handmade Recurve Bows

If you are looking to get your hands on a quality handmade bow, check out these great options on amazon.

Table could not be displayed.

1. Hungarian Style Handmade Recurve Bow

Handmade Recurve Bows

This Hungarian Style Recurve Bow is a great recurve bow for those that are interested in getting into a more traditional style of archery. This bow is made with care and is sure to get you close to what primitive people actually used.

This bow is not just made for power, the wide variety of draw weights means you can use this bow for target shooting, hunting, or for fun!

The draw weight ranges from 30lb to 60lb of draw weight in 5lb increments allowing you to pinpoint the exact draw weight you’d like to have.

Like most recurve bows, this bow does not come strung to ensure the bow remains safe during transportation. You’ll need to string the bow when you first get it which you learn at How to String a Bow or by reading the instruction manual with the bow.

This bow also offers a long draw length which is great for tall archers. Whether you are 4′ 2″ or 6′ 5″ you can use this bow.

For a handmade bow, this bow is surprisingly consistent. Out of hundreds of shot I’ve been able to maintain over 90% accuracy.

Overall the Hungarian Style Handmade Bow is a great handmade bow no matter what you plan on doing with it!

Pros

  • Long Draw Length
  • Consistent Shot
  • Wide Variety of Draw Weight
  • Fair Price

Cons

  • Can’t Use Stringer

2. TOPARCHERY Traditional Recurve Bow

If you are familiar with recurve bow brands then you’ve certainly heard of TopArchery. They produce some of the best recurve bows available on the market today. Whether handmade or mass-produced, TopArchery has created a name for itself in the recurve bow space.

Their Handmade Traditional Recurve Bow is no exception. This bow offers 30lb to 50lb draw weights. This recurve bow is no joke. At 40lb+ this bow becomes lethal to hunting game.

It also comes with durable fiberglass limbs that are sure to last you years.

Even though this bow is hand-built, it is clear that is beautifully designed with a leather riser and traditionally shaped limbs.

This bow is also really easy to setup. You can set it up quite easily without a bow stringer. Within just a few minutes of it arrive you can take your first practice shots with your new recurve bow.

TopArchery made this bow primarily for instinctive shooting. Meaning shooting off the cuff rather than using a sight. Most recurve bows are made for using your instincts to shoot. A handmade traditional bow is the closest we can get to use a bow like our ancestors.

If you are new to archery or are looking to get a simple-to-use hunting bow then you really should check out this Traditional Recurve Bow by TopArchery.

Pros

  • Quite Affordable
  • Wide Variety of Draw Weight
  • Strong Build
  • Great for Hunting

Cons

  • Can’t Add Attachments

3. D&Q Traditional Recurve Bow Kit

D&Q is another one of the popular manufactures in the recurve bow space. Primarily known for their Takedown Recurve Bow, they recently came out with their very own traditional bow.

D&Q Traditional Recurve Bow Kit provides everything you need in a recurve bow kit. In one purchase, you get everything you need for target practice, hunting, or competing. If you were to buy everything separately, it would cost twice as much as this package.

This bow also features 30lb-50lb of draw weight. The ready to shoot packages includes:

  • 1x Handmade Recurve Bow
  • 6x Wooden Arrows
  • 1x Arm Guard
  • 1x Bow Bag
  • 1x Bow Quiver
  • 2x Arrow Nock

Most recurve bows are only available for left-handed archers. This is also one of the few bows that are available in both right-hand and left-hand orientation.

It’s impressive how accurate this recurve bow is. As handmade bows are concerned, this is the most accurate bow on this list.

The the design of a traditional bow but the sturdiness of a modern bow the D&Q Traditional Recurve Bow Kit provides everything you need to get started with recurve archery.

Pros

  • Full Kit
  • Wide Variety of Draw Weight
  • Traditional Feel with Sturdy Design
  • Quite Accurate

Cons

  • No Instructions Included

4. IRQ Traditional Handmade Recurve Bow

handmade recurve bow

Looking for a handmade recurve bow that is going to last you years? If so, check out this Traditional Handmade Recurve Bow by IRQ.

This bow is the most affordable bow on this list because it includes a bow, arm guard, finger tab, and bow stringer all for a great price. This bow is also suitable for both right-handed and left-handed archers.

This bow also comes with a silencer which is great for hunting game. As long as you get 40lb draw weight or more and get your accuracy down, you can take this bow hunting.

A recurve bow silencer is great for minimizing the nose the string makes when released. This is key when hunting because in many cases when it comes to archery if you take your shoot carefully enough, you may get another opportunity to hit your target.

The IRQ Traditional Recurve Bow offers a draw length as much as 33″ making this bow suitable for archers as tall as 6’6″.

Whether you are a new archer or experienced archer, this is a great handmade recurve bow to have in your arsenal.

Pros

  • Well-Built Recurve Bow
  • Comes With Accessories
  • Long Draw Length
  • Fiberglass Limbs
  • Great Price

Cons

  • Arrows Not Included

5. I-Sport Traditional Recurve Bow

I-Sport is one of the new recurve bow manufacturers and boy did they come in with a bang. The I-Sport Traditional Recurve Bow is one of the best built handmade recurve bows available today.

First of all this bow is beautiful. It has a leather riser with fiberglass limbs giving the bow a sturdy and lightweight build. The tips of the limbs have been painted in red and brow to give the bow an overall more aesthetic look.

I-Sport is one of the few manufactures that offer a 100% satisfaction guaranty. If you are unhappy with your purchase simply contact I-Sport and they will make it right.

This bow’s range in draw weight makes it great for target practice or hunting. This same bow can be used by new or experienced archers for an accurate, aesthetic bow.

The only minor complain I have about the bow is that the string is a bit loud when shot. Nothing a string silencer couldn’t fix.

Pros

  • Beautiful Handmade Recurve Bow
  • Wide Variety of Draw Weights
  • Reasonable Price
  • Sturdy Material

Cons

  • Loud String
  • Not Suitable for Tall Archers

Should You Get a Handmade Recurve Bow?

Handmade recurve bows are not for everyone. There many situations in which you’ll want to get a mass-produced bow. Although handmade bows are superior in many ways, they are not perfect.

Here are some situations in which you should probably get a production bow rather than a handmade one.

Competition

If you are competing with your recurve bow then handmade is the last thing you want. Handmade bows are much more likely to have errors. They are not as accurate and have a higher probability of variability.

Production bows are better for competing. They are more reliable accuracy and are more likely to give you a clean shot.

Although production bows are not traditional in any sense, they do tend to maintain an accurate shot even with heavy use.

New To Archery

If you are new to archery overall, you might want to consider starting with a regular production recurve bow.

Factory produced bows are better for beginners because they allow them to get the basics of archery down without having to worry about the reliability of the bow.

New to Hunting

If you are new to hunting, I would not recommend starting with handmade bows. A handmade recurve bow is more likely to give you issues on the field.

Handmade Recurve Bow

Humans tend to make more errors than machines. If you are new to hunting stick with a production bow. Once you get more comfortable hunting game with a recurve bow then you can use a homemade bow.

I personally hunt with a bow I made myself but when I started, I used the Samick Sage Recurve Bow to learn the basics of hunting with a bow.

Especially if you plan on hunting larger game like deer or elk, you’ll need a reliable bow to first learn the basics before you can use a more primitive bow.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *