The American Semi-longbow (ASL) seems to be having a moment, or maybe I get that sense while struggling to find a quality old school D-shape LB in a lower poundage. The signature Hill styles disappear quickly in the classifieds, often sold the same day listed. If an ad for an ASL loiters, I know the poundage is too high for most shooters without ever opening the ad.
Since I am looking to extend the shooting life of aging shoulders, I opted to move down some weight in my ASL and set out to find a bowyer. The initial search resulted in a great exchange with Erik Hoff out of St Patrick Lake Longbows, reference an American Styk custom build. Erik’s photo gallery has some envy inducing longbows if you haven’t taken a look. His bows are an ECON 101 class in supply and demand, with a wait time quoted at 13 months, with a deposit. Giraffes have a gestation period of 13 months, so I laughed about waiting for a stork hefty enough to deliver a baby giraffe at a healthy 68” and 40#s. Erik was exceptionally personable and helpful, even taking a break from a Texas hunt to answer questions. I understand why the bows are so highly valued in the trad community.
Campfire rumors are a Northern Mist Classic requires more patience and an additional season or two for a custom build, but I can’t confirm. I submitted a build form a few months ago, and sent it into the void. Guessing I'm waiting for my number to come up.
Dan Tolke crafts a gorgeous ASL in the Super-D, but only on a limited run. Chatting with him before Christmas, he said it would be a few months or more before he gets the form back out. Then it’s get in line. Obviously he’s staying busy filling orders for his R/D and shorter builds. For anyone who has owned one of his Whips, no surprise his shop is always humming.
Through a bit of luck, in the Spring of 2023 I started following a traditional archery feed on Instagram (IG) hosted by Ray Fletcher, who builds bows under the name of River Bend Longbows Outdoors. A master carpenter, Ray turned his woodworking skills towards building bows, and I can say I’m grateful he did. I searched out a few of his Youtube videos and was impressed by his demeanor, personal background and attention to detail.
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I contacted Ray and let him know what I was looking for, asking about pricing and wait times. The feedback I got was immediate, and we started to collaborate on a 68” old school D-shaped LB, with a straight grip, walnut riser and black glass. I was ready to be told there wasn’t much hope of getting the bow before Spring turkey season, but he just cordially replied he was running 4-6 weeks right now, so no problem. Pricing was more than fair and less than many used LBs posted in the classifieds, so I sent my deposit and Ray went to work.
Ray under promised and over delivered for me, in a great way. Within few weeks he reached out with pictures and videos of the ongoing build, requesting my feedback on the grip shaping to ensure it was what I needed.
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Shortly after blessing off on the grip, I got an email from Ray letting me know the bow was done and he was shipping in the morning. Total time was less than 4 weeks, from IG direct message introducing myself to USPS shipping number for a custom ASL.
Ray’s has a unique practice of testing his bows, by punching a playing card from about 15 yds out, and includes the ‘test score’ with the bow when he ships. Thinking twice about playing poker with the guy.
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I understand bowyers can be like sports teams in the trad community, “I’m a PAC 10 guy, but Stanford is my team!” BWs, Javaman and Silvertips have a special place in a lot of hearts, and some space in our collections. Ray may not have the same name recognition, but I can attest the quality is there. The man builds a beautiful longbow, with timelines measured in weeks. I'll see how this pairs with my clumsy turkey hunting skills in a few months, but if you are in the market for a quality custom ASL, you may consider skipping the line.
![Image]()
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Since I am looking to extend the shooting life of aging shoulders, I opted to move down some weight in my ASL and set out to find a bowyer. The initial search resulted in a great exchange with Erik Hoff out of St Patrick Lake Longbows, reference an American Styk custom build. Erik’s photo gallery has some envy inducing longbows if you haven’t taken a look. His bows are an ECON 101 class in supply and demand, with a wait time quoted at 13 months, with a deposit. Giraffes have a gestation period of 13 months, so I laughed about waiting for a stork hefty enough to deliver a baby giraffe at a healthy 68” and 40#s. Erik was exceptionally personable and helpful, even taking a break from a Texas hunt to answer questions. I understand why the bows are so highly valued in the trad community.
Campfire rumors are a Northern Mist Classic requires more patience and an additional season or two for a custom build, but I can’t confirm. I submitted a build form a few months ago, and sent it into the void. Guessing I'm waiting for my number to come up.
Dan Tolke crafts a gorgeous ASL in the Super-D, but only on a limited run. Chatting with him before Christmas, he said it would be a few months or more before he gets the form back out. Then it’s get in line. Obviously he’s staying busy filling orders for his R/D and shorter builds. For anyone who has owned one of his Whips, no surprise his shop is always humming.
Through a bit of luck, in the Spring of 2023 I started following a traditional archery feed on Instagram (IG) hosted by Ray Fletcher, who builds bows under the name of River Bend Longbows Outdoors. A master carpenter, Ray turned his woodworking skills towards building bows, and I can say I’m grateful he did. I searched out a few of his Youtube videos and was impressed by his demeanor, personal background and attention to detail.
I contacted Ray and let him know what I was looking for, asking about pricing and wait times. The feedback I got was immediate, and we started to collaborate on a 68” old school D-shaped LB, with a straight grip, walnut riser and black glass. I was ready to be told there wasn’t much hope of getting the bow before Spring turkey season, but he just cordially replied he was running 4-6 weeks right now, so no problem. Pricing was more than fair and less than many used LBs posted in the classifieds, so I sent my deposit and Ray went to work.
Ray under promised and over delivered for me, in a great way. Within few weeks he reached out with pictures and videos of the ongoing build, requesting my feedback on the grip shaping to ensure it was what I needed.
Shortly after blessing off on the grip, I got an email from Ray letting me know the bow was done and he was shipping in the morning. Total time was less than 4 weeks, from IG direct message introducing myself to USPS shipping number for a custom ASL.
Ray’s has a unique practice of testing his bows, by punching a playing card from about 15 yds out, and includes the ‘test score’ with the bow when he ships. Thinking twice about playing poker with the guy.
I understand bowyers can be like sports teams in the trad community, “I’m a PAC 10 guy, but Stanford is my team!” BWs, Javaman and Silvertips have a special place in a lot of hearts, and some space in our collections. Ray may not have the same name recognition, but I can attest the quality is there. The man builds a beautiful longbow, with timelines measured in weeks. I'll see how this pairs with my clumsy turkey hunting skills in a few months, but if you are in the market for a quality custom ASL, you may consider skipping the line.
