About Me

My love for achery started when I was about 12 years old. I remember my first bow was a Lemon Wood Ben Pierceson bow. That was way back in 1951.

As a kid, I used to watch cowboy and Indian movies and I always favored the Indians. Using their bows for hunting and defending themselves against the cowboys was inspiring to me as a young boy.

In 1968, I joined Bear Archery Club, in Detroit. It was at the Bear Archery club, where I shot 5 arrows in my target. The 6th arrow, I couldn’t find until I walked up to the target. Low and behold…I Robin Hooded the 6th arrow! I’ll never forget that moment.

Now, I’m 79 years old and still shoot a longbow today. However, my style has changed because I shot way too much which prevents me from using with my right shoulder. So, I taught myself to shoot left handed, off my knuckle. I can’t imagine not being to shoot anymore, so I adapted! My style reminds me of how the Indians used to shoot.

Recently in 2018, I was interviewed by Spencer Wooley from Madonna University. We talked about traditional archery and how I started Hickory Stick Longbows.

Me (made in clay) on my 76th Birthday!

I’m retired now and have a workshop where I work on handmade longbows and make handmade arrows. This is a hobby that I really love.

In the summer, I like to travel to local archery clubs in Michigan and show off my handmade archery equipment. I enjoy meeting new traditional archers and swap archery stories.

I’m especially enthused with all the traditional archery that has been shown in the entertainment industry. Movies like the Hunger Games, Disney’s Brave and the Avengers (with Hawk Eye) and TV shows like The Arrow and Revolution…inspire new archers who will hopefully continue the sport for generations to come.