# Arrow rest material - What are you using & what's best for you?



## Greenjoytj (Aug 10, 2013)

After reading the very interesting Sept. 4, 2013 thread entitled "Hen feather slot" I got thinking about the arrow rest method and material that I've been using and started wondering if it is the best method and what everyone else in using. 

First some back ground info on what I'm using and why. When I got bit by the traditional archery bug in 1990 an purchased my first non compound bow. It was a Martin ML-17 Howatt Custom Longbow 53#@28" 68" long RH. I applied a patch of purse lining leather thats not much thicker that a piece of paper to the riser widow with double back tape and a tiny sliver of leather underneath to create a bump to keep the shaft off the riser about 1.5mm. I coated this leather plate with some clear varnish to harden it so the arrows wouldn't wear through it. I didn't know in those days the shaft moved away from the riser due to arrow paradox. I understand now this is why the plate never wore out.

Moving on to the arrow rest. I mounted a narrow strip of thin 3-5 ounce leather to the shelf with double back tape. Yes I did install this arrow rest slightly away from the plate so as to create a slot. I had 2 reasons for doing it this way: #1) to create a trough, like the two prong arrow rest compound bows used so it will support the shaft up off the wood of the arrow shelf and to slightly lock the shaft onto the rest in order to help resist the arrows tendency to be twisted off the shelf during my spilt finger draw. 
I slowly learned not to spill the arrow off the rest during my draw but I kept the rest slot because of reason #2: I used to think the lower hen fletch passed through this slot. 
I know now that it doesn't because of paradox. I have tested this theory on my newest bow by spraying some aerosol deodorant that contains powder, on to the plate and rest area and shooting arrows across the powdered surfaces. Only the powder on the outer edge of the bows handle nearest my left hand knuckle got brushed off.
I may have to rotate my nocks and or up the nock point a bit to stop that minor contact.

My newest bow and current favourite is a Hoyt Buffalo 45#@28" 60" long. 
This is my first metal handle bow and I'm not yet used to carrying the 1.3 kilogram mass weight compared to my previous bow which weighed about half that amount.
The Hoyt bow came with a hair plate and a fuzzy wool arrow rest. I applied them both and shot the bow awhile. I kept the hair plate I like it and removed the fuzzy arrow rest. Installed my usual homemade leather chip rest with the usual slot spaced away from the plate to keep the arrow supported off the metal arrow shelf. 

The leather chip rest I now build is made out of thick belt making leather approximate measurements are 20mm long x 10mm wide x 4mm thick.
I cut a 45 degree slope on the front back and left sides leaving a 2-3 mm wide fat area on the top. These shaped leather chips were soaked in a solution of Bohnning fletch tite glue diluted with acetone. Then the leather chips dried they are now harden but not brittle and could be sanded smooth were needed and bent to the shelf contour. Double back tape is used to attach the leather chip rest to the arrow shelf leaving approximately 5mm wide slot so as to touch and support my xx75 2016 shaft at about the 8 o'clock position giving me that shaft locked in feel I like.

The only experience I have with rug rests are observing other archers rest set ups. 
I always see those rug rest worn down. The rug fibres are constantly being worn away which to my mind means your rest is in a constant state of hight change, I lumped the Hoyt OEM fuzzy rest in with the other rug rests, maybe I shouldn't have done that, I don't know the wear durability characteristics of the Hoyt fuzzy rest. 
To critique my own leather chip rest I always wondered how secure the double backed tape was. When I removed the Hoyt OEM fuzzy pad rest the tape glue ripped off a small piece of black paint from the metal arrow shelf. When I attached my leather chip I forgot to mount it over the low point on the handle so I had to take it off a few days later to reposition it. It was hard to get off, that tape really holds on. Now I have great confidence in that tape and it explains why in all these passed years I've never had a rest fall off in the field. 

I've told the world what I'm using for an arrow rest. What rest material have you found that works best for you?


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## Nekekal (Dec 25, 2012)

I have not been doing archery very long, just over a year.

My first recurve came to me without a string, rest or strike plate. The bow shop set it up with some sort of hair material on both the shelf and strike plate, along with some arrows. Imitation calf hair. The feather fletching soon wore the hair off of the shelf. I replaced the shelf material with some "bear hair" but noticed that it wore away also. My arrow does not clear the riser as much as shown. It is probably too stiff, but flys ok for me.

Anyway, I switched to very thin leather on the strike plate. I get some wear from the shaft but not much and I have a lot of this material in case it ever wears out. I tried other fuzzy stuff on the shelf, like Velcro, but it was hard on the feathers. I am currently using a stack of the leather being used on the strike plate, built up in the center and it seems to be great.


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## Thin Man (Feb 18, 2012)

Thin leather, thinner leather, or suede. Barge cement is my friend and would like to be your friend, too. Reluctantly bump only if needed. I do nothing to the surface of the leather. Don't use fuzz because leather smells better and doesn't tickle my shaft's armpits.


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## Paul_J (Jul 16, 2013)

I have a feather rest on one bow, a custom brush type on another, and I use velcro on the shelf on two others. Different strokes for different...bows. They all work great.


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## bradd7 (Oct 17, 2008)

On my Martin Vision I have the female side of Velcro and it works well. I have also used furniture pads with success but found them too thick. With Velcro it's easy to build out and just as easy to stick a piece of matchstick on top of the riser as a bump. Velcro is also easy to carry around in the archery repair kit.


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## JParanee (Oct 13, 2009)

Two words for me 

Seal Skn 

Your leather set up sounds good thou 

I had to build up my Buff shelf. With the stock set up feathers were contacting my hand 

Felt with seal skin glued on top 




















Seal Skin










Buffalo built up shelf


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## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

For me, mostly the fuzzier side of velcro...

Cheap, convenient, durable.


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## Damus (May 3, 2011)

Greenjoyt. I recently read your post. It sounds interesting, I just got a Bob Lee recurve and came the same, a strip of thick leather material, and on the strike plate a piece of hair leather. I just bought a tradtech riser, and I'm waiting for some sky longbow limbs, however, with the excitment of ordering my toys, I forgot to check if the riser was comin with it's rest and plate installed; it doesn't, so now I'm trying to figure out what to install on the riser, I looked at those bear, and other brands risers and strike plates, but I think that if Bob Lee installed a thick leather strip is for a good reason, I'm super interested to see some pictures of the procedure on how do you do your riser, as well as installation if you are ok, and have the spare time; I really will apretiated. Tnx !


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## Stub (Aug 13, 2013)

Velcro here also. Bought a cheap roll last year and still have a bunch left.


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## Sky-Dogg (Sep 15, 2013)

Fuzzy industrial strength Velcro. Brian


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## Bill 2311 (Jun 24, 2005)

Adhesive backed furniture felt pads.


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## non-typical (Jul 5, 2002)

Almost all have velcro shelf and side plate. My titan ll has a shaved adhesive backed felt furniture pad on the shelf, and the same on the side plate. Behind the felt side plate I put a put a trimmed to fit plastic zip tie to build it out alittle.


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## centershot (Sep 13, 2002)

A little metal flipper arm and plunger........gets the tuning process over and lets you get to shooting a well tuned bow much quicker than messing with Velcro and match sticks.


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## AReric (Mar 6, 2010)

Leather or Velcro, depending on how thick I want to go.


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## IcarusArcher (Mar 15, 2015)

Currently shooting a Mongolian Horse Bow, so my arrow shelf is my hand, lol. I am using a bow glove tho, to protect my hand from possible feather stabbings.


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## ex-diver (Dec 20, 2002)

I've had otter, seal, leather and carpet. Presently running leather strike plate with carpet rest on my new bow. All leather on the other bow and another leather carpet combo on another bow.
Have a good one


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