# Kaya Korean Traditional Bow



## zxcmunlok (Feb 12, 2007)

Anyone?


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## ryninger (Oct 15, 2008)

You may have more luck at tradgang.com...


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## zxcmunlok (Feb 12, 2007)

Thank you. I'll try.


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## Techpriest (Nov 30, 2008)

I have a very similar bow. Got it from http://www.koreanarchery.org/classic/model25.html. It was made by Kaya as well.

It is an amazingly light bow, can barely feel it in my hand. Mine is 40# at my 26" draw. I was very surprised and impressed with the power. I do not hunt, just target shoot.

The quality of the bow is very good, with a few exceptions. The leather wrap around the handle has come unglued and on both strings the serving has come unraveled sooner than I thought it should. I have had the serving redone and the fix has lasted much longer that the original materials.

Shooting the bow is more difficult than a more modern bow. I have to wear a glove on my left hand and shoot the arrows off my hand. It requires arrows with real feathers since the fletchings hit the bow, and my hand as they pass. I use a glove on my right hand and shoot 3 fingers, 1 over and 2 under. The more traditional way to shoot would be mongolian style, but for shooting at targets 10 to 30 yards away I found it very hard to aim that way, the bow blocked my sight of my target.

I get people checking it out every time I take it to events and there are always compliments. It is a gorgeous bow in person.

Sadly I do not use it as much as my VERY heavy (by comparison) compound bow because I am not very accurate with the Korean bow yet. I don't mind missing the points but I got tired of losing so many arrows at the 3D shoots so I only use it on the bag range now. If I can find a way to keep from losing arrows, or find some super cheap arrows, it would be the only bow I would ever use.


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## Techpriest (Nov 30, 2008)

I bought the book on Traditional Korean Archery by Thomas Duvernay. It talks about the "true" horn bows in it. They are very expensive, which made my decision not to get one pretty easy. 

Then there is the use and care. To string them requires warming them over a heat source and very slowly bending them into the proper shape. If bent incorrectly or to fast they will spilt apart. The true horn bows and the reproductions are composite bows. Can't find my book now, but I am thinking there were about 12 different materials used in the making of the bow. The reproduction is assembled with modern glues, while the original is made with a glue made from fish bladders. 

And you can't get the original horn bows wet or that will ruin them.

If you are interested in traditional Korean archery I highly recommend his book. Traditional Korean Archery


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## zxcmunlok (Feb 12, 2007)

Thank you for the input. It helps alot. Ok...this will have my mind set to Modern Korean Bow instead of the Horn Bow because my country is very very humid, even my Montana longbow gold medallion got rusted...imagine that! Also if anything goes wrong with the horn bow there will be no one to get it fixed for me. It's also more affordable!

These Korean bowyer impress me, I really wonder how they construct the limbs to bend all the way back to form a 'C' shape or 'O' shape. I have tired creating longbow using bamboo laminated with oak...even to have it bend to fit 28" draw is challenging but these short horn bow could bend all the way back also with such long draw length 30" ~ 32"! 

Dreamed to own one real Horn Bow but as beginning I will start off with this Kaya Bow.


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## Dorset Lass (Jul 29, 2010)

Hallo All
I have recently purchased a Kaya KTB bow and am delighted with the way it shoots. So far though I have not tried it in the rain. Can anyone who has been shooting one for a while tell me whether they have had any problems with the leather cover deteriorating, or the wet affecting the bow adversely?


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## 152732 (Sep 26, 2009)

Hi was thinking of buying a kaya ktb my self:O What arrows would you reccomend for a 50 pound bow? I prefere wooden shafts, is the bow spine sensitive in any way?

Rgds


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## Dorset Lass (Jul 29, 2010)

einar said:


> Hi was thinking of buying a kaya ktb my self:O What arrows would you reccomend for a 50 pound bow? I prefere wooden shafts, is the bow spine sensitive in any way?
> 
> Rgds


Hi Einar
I am not really knowledgable about arrow spine rating and relied on the advice of my local archery supplier who is very good. I have a 35 pound version and I am using POC arrows 5/16 45/50. I deliberately left them long enough to use a thumb ring draw but at the moment I am shooting off my fingers as thumb rings are not permitted in field shoot competitions here. This is a shame because I think that the bow is much better suited to a two finger or a thumb release and neither of these are allowable in competition in the UK. 

I am sure you will love the KTB.


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## Artemiz (Jan 13, 2010)

I just ordered a Kaya KTB 55# from 3 Rivers Archery myself so I will have to get a new set of arrows soon.

http://www.huntersfriend.com/carbon_arrows/hunting_arrows_spine_chart_by_deflection.htm

I found this spine chart to be pretty helpful. It's suppose to be for modern compounds but I think it will get us in the ballpark. I've heard that these bows tend to prefer a stiffer spine than usual.


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