NORM JOHNSON live just outside of the small community of Reedsport,located on the Southern Oregon Coast. The home and shop, sit on a one and one-half acre lot where Blacktail deer roam freely about the premises,hence the name, Blacktail Bows. He started building bows in 1987, by 1991 the reputation of Blacktail Bows had grown and the hobby became a full time family business. Each bow is built by hand, one at a time, of only the finest materials available today. All hardwoods used in the bows, be they exotic or domestic, have been hand selected for their density, hardness, and beauty so that in the end they will create a one of a kind bow that is not only a work of art but also extremely functional.

The close attention to detail is what sets These bows apart,from the smooth graceful lines to the extensive overlay work which have become trademarks of the Blacktail line of custom bows. My shop was built exclusively for bowmaking. Several of my grinding and sanding machines, are custom built for the elaborate contour work that go into the bows. This contouring and sculpting is what truly brings out the best in a piece of wood creating smooth graceful lines and eliminating blockiness.

Recurves are his specialization in both take down or one piece shape. I personally love his TD which I won the IFAA world bowhunter championship in Canada in 93 with. These bows are great in beauty and performances. They come in a large range of different version as length, material and details.
Cheaper version, "THE HUNTER" are made with colored fiberglas and laminate maple, but with an addition in prices, "THE ELITE" is built entirely of hand selected natural imported exotic and domestic hardwoods. With the diversity of wood choices you can pick and choose the combination you like for a truly individual and custom bow.

RISERS: The risers are extensively sculpted to eliminate blockiness. This also serves to open up the beauty in the wood also trimming excessive weight. Standard risers are strengthened by two vertical laminated accent stripes. Split risers feature equal halves of two complimenting woods joined in the center.
All risers are then backed with 2 layers of fiberglass. The outer layer being clear over a veneer matching your chosen limb core. For those who choose to shoot Fast Flight string there is a layer of Micarta laminated internally in the back portion of the riser to prevent cracking around the throat area of the grip.
The grips are sculpted to fit your hand with a slight palm swell. There is a thumb and forefinger groove placed in conjunction with the arrow shelf so the arrow rides no more than 1/8" from your hand for optimal instinctive form. They are angled for proper and positive hand placement so that as you draw the bow most of the pressure is applied in the throat of the grip and or web of your hand. This encourages proper shooting form and eliminates bow torque. They are available in a medium or high wrist. Throat circumferences are generally 4 7/8" to 5 1/8th" depending on the size of your hand.

The sight windows are cut 3/16" past center and 5" in height. The shelf and sight window are radiused for maximum clearance. The height of the radiuses both meet directly above the throat of the grip.

Riser woods are: MORADILLO, WENGE', GONCALO, COCOBOLO, BACOTE, NOCE AMERICANO, MIRTLEWOOD, BUBINGA, SHEDUA, OSAGE, ZEBRAWOOD.

LIMBS met those requirements and then some: Smoothness, stability, performance, ultra quiet, accuracy and durability. They are constructed with your choice of tapered wood cores then backed with clear glass. They are an 1 3/4" at the widest point tapering to 7/16" at the tip. They feature a gradual sweeping curve with just the right amount of preload. They are designed to facilitate a very low brace height (7 1/2" for a 62" bow length) to give them extreme smoothness and performance especially with heavy hunting arrows. They incorporate long gradual fadeouts or wedges to eliminate high stress areas and promote longevity.

Tip overlays are applied to both the back and belly of the limb. Back overlays are applied over accenting fiberglass and can be built with accent striping matching your riser or constructed plain with no striping. Belly overlays are considered a vital part of a proper functioning limb. There is a long shouldered groove where the string lays on the belly of the limb. This helps to prevent limb twist but also aids in the bows accuracy by creating a consistent place for the string to fall after each shot.

Woods are: RED ELM, BLACK WALNUT, BUBINGA, OSAGE, YEW e MIRTLEWOOD for limbs Both: the TD and the ONE PIECE are made in the length of: 60", 62", 64" end 66". They could be requested for usual dacron string use or for the FAST FLITE string use, the optimal bracing is 7, 1

FINISH: The finish work is quite extensive using multiple layers of a clear finsh which is applied sanded and reapplied until all of the wood pores are filled bringing out the beauty of the wood./2".

As any real custom bow, other detail could be discussed as grip shape, inlay colour, your name on it, and, as any real custom made bow, if you wish a second pair limbs, they mast be made with the riser.

Further information could be requested to my by e-mailing me