Thumb ring and accuracy

[Alina]

I was practicing the other day, and my release was a bit off, the string took the thumb ring with it and flung it into some concrete, causing it to explode. So, I decided to keep shooting without a thumb ring, and found it wasn't at all uncomfortable, so long as I shot a moderate amount. What was immediately apparent, however, was that my accuracy improved noticeably. That surprised me, but today I read this from A Book on The Excellence of The Bow & Arrow (Kitab fi bayau fadl al-qaws w-al-sahm wa-awsufihima):

A thumb-tip which is called kustuban by the Persians and khayta'ah by the Arabs-consists of a ring of leather or some other material. It is worn over the right thumb, leaving the nail and knuckle exposed, and is used for the protection of the thumb against injuries which are usually caused by the string when it is drawn and released. Its use is necessary except when the archer employs a very weak bow for executing some stunt or for shooting at a near target. Shooting without a thumb-tip, whenever possible, is better and offers greater accuracy. For this reason [to resemble the bare skin], a thumb-tip should be made of leather that is even in texture and moderate in thickness, and should be lined with very fine leather and sewn with great care. An almost invisible groove should be made in it for the string. The end which lies on the tip of the thumb should be fashioned like a small, broad bean of moderate thickness; not so long as to impede the string, nor so short as to fall to protect the thumb from the action of the string. In width it should be the same as the thumb itself, with its back part a little narrower than its front part. The side of the leather that is smoothed in the tanning should be next to the string.

(emphasis mine)

Has anybody used leather thumb rings? Are they more accurate than the horn or bone variety? Has anybody found that they're more accurate without any thumb ring at all?

Alina

[Bede]

Alina,
Not all thumb rings are created equal and they don't always help with accuracy. I advise people to start with a leather ring first to develop their technique.

If you find shooting with a bare thumb possible, I would suggest you make a thin leather ring to cut down on the string abrasion on your thumb. You can make a thicker one if the thin one becomes uncomfortable.

Once you are shooting accurately you can try another thumb ring. By then you should know whether it feels right on your thumb.

In the old days, when people practised sword and lance exercises or just lived and worked in the countryside, their hands were much tougher than ours. Shooting bare-thumbed with a thick string is not so difficult. It is not inherently less accurate than any other thumb lock, just harder on the skin.

[Alina]

Yeah I did about a hundred arrows bare-thumbed and ended up with a nasty blister. So, I took today off. I was planning on trying out a leather thumb ring, and now I'll definitely make a thin one. My bow isn't so heavy (45 pounds) so the abrasion is really the main source of discomfort.

[Bede]

Use a leather with a slick surface. Some chrome tanned leathers are hard enough, but you cannot mold them to your thumb. Carving leathers make good thumb guards. You can wet them and then bend your thumb and hold it in position until the leather dries and hardens.

I am guessing you had your blister on one side of the pad of the thumb. If that is the case, a leather thumb guard will fix the problem.

[Alina]

Yes. One side of the pad of the thumb is exactly right. I'll give making a leather thumbring a try. Just have to find a decent leather supplier around here.

[Bede]

You should be able to make them from offcuts. I would get enough for several thumb guards because the first one will not be what you want. If you make it too big, you can trim it down until it feels just right. If it is too small, you must make another.

Some Mongolian ones were a flat piece of leather with a hole near one end, others were shaped to the thumb with a little rivet or buckle holding the ends together. In my first one, I just tied the ends of a T shaped piece of leather together. I still have it somewhere thirty years later.

[Alina]

I made one out of a roughly t-shaped piece of leather, but I sewed the ends together. It fits well, and it does the job. It has a slick surface. The only thing is that it's too soft to require "forming" to my thumb. it feels more like upholstery leather than the kind of leather you'd use for armor or boots or something. Still, it works well. There's no friction, and I'm more accurate with it than I am with a horn ring.

[Stig_Losnegaard]

Hi

You could also try leather and superglue as described here:
http://198.170.108.27/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=683

The one I made hasn't broken yet.

Using "superglue gel" gives you better time to shape the leather
but it doesn't soak as well as normal "liquid superglue".
A combination might be best; "gel" just a few places in order to
shape the ring and than liquid superglue when that has dried.

Normally sold in portions of 3 gram, which is more than enough for one ring.

Be careful not to glue your fingers to the leather while you're working though.
Only apply glue on parts of the ring each time. Remember ventilation when working with glue like this.

[Bede]

Stig,
By supergluing the leather, you get back to a more rigid guard which defeats the purpose of getting a better feel for your release while protecting your thumb.

A vegetable tanned leather (oak tanned for example) will harden after wetting and allowing to dry. However, I think Alina's temporary solution might be a better way to go if it allows her to develop her thumb lock and release. Once you know have it should feel, you can tell if a ring is suited to your hand. It is not simply a matter of fit, but also of matching the shape and cross section to the form of your thumb and the technique you have chosen.

To stiffen upholstery leather, you can fold and double it and use contact cement to glue the layers. Contact glues are generally more flexible than super glues, though the fumes are just as irritating.

[Stephen Selby]

I regularly shoot thumb style without a ring. Clearly I still need a ring for heavy bows or lengthy shooting sessions. For horseback archery with a lighter bow, leaving off the ring is fine.

I think that rings sometime force your hand to a less natural position, whicn in turn can reduce accuracy. Also, as Bede says, there are rings and 'rings'. Beware of rings with grooves cut in them, which force you to tense your draw-hand more.

S

[Stig_Losnegaard]

Stig,
By supergluing the leather, you get back to a more rigid guard which defeats the purpose of getting a better feel for your release while protecting your thumb.

Bede
You are right.
I lost sight of the rest of the thread and the point about of getting a better feel.

[Steven S.]

Alina,
You can get very cheap carving leather at any of the locations on this link:
http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/Loca ... California.
Just ask about the scrap leather bins. If you don't know how to tell carving (veg-tan) leather from chrome-tan, just tell the person at the counter what you are looking for. As you are looking for thin carving leather, ask if they have any scrap calfskin.