2026-06-18 - Build Your Own Holmegaard-Style Bow
Class Details
- Schedule: June 18-21 (9:00 am-5:00 pm CT)
- Location: This is an in-person class held at Vesterheim Folk Art School.
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Instructor: Steve Daughton
- Level of Instruction: Beginner Friendly
Description
Step back over 8,000 years and experience the art of prehistoric bow making in this hands-on workshop inspired by the Holmgaard Bow – a remarkable Mesolithic design discovered in the peat bogs of Denmark. Thought to date from around 6,000 BCE, the Holmgaard Bow represents one of the earliest known examples of sophisticated woodworking, with narrow limbs, a defined handle, and balanced tiller that influenced bow designs for millennia to come.
Working with drawknives, rasps, files, scrapers, and shave horses, participants will shape, tiller, and finish their own functional wooden bow, learning firsthand the techniques and patience of early European bowyers.
Guided by Steve Daughton, this program blends archaeology, craftsmanship, and hands-on skill for a truly immersive experience in ancient technology.
Please be prepared for a very hands on experience. Bow building is physically demanding, you’ll be using your body and sharp tools throughout the class
Supplies
The instructor will be able to provide the tools needed for the project. If you have your own drawknives, rasps, files, and scrapers, feel free to bring them.
There will be a $150 materials fee paid directly to the instructor. This fee covers a premium, seasoned white wood bow stave and use of all tools to complete the build.
Enrollment Deadline
May 28, 2026
Woodcarving classes are supported by a generous gift to the Vesterheim Annual Fund from the Eric and Joan Norgaard Charitable Trust.
This class is supported in part by a generous gift to the Vesterheim Annual Fund from Carole Daughton.
Learn about Scholarships and Discounts.
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