Crafting The Highest Quality Archery Finger Tab
An archery finger tab is an accessory that an archer wears on their shooting fingers as a buffer between their skin and the bow string. The finger tab serves two purposes: it protects the skin against abrasion, and it allows the fingers to anchor into the bow string. Traditionally, finger tabs are made of leather.
There are two styles of archery tabs: split finger and three under. With split finger, a slit is made in the leather so that the index finger can rest above the arrow, with the remaining shooting fingers resting below. With three under, all shooting fingers rest below the arrow. I personally use the split finger design. Other archers I talked to are 50/50 on their preferred design, and those who use three under claim it allows for as much control and accuracy as split finger.
About a year into shooting, I realized that the most important factor that could determine the success of a hunt is the accuracy of the archer’s shot. An accurate shot requires superlative control over the string. It dawned on me just how much a piece of leather can make the difference in the archer’s arsenal. If I wanted to push my hunting skills to the next level, I had to take command over my equipment. I challenged myself to make not just the ideal archery tab but the “ultimate” one. Because of my First nations background and artistic ability, I’ve always been good at designing things, and wanted to tie in my culture into this project. But could I really learn the trade of leatherworking and make a product that is truly top of its class. If I were to take my hunting to the next level, I had to step up to the plate. So in pursuit of the ultimate hunting experience, I set out to make the perfect archery finger tab.
(You don’t want to miss the rest of the story, but if you’re eager to see the result of what a hand cut, hand stitched finished product looks like, check out my Etsy store with the link below)
https://www.etsy.com/shop/StandingWolfArchery
My first thought was that making the highest quality finger tab must begin by selecting the highest quality leather. But what animal leather would embody the characteristics of the rugged wilderness and grit a hunter could encounter? As with any product, junk materials means the product with wear out quickly and leave you regretting buying it (or worse), whereas superior materials means a lifetime of use and a heightened sense of confidence. But with leather, I wasn’t sure at the time what made the difference between high and low grade quality, or if there was any difference at all. I began thinking about different leather products I have owned in the past. I have owned many pairs of leather boots over the years. Many were inexpensive (under $100), but I did get a more expensive pair that cost $350. The cheap boots wore out in under a year and the expensive ones are still with me now even after 6 years, but on the outside they looked pretty much the same right out of the box; it wasn’t clear exactly what was the difference that made the expensive pair so superior in quality. I heard the term genuine leather used to describe all sorts of leather products, even my cheap boots that fell apart; so are there different tiers of leather quality, or is leather just leather? Well, here is what I found.
It finally dawned on me that there are different grades of leather quality when I sat down on my favorite leather chair and noticed a hole on one of the arms. The hole allowed me to see the profile of the leather, and I was shocked to see that it was less than half a millimetre thick. Although the chair’s exterior had a beautiful leather appearance, it completely masked the inferior quality of the leather. I began researching how leather was made and I learned that genuine leather is actually the lowest quality, made from several layers of scrap leather glued together. On the other hand, full grain leather is taken from the entire grain of hide, imperfections and all. It is thick, tough, and sturdy. The highest quality leather products that last generations are made from full grain leather. This is why my cheap boots fell apart after one year, whereas my expensive boots have still lasted after six years: the cheap boots were made from genuine leather, whereas the expensive boots from full grain.
So the best finger tab must be made from full grain leather. This means that the leather should be thick and durable, and I should expect to see the texture of the animal ‘s skin on the top of the leather. But what animal’s hide would would make the best tab?
My first attempt was to use cow leather as it is the most common source of leather. Although I found that full grain cow leather was super thick and durable, it was very stiff and didn’t break in quickly. I wanted a tab the was strong but supple at the same time, so it would deliver optimal performance without a long breaking in period. I tried buffalo leather, but it was even thicker than cow. I tried deer leather, but it was too soft so I didn’t think it would be durable enough. Finally, an on reserve native elder recommended I give moose leather a shot. Bingo! The moose leather was super thick, rugged and durable, but ultra supple. It could be used immediately and didn’t need any breaking in — the perfect hide.
Next, how would the tab be made? I’ve always been a fan on hand-made products. There is something so impersonal about products made with machines. With hand-made products, the craftsman is directly supervising the production process; flaws and defects are prevented because of care and attention. You don’t get this level of care with mass-produced machine-made products. So all leather would be cut by hand by me personally; all stitching by hand. No machines. Flaws and defects will be prevented by my attentive eye.
Finally, the perfect tab must have the perfect look to convey its quality. When I stich the leather together, I must do so in a way that both sides of the hide are visible, that way the user can see the supple bottom that touches the flesh of the animal as well as the texture top layer that is the animals’ skin. The hand stitching will be shown off by using a sinew colour that contrasts with the leather. Finally, I will design my own customer logo and brand it directly into the tab as a hallmark of my craftsmanship.
I’ve posted the finally product on my Etsy store front where they are now for sale. If you want to show support for my efforts, head over to Etsy and check out my finger tabs along with my other archery products. I truly enjoy working with my hands and making premium archery gear. Your support motivates me to design new products and keeps me doing what I love: making the highest quality archery accessories.
Yours truly
Standing Wolf
Disclaimer: This article contains links to my personal Etsy storefront. Your support contributes to the development of these products.