3 Under Tab

Emmadragon

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Personally, I used to like a calf-skin tab with the fur on. Got talked out of using it by a coach (she said it was 'too fast' for the way I shot), but it was always my favourite. Perhaps I should pick it back up again. I did go to the trouble of re-making it before I was persuaded not to use it...hmmm. (the fur had gone bald)
 

Kerf

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You make a fair point, not all cordovans are made equal. Over the years I have found a 1.8mm or more cordovan face from AAE (Elite or KSL) lasts pretty much forever with no breakdown. I think AAE are all Horween. Black Mamba Venom, W&W and Axcel also seem very high quality.

I didn’t much like the FIVICS cordovan - my saker was stiff and thin but I think it varies a lot- as can be witnessed by the number of people who love Sakers! Maybe I just got a duff - in medium and large :unsure:

Japanese Cordovan (Shibuya) must come with a free massage and a pint at that price.

Cheap cordovan loses the surface and often cracks (SF and other Chinese made tabs) - but sometimes shoots well.

Some coloured cordovan, even Horween, seems to lose the surface finish when used for a tab - so shoots inconsistently. Avoid blue it sucks big time.

My original Roo faces are now quite thin. The face surface is still fine but the cushioning is gone. So I’ve had them quite a while and they maybe have 1 year of high volume shooting so say 500 per week/25,000 per year. So it is not expensive to replace and two (or 3) new faces will take about a day to shoot in. The cordovan will take weeks.

If you don’t need cushioning (so probably hook clear of the joints) then they are fine. BUT I doubt they will last as long as a 2mm cordovan.

Stretch
The best cordovan tab I tried was the Spigarelli barebow tab. Lovely heavy leather hand plate and cordovan as smooth as a baby’s bum. Typically, I lost it.
I have a black widow tab, it’s a bb tab but each finger bit of leather is independent of the other two, rather than being one piece of leather. I quite liked it but the leather face started to scuff quite early in it’s life.
 

dvd8n

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I got some cordovan and made myself a face.

IMG_20210903_150130.jpg

I've set it up with one layer of suede and one of cordovan. I'll try it this evening.

I can't decide if there's likely to be any benefit to putting a layer of roo leather in there as the wearing face or not.
 

Kerf

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I got some cordovan and made myself a face.

View attachment 8799

I've set it up with one layer of suede and one of cordovan. I'll try it this evening.

I can't decide if there's likely to be any benefit to putting a layer of roo leather in there as the wearing face or not.
The Roo leather shoots in really quickly. It’ll soon feel like an old friend.
 

Timid Toad

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I've been using vulcolan for years - doesn't need shooting in and doesn't change in the wet. Lasts for tens of thousands of arrows, too. Plus, unlike cordovan, you don't have to orientate it correctly.
 

dvd8n

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Well, after a month of experimentation I've gone back to my Mamba.

My experience of the Fairweather was:
  1. My ring finger went numb. That may initially have been my fault but even 3 layers of roo leather, 1 layer of suede and surgical tape didn't sort it. The layers ended up stupidly thick.
  2. I had to swap the roo leather for cordovan. That made it a bit better.
  3. Half the shots felt as if the string was pulling my index fingernail off. I've no idea what was wrong. Maybe I trimmed it wrong but it's not an issue I've had with any other tab.
  4. Once when I took it off I managed to pull the finger ring out of the body of the tab. It went back together ok but the tab had to be completely disassembled with an allen key to fix.
The Mamba was like an old friend. Shape fitted my hand, no discomfort, no drama. The finger strap tensioner is still pants, though :rolleyes:
 

wully

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I’ve got 2 Black Widow tabs, same reason as you....

Also got a callous to prove it.
 

KidCurry

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... The finger strap tensioner is still pants, though :rolleyes:
I copy a spig tab for light weight but with a peg to give good repetition. I also make them too, including a Demascus with the same peg and loop. The loop is cord with a cord lock. Cheap to buy from the usual places.
tab1.jpg tab2.jpg
 
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Gavin Eisler

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IMG_1416.JPG made this from a couple of bits of brass, some cordovan , two off 2BA screws with suede backing, 3/4 elastic, loops round two fingers, I have since put 1/4" ticks on the brass for string walking, later upgraded to a spring bok hair face then vulcolan which is not bothered by rain. IMG_1416.JPG
 

dvd8n

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I have thought of making my own but I've a surfeit of projects at the moment. Maybe as winter draws on...
 
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