Archery Tab

An archery tab is worn on three fingers of the string hand while shooting a recurve or longbow.  I had bought the cheapest one I could and found it was too thin--my fingers hurt for two days.  I didn't have any leather at home, so I used a two-layer approach: denim plus webbing, both from our scrap collections.

I've used this quite a number of times.  It's ragged around the edges as can be seen, but shoots fine.  The webbing is from a discarded child seat, I think, and it is very nicely slippery lengthwise but not transversely.  (That might help with release in some way.)

Step 1: Cut Denim

I used scissors to cut a tab shape, copying the inadequate one I had bought, from denim from some old jeans in a scrap drawer.

Step 2: Add Webbing

I then used scissors to cut three strips of webbing to fit, and glued them onto the denim, on the side that would contact the string, with E-6000.

My first attempt had the webbing come somewhat undone after shooting.  So I just added glue where more glue was needed.

Now it's working fine.  No finger pain.  Webbing is a bit ragged around the edges (I can't melt the edges as that would interfere with string release) but it works.  Don't know how long it'll work, but when it gives out I can either make another or just buy something, and I just wanted this to tide me over for a while.