Next, if you plan to use any bright or metallic colors you should first lay down a base coat of white. Next, put down a strip of blue painters tape on your crester and mark your cresting pattern (it might be a good idea to make each mark on the tape the color you want on your arrow – this way you can see if you like the color combination or not). Wait until each coat of clear finish has dried, then gently rub the shaft with #0000 steel wool until it’s smooth.) (Note: If you’re not going to use a cap wrap, then you should apply two coats of finish to your bare shaft. You could also just apply the crest to a cap warp, as they’re pretty easy to take off.īefore you apply your first coat of paint, you should remember to wipe down the shaft with the arrow prep. This way you can get a feel for what you’re doing. If this is your first time cresting an arrow it might be a good idea to practice on an old “throw-away” shaft. Your crest can be as simple or as complex as you want. As with every part of traditional archery, quality takes time. The easiest way to mess-up an arrow is to try and hurry through the cresting. The most important thing to remember when cresting an arrow is to take your time. Many archers choose to forgo cresting entirely, but few can deny the appeal of an arrow with a crisp crest.
Recently, however, cresting has become a way of personal expression. In the days when everything was made by hand and each arrow was a work of art, the very idea that someone else might walk off with your arrow was likely appalling. The art of cresting dates back (at least) hundreds of years, as a means of arrow identification. As long as you can hold your hand steady, with the appropriate tools just about anyone can crest an arrow – and make it look awesome. It sounds too easy, but it really is that simple. He finished with a clear coat to keep his work looking great for a long, long time. James put his cresting on a cap wrap, so he didn’t need to worry about using primer.
They’re pretty sweet, if I do say so myself, and after James told me how easy it was I decided to write a short “how to” post about it.Īfter appling carbon/aluminum prep put your arrow on a crester then, using a cresting brush, lay down your cresting paint. The other day James, one of our traditional archery technical experts, came up to me to show me his newly crested arrow.
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