PEOPLE OF INTEREST
BY JERRY SHAW
You might not look at a
76
bow as a work of art, but
that’s how archers see it
when handling equipment
designed by Steve Jewett. A
The BOWYER
professional at furniture repair and
finishing, Jewett remembers one
overjoyed client kissing the bow
when it was presented to him. “All
in all they love it and are proud of
it,” he says.
The owner of Jewett Furniture
Services has made a name for himself
in the archery community with
his Bushmen Bows.
“I’m a big fan of the plains Bushmen,
great bow makers and great
archers in the Kalahari Desert (in
southern Africa),” said the Fort
Pierce resident.
“They live off the land and hunt
with little bows and arrows.”
Although he creates bows on a
part-time basis, the work is labor
intensive, tedious and sometimes
frustrating. He’ll work at it seven
days a week, and to take a break,
he often watches history documentaries
on TV.
Jewett used his talents for cabinetry,
molding, baseboards and
doors on upscale homes. “I started
out in my own business doing
furniture repair and refinishing,”
he said. “From there I branched
out to cabinet finishing and instrument
finishing.”
“As the economy started to crash,
I basically got into other things,” he
explained, and that included attention
to the hobby he loves.
His mother-in-law had suggested
he make a bow out of some wood.
“I said, ‘Yeah, I’d like to try that.’
Once you get started in something
like this, you don’t get rid of it. It
gets in your blood.”
Bow making came naturally to
him because of his knowledge of
furniture making. Jewett, who is
also a musician, comes from a long
line of carpenters, back to his family
roots in the French regions of
Canada. The creative touch seems
to have been a gift from his mother,
Steve Jewett has made a
name for himself in the
archery world with his
handcrafted bows.
>> PHOTOS BY ED DRONDOSKI