Hi. Damaged Bows don't work when you try to create dispensers. The recipe book doesn't recognise them as being bows and if you try and manually add them, to the crafting recipe, the output button isn't available.
Linked issues
is duplicated by 5
MCPE-52571
Can't make a dispenser
Resolved
MCPE-55506
Cannot craft dispensers with bows that have less than 100% durability
Resolved
MCPE-56022
Dispensers must now be made with new bows; skeleton drops won't work
Resolved
MCPE-59784
Unable to Craft Dispensers with Damaged Bows
Resolved
MCPE-60085
Cannot craft dispenser using worn bow...only new bow
Resolved
Attachments
Comments 15
According to the Wiki https://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Dispenser damaged bow is supposed to be allowed in crafting dispenser. However, enchanted bow is not supposed to be allowed.
Can confirm this problem. The crafting table will no longer even recognize damaged bows as bows, and you must craft a new one from sticks and string to make a dispenser.
I've always used damaged bows, non-enchanted skeleton drops, to craft dispensers. There was a glitch in 1.12 that caused my Power V enchanted bow to be used once in making dispensers (which also happened to a few of my friends, as well), so I've since taken to removing my good bow from my inventory before crafting dispensers.
Also, for the record, the damaged bows I tried crafting into dispensers were all dropped by skeletons post-1.13 update.
This is not a bug, dispensers were always made with a fully repaired bow.