Well, I have built quite a few bows in the past few years, but I had never built a yew bow. Fortunately, I was able to get a very nice yew log from Oregon that was about forty years old. The man who sold it to me had harvested it and put it up, intending to build himself a bow. Alas, he never did, but the log was nicely sealed in thick wax, and, although it had some knots, it was very tight-grained and beautiful. Because of the knots, I did not want to make a true English long bow out of it, but this attempt is sort of "flat" longbow, 71" long, 43 # at 28". The funny handle is the result of a rather large knot. It shoots very sweet, though, and I am happy with it.
Dan