Author Topic: Anyone have any Wych Elm, American Elm or Yew Staves  (Read 8092 times)

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Offline 1776J

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Anyone have any Wych Elm, American Elm or Yew Staves
« on: December 05, 2010, 08:38:52 pm »
Looking for a real good Wych Elm, American Elm or Pacific Yew stave for a good hunting English Long Bow.

I've cruised the internet, found a few out there offering Yew, but not Wych Elm,...heck not even American Elm.  Honestly, I'm not sure where to turn and buy from if I don;t find Wych Elm and want to go with Pacific Yew??
Saving up for the new baby due in January (Dear Lord that's coming quick!!!), so I'm feeling out the waters on what's where, costs, etc.  Have already thoroughly read and even thoroughly watched the Steve Stratton DVD
(which I highly recommend if you learn by watching and doing rather than reading to learn).

Thanks fellas in advance.

« Last Edit: December 06, 2010, 07:44:02 am by Pappy »

Offline 1776J

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Re: Anyone have any Wych Elm, American Elm or Yew Staves??....
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2010, 02:23:16 am »
Anyone ever deal with "Medicine Bow Staves" out of Washington state?


Offline Pappy

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Re: Anyone have any Wych Elm, American Elm or Yew Staves for sale??....
« Reply #2 on: December 06, 2010, 07:43:27 am »
Thought it might do better here or in the trade section,check out some of the sponcers on this site,not sure on the Elm ,.but feel sure some can provide you wit Yew.You might go the the trade section if you want to save money and have something you would like to trade,no selling there. ;) :)
Clarksville,Tennessee
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Cacatch

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Re: Anyone have any Wych Elm, American Elm or Yew Staves
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2010, 09:44:20 am »
I have some american elm but it is in whole log form roughly 4-5" diameter, dried, mostly straight but with some gentle curves. You would be welcome to it but I do not recommend trying to split it. You'd need to have a way to rip it at least in half before you started drawknifing it. I've always prided myself on having a strong back, have never had any back problems at all until last summer when I split a 5" diameter log from this same bunch and was screaming in pain later that night when my back gave out and I fell to my knees carrying my 3 year old son. 

-CP

Offline 1776J

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Re: Anyone have any Wych Elm, American Elm or Yew Staves
« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2010, 08:33:32 pm »
I have some american elm but it is in whole log form roughly 4-5" diameter, dried, mostly straight but with some gentle curves. You would be welcome to it but I do not recommend trying to split it. You'd need to have a way to rip it at least in half before you started drawknifing it. I've always prided myself on having a strong back, have never had any back problems at all until last summer when I split a 5" diameter log from this same bunch and was screaming in pain later that night when my back gave out and I fell to my knees carrying my 3 year old son. 

-CP

Hmmmm,....that's a good offer,.... I have no idea what the cost of shipping such a thing would be though??  I'm cluelsss about that!!  ???

So the 'ol back went out huh?  Yikes!  Yeah had mine do that same thing last year,... nothing like going to your knees and pretty much being paralyzed!!!   :o

Cacatch

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Re: Anyone have any Wych Elm, American Elm or Yew Staves
« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2010, 11:03:08 am »
Paralyzed is exactly the word! But even when you try NOT to move and hold completely still, the nerves are still kicking your ash. I couldn't believe it. It was July too, July 4 to be exact and we were going camping. We had set the tent up and the wife was putting the baby to sleep in it while I was going to get our 3 year old out of the truck (who was already asleep) and take him to the tent. I got him out, closed the truck door, took about 3 steps and felt it starting to give out - and fast. So to avoid going completely gimp and falling over with my son in my arms, I went down to my knees and told him to wake up and walk the rest of the way to the tent. By now, the pain had come in full force and I was on all 4's trembling. Like I said, it was July 4, ticks, mosquitos, gnats - bugs of all kinds biting me with my hands and knees in the grass/weeds, and there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn't stand up and couldn't lift a hand to swat anything away because I would fall flat on my face and be worse off than ever. So at this point, as bad as I was being consumed alive by bugs, it was the least of my concerns ironically - if you can imagine that. I was pretty bad off. The camping trip was canceled of course, and the wife, my mom, and dad, had to load me up on the tailgate of my truck like a fat hog going to market and drive me to the house to overdose on pain meds and TRY to lay down. That was a hell of a night, let me tell you. And all because I just HAD to split a 5" elm log the hard way. I said I'd never do it again...but I have  :D   Only now I am a lot smarter and kirf the hell out of them with a chainsaw first.   ;)

The shipping would honestly be quite a bit on it. I'd say around $50 I guess. But from the looks of your other thread and Mullet's generosity I don't think you'd need it now, would you? Like I said, you're welcome to it anytime though.

-CP

Offline gstoneberg

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Re: Anyone have any Wych Elm, American Elm or Yew Staves
« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2010, 08:51:53 pm »
.... I have no idea what the cost of shipping such a thing would be though??  I'm cluelsss about that!!  ???

I just sent 15lbs of staves from Texas to New Jersey for $27 via UPS.  You can get on ups.com and do an estimate.  The trick is finding a small enough box to keep it from being charged extra for being too large.  I taped together 2 48" 6x6" boxes to make an 80" long box.

George
St Paul, TX

Offline Michael C.

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Re: Anyone have any Wych Elm, American Elm or Yew Staves
« Reply #7 on: December 07, 2010, 09:08:24 pm »
Yeah don't buy from that dude, that is the deal Eddie bailed me out of. He sent me a terrible piece of yew that he wouldn't refund my money on, but Eddie sent me a super nice piece of yew and I made a 70# bow that shot like the dickens till I snapped one limb off of it.
"Friendship makes prosperity more shining and lessens adversity by dividing and sharing it."

Cicero

Offline 1776J

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Re: Anyone have any Wych Elm, American Elm or Yew Staves
« Reply #8 on: December 09, 2010, 12:15:36 am »
Yeah don't buy from that dude, that is the deal Eddie bailed me out of. He sent me a terrible piece of yew that he wouldn't refund my money on, but Eddie sent me a super nice piece of yew and I made a 70# bow that shot like the dickens till I snapped one limb off of it.

"that dude?"...
you mean Medicine Bow Staves??  (I'm assuming??)
I see the guy online and on ebay even.... was curious.

Cacatch,...yeah Eddie is hooking me up but of course as my wife says, "I think this longbow thing has bitten you??"
Now I'm interested in building a reproduction English Longbow in Yew, or Elm,... I may hold off for now, with that $250 + shipping dollars lost on you know who!!!  :-O
UGH,... it hurts to even think about....

I'm still reeling from Eddie's offer! 
« Last Edit: December 09, 2010, 12:20:26 am by 1776J »

Offline Michael C.

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Re: Anyone have any Wych Elm, American Elm or Yew Staves
« Reply #9 on: December 09, 2010, 02:15:13 am »
Yeah Medicine Bow Staves - I wouldn't trust him to send me a good stave unless you paid about as much or more than you spent on that other firewood you bought :) even then I'm not sure, he didn't seem like a straight shooter and you can ask Mullet (Eddie) what he thought of the stave I bought from MBW, I think he might have made a fencepost out of it or something.
"Friendship makes prosperity more shining and lessens adversity by dividing and sharing it."

Cicero

Offline 1776J

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Re: Anyone have any Wych Elm, American Elm or Yew Staves
« Reply #10 on: December 09, 2010, 11:13:28 pm »
....you can ask Mullet (Eddie) what he thought of the stave I bought from MBW, I think he might have made a fencepost out of it or something.

 ;D ;D  Bwahahaha....

That good huh??
 That's just terrible!

brian melton

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Re: Anyone have any Wych Elm, American Elm or Yew Staves
« Reply #11 on: December 11, 2010, 01:46:42 am »
I am not buddies with (dave) from medicine bows, but do know of him.......I use to sell other bow woods to him yrs ago. So I must know what was wrong with the stave(s) I have lots of billets that I have sold in the past, but I am always nervous of selling yew because of peoples expectations.  Moderators I am talking about past sales long ago, in no way is this intended to be a advertisement in any way. I raise this question because of the the general belief that yew must be a certain ring count sap to heart wood amount.......or any other expectation of the wood.

Brian

Offline Michael C.

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Re: Anyone have any Wych Elm, American Elm or Yew Staves
« Reply #12 on: December 12, 2010, 12:14:40 am »
Well if you have any questions about the stave I had you can ask Mullet and get his opinion. I'm sure he has sold some good staves in his time, I just personally wouldn't deal with him because of the way he treated me. Someone asked for an opinion and I gave it, so take it for what it's worth.
"Friendship makes prosperity more shining and lessens adversity by dividing and sharing it."

Cicero

brian melton

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Re: Anyone have any Wych Elm, American Elm or Yew Staves
« Reply #13 on: December 12, 2010, 05:54:53 pm »


    I talk to Eddie all the time over the phone, and we have done tons of trading. I was trying to get a feel for expectations of "quality" of wood to $.

Offline mullet

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Re: Anyone have any Wych Elm, American Elm or Yew Staves
« Reply #14 on: December 12, 2010, 09:14:04 pm »
  Brian and I talked, I told him what it looked like and it was too much time and trouble to me. I gave it to Pappy.
Lakeland, Florida
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