Author Topic: pignut hickory  (Read 1885 times)

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Offline criverkat

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  • David Hilborn
pignut hickory
« on: December 29, 2011, 02:01:43 pm »
do you use the heartwood or sapwood to make a bow out of pignut hickory
build a bow build a arrow Knapp some flint cook some rock now thats fun

Offline Buckeye Guy

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Re: pignut hickory
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2011, 02:12:38 pm »
Any of it I can get my hands on!!
Good stuff!
Guy Dasher
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: pignut hickory
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2011, 02:20:57 pm »
You have to be careful with pignut.  Seriously, only use what's under the bark.  Nothing else.  If it's outside the bark, it's useless for bowmaking.   ;D

I've had the pleasure of making a few bows from pignut hickory.  In fact, the very second bow I ever made was pignut.  Took me over 40 hours to get the bark off because the first growthring had some crazy undulations!  Debarked the whole thing using a pocket knife to scrape.  I love that bow.  That was about 8 years ago and the leggy redhead that I gave it to still shoots it.  nIt's taken no set, no splinters lifting, looks as good as the day I gave it to her.  But then we have almost no humidity here and there's 69" of bow for a 27" draw - overbuilt!
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline Hrothgar

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Re: pignut hickory
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2011, 06:39:06 pm »
I would treat it like any other hickory or pecan hickory, first choice would be the sapwood.
" To be, or not to be"...decisions, decisions, decisions.

Offline Bevan R.

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Re: pignut hickory
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2011, 06:54:32 pm »
ONLY luck I have EVER had with hickory heartwood is using it in the smoker.
Bowmakers are a little bent, but knappers are just plain flaky.

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: pignut hickory
« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2011, 07:12:57 pm »
Nothing is gained by ring chasing unless you damage the back while removing the bark. The sapwood is stringer than the heartwood. Jawge
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: pignut hickory
« Reply #6 on: December 29, 2011, 08:16:49 pm »
I agree with Jawgey poo. Sapwood right under the summer bark is good stuff. I have built only one all heartwood bow. It was very light, maybe 13 oz? The bow has held up well. Its 60" ttt, 50 @ 28" and has a working handle.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.