Reality of yew wood...

[vinemaplebows]

         I wanted to bring up a discussion on yew wood, the prices, the availabilty, and the reality of being able to cut the wood that is described in the in some of the past threads in the trade section. First, the availabilty....cutting the quality of yew MOST people have come to except as bow worthy wood is VERY DIFFICULT. You must for the most part here in wa. state get a permit from the state to cut.....they don't give these out anytime you want them, and in some districts not at all!! Yew of the quality that most want grows high in the cascade mountain range....or on the high mountains of the coastal mountain range, none of which is "generally" on private land. You can find lots of low, to mid-elevation wood, but not much in the way of high elevation. I have a good amount of yew.....BUT I rarely sell, or trade yew because of peoples unrealistic wants. I can not approach a land owner on a farm to get yew (which I have read is the case with osage) It is NOT there!!! So, osage holders...we are not comparing apples to apples when it comes to availability of each species. How many osage cutters have to get a permit through a goverment agency? Is it hard to get Osage?? I'll bet it is at times...but not like yew. I am speaking from a WA. state prospective, have no idea about oregon.

        I can not give a direct link to Dave Roberts website, but if you search you will find his site, and the quality most look for. (this is a example NOT an endorsement, I would prefer to use a sponser from here if they have pics))I know the man, and even cut wood for him for a few yrs (not yew) I could never understand how he got SO MANY premium staves, and they are nice for the most part. I question where, and how he gets them.....But I have never asked, and he never told me. I know the state would not give him the amount of permits to match the hundreds, and hundreds of staves he sold.....But he MAY have a very legitimate source. (ie. logging company?)

       Last, yew is yew, it is all good, BUT not all will make a warbow.

(moderators)
Would like to apologize for the posting of the link.....Believe ME I was not endorsing his web-site. It is difficult to search "yew stave" and not have a for profit site....it was meant to be a detailed description because of the video links nothing more. Any pics from advertisors are welcome....

Brian

[criveraville]

Brian my apologies. I should have just removed the link. My bad. Great info on yew staves.

Cipriano

[PEARL DRUMS]

Yah well I would use your precious Yew wood to keep my shop warm while I was working on my osage bows Brian! Its is interesting to know that you need permits to harvest, that would only invite illeagel cutting in my opinion. I guess I am spoiled. I have no osage around me, but I can cut any whitewood anytime.

[vinemaplebows]

Pearl,

                  Yah, bet 50% or more of yew is poached yew.....in stave form. There are logging operations that if you sweet talk them with a few cases of beer they will save it for you....I have done this more than once. technically you need permits to even cut vine maple, Cascara, or any of the woods in this state....unless on private land. Ironically Most of the bow wood here is considered trash wood, and has No commercial value at all. Cascara, and yew would be the exceptions. (medical purposes)

Brian

[coaster500]

Last year I hunted Turkeys in Idaho, east of Lewiston off the clearwater river. While there I saw a massive amount of clearcuts with mountains of Yew all dried up and worthless for bow making (it had been down to long and all twisted and checked). The Timber there has some kind of blight that renders it useless for lumber. They are cutting it down chipping it up and putting it on boats to China. When I was there I tried very hard to find a couple of good logs but no go. I may go again this spring and see if a permit is possible as I did see some live trees. This is not high elevation stuff but still Yew???

[vinemaplebows]

Check the logs, and see if you can lumberize them for backed bows....

[coaster500]

I brought three of them home and could not mill any of them!! They were cracked. twisted and just in bad shape. I have a friend who turns old redwood fence posts into stuff and gave them to him. The crack and stuff just add character to his art work.

[UserNameTaken]

Vinemaple, what are they using cascara for? Seems to be a pretty rare tree, at least around here, so I've never bothered to cut any of it anyway. I like trees that grow like weeds: vine maple, osoberry, ocean spray... I can take the nice branches, leave the rest & not feel guilty about it.

 I don't think I'll ever get around to trying yew.

[vinemaplebows]

Very interested in the permit, and what they allow you to cut....if they do. The point of this thread is to show how difficult it is to cut yew. I can find osage on the net any day....not so much for yew. Ebay just about every day has osage for sale....why not yew?? Again, the quality people expect. Although $200 is rediculious for a yew stave, when you look at availability it would not seem unfair? Supply & demand just not enough supply.


Brian

[vinemaplebows]

Cascara is used in laxatives (Cascara sagrada) if I remember right. Sure you know a Cascara tree if you seen one??? Cascara is very prolific, especially around wetter areas...but not totally necessary. One of the first self-seeding trees in clearcuts on the coast is Cascara.....depends on where you live. Don't feel guilty cutting them they are not rare!

[UserNameTaken]

Little black berries that taste a little coffee-like. Pretty sure I've got the right tree. They may be prolific in other areas, but I've only seen a handful around here. Maybe the next time I'm feeling a little plugged up, I'll go looking for the cascara trees.

[vinemaplebows]

Use the bark....and find a toilet....

[Bevan R.]

Use the bark....and find a toilet....

FAST!!

[UserNameTaken]

Do you guys have personal experience with cascara bark? 

[vinemaplebows]

Yep,

          I have cut hundreds of staves, and one day I forgot to wash my hands after many hours of peeling the bark off out in the woods....ate a sandwich, and about a hour later I was unhappily married to a tree...