I'd like to build a new bow as I haven't made anything in well over a year. Anyway, I was thinking of doing something that would be a real tour-de-force in regards to performance as well as look really good. I'd like to build a reflex/deflex style of bow and make it multi-lam to take advantage of the Perry-reflex design principles. I'm thinking bamboo for a backing, but I haven't come up with any other firm ideas for the other lams. I was thinking maybe, bamboo, with a lam of hickory and a walnut belly. That would give a nice sort of contrast with colors I think. I was also thinking of doing something special with the handle like making it out of a bunch of pieces of contrasting wood glued together in such a way that when the handle is shaped it will reveal some neat patterns of contrasting woods. Anyway, I'm thinking of making this bow at least a tri-lam to take advantage of the Perry-reflex principle, but possibly a quad-lam. The only caveat is that I don't like working with too many exotic oily woods. I'm allergic to Ipe so that is out. I haven't really done a whole lot with other woods like Bloodwood or Paduak or any other types like that, except in smaller sized pieces, so I don't know if I'd react badly to those woods. So far I've not noticed that I've had any adverse reactions to any native U.S. species. I think it would be kinda neat to do something with all native U.S. woods, or at least natively grown (since bamboo isn't necessarily native). So, what woods might you choose for a project like this? I'd also add that I have access to a lumberyard that occasionally stocks some oddball stuff like Mulberry, Kentucky Coffee Tree, and some other less common species that don't make it into typical lumberyards.
